"If it ain't broke, don't fix it," was the theme of the morning on the third floor of the Crow Wing County Historic Courthouse at Tuesday's county board meeting.
A spirited and oftentimes contentious discussion ended with no decision from commissioners on whether the county should remain in partnership with Aitkin and Morrison counties in probation services.
About 100 people in attendance erupted in both applause and anger throughout the course of the three-hour discussion in reaction to public comments as well as statements by commissioners.
The airing of opinions on the matter came following the conclusion of a task force, approved by the county board in April, to examine the pros and cons of withdrawal from Central Minnesota Community Corrections. The corrections agency is a joint powers partnership of probation services that has been in place for more than 40 years.
Kara Terry, community services director, and Tom Rosenthal, a director of CMCC, presented abbreviated versions of their respective task force reports before the full county board Tuesday. Terry represented the majority opinion, recommending integration into her department. Rosenthal presented the minority view, offering ideas for changes within the current joint powers structure.
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The results of the task force have been the subject of controversy since the release of the reports, with both Terry and Rosenthal acknowledging the group did not complete its directed goals of examining all possible effects of a withdrawal. Terry, who led the task force, told the board she accepted full responsibility for its failure to delve as deeply as members would have liked.
More than a dozen people stepped before the microphone to give testimony to the county board on the issue, including probation agents, probationers, service providers, former community services workers, a law enforcement official and an attorney. All expressed overwhelming support for the county to remain part of CMCC.
Many raised questions about how such a move would impact a program that, in the view of numerous stakeholders directly working with the organization and offenders, is performing at a high level. This concern was heightened by an internal financial analysis indicating the county stands to lose money should it choose to integrate.
Community services troubled, public says
The conversation repeatedly turned to concerns about the performance of community services as a whole and whether that department is equipped to take on probation in the midst of reorganization that by many accounts aired Tuesday has had a negative impact on the functionality of the department.
"In the past couple years, I've gone from having a personal case worker to being a case number (with community services)," said Natalie Johnson, who shared her experiences of struggling with addiction and working both with community services and the probation department.
"As far as it being more efficient, I can't agree with that," Johnson said. "It took (Probation Agent) Preston (Windorski) to sit down with me and actually care about my well being, and not write me off as a bad seed, but just a person with issues that can be a productive member of society. When it comes to people, you can't cut corners. ... Ultimately, people die, and is it worth the money that you're saving? I can't say it is."
Many in attendance made their feelings toward community services known when Chairman Paul Koering spoke on the concerns.
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"Just because the county board is asking for different ideas of how they want to deliver the service of community services that doesn't mean that this is a bad thing," Koering said. "We're just exploring the possibilities, and it almost sounds like people are making, it's kind of like you say, 'Have you beat your wife lately?' It's almost making it sound like something is wrong in community services, and there's nothing wrong with community services."
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"Just because the county board is asking for different ideas of how they want to deliver the service of community services that doesn't mean that this is a bad thing," Chairman Paul Koering said. "We're just exploring the possibilities, and it almost sounds like people are making, it's kind of like you say, 'Have you beat your wife lately?' It's almost making it sound like something is wrong in community services, and there's nothing wrong with community services."
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Many in the crowd erupted in protest to Koering's statement. When Shannon Wussow spoke, she noted she worked on domestic assault files and found Koering's wife-beating comment "insensitive and inappropriate."
Wussow, who is a current CMCC probation agent, spoke on behalf of her mother Karen Wussow, who recently resigned from her post as social worker in community services.
"Before the reorganization, we spent our time building relationships with our families, which resulted in healthier families and healthier communities," Karen Wussow wrote. "Sadly, that no longer seems to be the primary focus. ... Now, it seems the board is more interested in keeping the county levy at zero than they are in protecting the vulnerable. While being fiscally prudent is important, it's not more important than keeping families safe and healthy."
Rosenthal noted during discussion that one of the task force members, Lynda Erickson, family services supervisor in community services, dissented in part with the majority view precisely because the department was in the midst of so many changes. Erickson's view was in favor of integration, but not for at least a few more years.
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Krista Jones, an intensive supervision agent with CMCC, told the county board their decision would affect every person in the community.
"We believe it is imperative that there be honest, productive discussion about the concerns that have been raised by all the stakeholders in this process," Jones said. "We cannot dismiss concerns as simply noise and negativity, not when those same concerns are consistently and repeatedly expressed throughout the community."
