Requesting funding

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WORTHINGTON — Nobles County Commissioners on Tuesday approved a request seeking $400,000 in grant dollars to reestablish a juvenile detention facility and programming in Worthington.

Nobles County Family Services Administrator Mary Fischer said the grant, if received, would be split over two years and would fund a large share of the estimated $280,000 annual staffing costs for the program. Among the services she outlined include secure detention, in-patient and out-patient chemical dependency, behavioral programming and shelter.

“Once we get the program up and running … we should be able to break even if not make (income),” Fischer told commissioners.

The grant application must be submitted by July 23, and Fischer said the county would have until mid-September to accept the funds if they are offered.

“What we’re hoping, by securing the grant, is to decrease the risk for Nobles County for going into a venture like this,” she added.

Since the closing of KidsPeace Prairie Academy in Worthington, Nobles County has had to send its juveniles to the Brown County Detention Center in New Ulm.

However, recent cuts made by Gov. Tim Pawlenty have made it difficult for the New Ulm facility to make all of its programs available.

“As time goes by, our access to these services becomes farther and farther away,” Fischer said. “We are hoping to put together a programming strategy to meet the needs of our kids and make the lowest risk for Nobles County.”

Fischer said other counties in the region have to do the same, and have voiced support for Nobles County Family Services’ idea to rejuvenate the program. Among the counties anticipated to utilize a program if it were reestablished include Rock, Pipestone, Murray, Cottonwood, Jackson, Lincoln, Lyon, Martin, Watonwan and others, she said.

“One of the things going for us is we have the potential for an existing facility, so we don’t have the capital costs,” Fischer said, referring to the vacated KidsPeace Prairie Academy located within the Prairie Justice Center.

“These kids are needing these services. If there’s a way we can customize this, we can create jobs in the community,” she added, estimating that approximately 10 full-time jobs could be created if a program could get established.

Fischer said KidsPeace did not offer chemical dependency or behavioral programming, and said the chemical dependency program would add an important piece that is needed in the community.

Commissioner David Benson, who participated in Tuesday’s meeting via telephone and was therefore unable to vote on any actions taken, said he supported the idea and the request to apply for the grant funding.

“This is coming out of a long, careful look of what we really need,” Benson said. “I’m confident this will be a better program, more suited (to our needs) than the KidsPeace program.”

Commissioner Marv Zylstra cited concerns about what would happen after the grant dollars ran out in two years. Fischer responded that estimates show the program expenses would run approximately $680,000 per year, while revenue generated could come close to $1.4 million.

In other action, the board:

• Accepted a Public Safety Interoperable Communications grant of $34,574.20 for Nobles County. The grant requires a match of $8,643.53 from the county, and Sheriff Kent Wilkening said the funds are in his budget to meet the match amount. The money will be used to purchase radio equipment.

• Approved a request to advance state aid funding from 2010 to complete a couple of bridge replacements in the county. The bridges include a structure on CSAH 13, south of Rushmore, and on CSAH 15, north of Interstate 90 between Rushmore and Adrian. The county can apply for the advance in funding after Aug. 15.

• Approved a post-warranty hardware and software maintenance service agreement on the county’s voting equipment for the next four years. The agreement will cost the county $33,750, and was included in the 2009 budget.

• Scheduled the second half of the county’s road tour for July 21, following the regularly scheduled county board meeting.

  l Approved an in-patient chemical dependency services contract with the Jackson Recovery Center in Sioux City, Iowa. The facility offers a program designed for women with children. Fischer said the county occasionally has a client in need of those services.

• Approved a mental health holds service contract with Avera-McKennan of Sioux Falls, S.D., for in-patient mental health treatment. The Sioux Falls facility is used when Sanford Worthington is filled or doesn’t have the capability to serve the client in need.

• Approved a revision to the joint powers agreement the county has with the Southwest Minnesota Adult Mental Health Consortium. The revision clarifies that state employees will no longer have the ability to vote on the consortium.

• Opted to continue participation in a fraud prevention services contract for Family Services. Fischer said the county is one of 10 counties served by a full-time fraud investigator based with Lincoln, Lyon and Murray counties.

• Approved a contract with Greater Minnesota Family Services to serve two to four families in the county in need of additional services. The agency provides parenting skills to at-risk families, does in-home behavior training and works with families on parenting and discipline issues.

• Approved a change in group residential housing agreements to reflect a $70 per month rate increase. The increase was effective July 1.

• Was introduced to Ashley Roelfs, the 2009 Nobles County 4-H summer intern. Roelfs is a native of Sanborn, Iowa, and is attending South Dakota State University in Brookings. She will work with the 4-H program through the end of August.

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