Funding from Crow Wing County's waste management department will allow a second Sentencing to Serve crew remain in the county.
Sheriff Todd Dahl Tuesday asked the county board Tuesday to accept an amended contract with the state Department of Corrections.
Two STS crews have operated in the county, assisting with numerous projects. Funding for one of the crews was cut in the legislative budget process.
The county's share for the full program is $170,078, an increase of $26,853. Each crew has a supervisor and up to 10 inmates who are considered non-dangerous offenders who perform community service work.
Dahl credited Doug Morris, waste management director, and staff member John Maattala. Sentencing to Serve crews regularly assist the waste management department.
In other business, the board:
Approved mandatory payroll direct deposit for all employees. The county has about 450 employees and 70 receive paper checks. The change is expected to create an administrative savings for the county as it will eliminate the printing of payroll information sheets and reduce cost and time associated with the payroll distribution. Commissioner Paul Thiede was opposed.
Reclassified tax-forfeited land in Emily as conservation after an archeological survey found three American Indian burial mounds in the area and one that partly fell on the public land.
The board previously listed the public land as non-conservation with intentions to sell until it learned there may be burial mounds on the site.
Land Commissioner Tom Cowell said American Indian artifacts were discovered in every test pit and the archeologist said the whole area was likely a village site between two lakes.
Cowell said the land should be preserved in public ownership forever.
Instituted a corporate foster care licensing fee policy for $500 with fee collection before initial licensing and at re-licensing every two years.
Approved the submission of a federal grant application in partnership with Cass, Todd, Wadena and Morrison counties aimed at preventing child maltreatment. The grant, the county's Health Department reported, supports "funding for nursing, support and supervisory staff time to enhance and strengthen our family home visiting program."
Learned Congress approved and President George Bush signed a moratorium on some rule changes regarding child welfare targeted case management allowing the county to retroactively bill back to March 1.
Approved a change to the personnel policy. Previously the county needed to have up to three internal candidates before it didn't have to publicly post a job opening. The change reduced the internal candidates to one. Human Resources Director Tami Laska recommended the change as a temporary one to year's end. Thiede opposed.
Heard from the auditor's office that election judges are still needed and training is expected in the first two weeks of August.
Learned the mileage reimbursement rate has increased to 58.5 cents per mile July 1 for the remainder of 2008. One of the county's bargaining unit contracts required the increase to the federal reimbursement rate.
The county is working on implementing a fleet vehicle policy for 2009 where employees may receive a reduced reimbursement if they use their own vehicle when one of the county's vehicles is available.
Thiede said without the bargaining unit contract, he didn't think the county would be raising the mileage reimbursement rate.
Heard the recent employee meetings to talk about budget concerns were well attended and staff members contributed 284 ideas to contain costs.
Voted against providing funding for attorneys to represent parents in child protection cases. The State Board of Public Defense previously announced it was discontinuing the representation of parents in those cases as of July 8.
Commissioner Dewey Tautges said it was important to say no and not let the cost be pushed on the county.
RENEE RICHARDSON may be reached at renee.richardson@brainerddispatch.com or 855-5852.
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