Crow Wing County commissioners approved hiring a welfare fraud investigator, noting the position is fully funded by the state.
Tami Laska, human resources director, said the county's social services department attempted to redistribute the work and worked with the union to see if they could do the work without replacing the position. But Laska said they found it was too large of an area to cover that way given the importance of the assignment.
The board also approved hiring a social services supervisor to replace a retirement. Without the replacement hire, Laska said the supervisor to staff ratio would have climbed from 16 to one to 20 to one, while the average in area counties is 12 to one.
In other business, the board:
Approved a revised Kitchigami Regional Library System joint powers agreement, with a nod toward more cooperation with non-system libraries such as ones in Pequot Lakes and Crosslake. Crow Wing County sought the change to help those local libraries.
The revised language said the Kitchigami Regional system shall encourage the development of local libraries with service agreements opening the doors for those libraries to receive library system services. The levels of cooperation are short of branch status until the communities are to the point where they may be able to become branches.
Approved a Justice Assistance Program agreement with the city of Brainerd, allocating $1,200 to the county for targeted patrols, such as saturation for seat belt use, driving while under the influence or speeding.
Approved a sliding scale payment for the county's social services chemical dependency assessment fee policy based on income guidelines. A legislative change discontinued the fee collection through district court.
Approved seeking quotes for a forest inventory update.
Met in closed session for a performance evaluation of Administrator Tim Houle.
RENEE RICHARDSON may be reached at renee.richardson@brainerddispatch.com or 855-5852.
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