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"We believe it is imperative that there be honest, productive discussion about the concerns that have been raised by all the stakeholders in this process," Krista Jones, an intensive supervision agent with CMCC said. "We cannot dismiss concerns as simply noise and negativity, not when those same concerns are consistently and repeatedly expressed throughout the community."
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Terry said hearing the negative comments about community services was "rough." She noted she was seeking more specific complaints rather than generalities, and meetings with county judges and law enforcement were forthcoming.
"While the comments really sucked, quite frankly, they gave us some really good insight on what we can fix and how we can do things better, which is what we are trying to do in general," Terry said.
Jones said she had four pages of specific examples of failings of the department, to which County Administrator Tim Houle responded that he would prefer Jones brought those concerns through the chain of command rather than airing them at the board meeting.
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Commissioners expressed frustration at not receiving any correspondence on these concerns prior to Tuesday's meeting. Both Commissioners Rachel Reabe Nystrom and Doug Houge said they had not received a single phone call about the concerns. Several of those who spoke referenced a fear of retribution for speaking out about problems they recognized.
"I stand here today, I guess cautious of what I say, to a certain extent, for fear of repercussions," Windorski said in his statement. "But I feel very strongly this is a matter of public concern ..."
His statement was cut short when Koering interrupted.
"Do you feel like this county board is going to fire you?" Koering asked. "I just wish people would stop doing that. Like we're vindictive. We're not vindictive people. We're not after you, we're not looking to fire you, so stop with that. Please stop doing that."
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"Do you feel like this county board is going to fire you?" Chairman Paul Koering asked. "I just wish people would stop doing that. Like we're vindictive. We're not vindictive people. We're not after you, we're not looking to fire you, so stop with that. Please stop doing that."
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Windorski asked to explain further, stating he'd sat on the task force and seen and heard many negative things about the department he might soon work for, should the board side with the majority opinion.
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"This has never been a debate about who's better," Windorski said. "It's really more of a debate, as far as I'm concerned, about not making things worse."
Law enforcement speaks up
Lt. Joe Meyer, a 28-year veteran of the Crow Wing County Sheriff's Office and head of the investigations unit, told the county board he'd worked with every probation officer in the room in one way or another.
"To see them gathered here in support of what their supervisor, what the director of the probation department (Rosenthal) is trying to progress this through should speak volumes to you," Meyer said.
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"To see them (probation officers) gathered here in support of what their supervisor, what the director of the probation department (Rosenthal) is trying to progress this through should speak volumes to you." Lt. Joe Meyer, a 28-year veteran of the Crow Wing County Sheriff's Office
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Whether the probation department would perform better in community services was unknown, Meyer said, but what he does know is, the program is working very well now.
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"This is not the direction that we would like to see things go. What works is what is in place now. What looks good on paper sometimes is not always the best avenue and the best choice. I'm just afraid that if you choose to go forward with this integration and collaboration with community services, that there's no going back. It's going to be too hard to resurrect this going back to what it was."
Meyer addressed concerns Commissioner Paul Thiede raised about a position statement written by Brainerd Police Chief Corky McQuiston, who supported the minority view to remain in the partnership. Thiede said he was troubled by the last paragraph of McQuiston's statement, which questioned whether a decision to integrate the program would lead to an increase in recidivism and "lasting negative consequences."
"This has already occurred with similar circumstances as these cost-saving measures have impacted local law enforcement while the overall quality of life in our community suffers," McQuiston wrote.
"I think for someone outside the agencies involved to make that strong of a negative statement about our ability to do business, I just kind of, that was not pleasant for me to read," Thiede said in discussion before the public comment period began.
Meyer said he'd known McQuiston his entire career and as law enforcement officials, they work directly with the clients served by the probation department.
"It affects everything we try to do to try to protect them and better serve the clients we come across," Meyer said.
Asked to respond by Nystrom, Terry said she appreciated Meyer's comments, but did not expect that relationship between probation and law enforcement to change should the integration occur.
"I see so much potential in terms of the collaborations, regardless if integration happens or not," Terry said.
Thiede, in what he described as a "dangerous confession," told Meyer, "One of the reasons I'm willing to engage this conversation is, frankly, I don't trust law enforcement and the judges."
Thiede said he was making the statement facetiously to make a point that mistrust in community services could easily be turned around on the other stakeholders involved.
"If integration puts us all on the same team, I would look at that as a great improvement," Thiede said.
Meyer and others in the audience were visibly upset by Thiede's statements.
"I don't think the moans and groans about the mistrust and things wrong in community services was based on hearsay. I think they're experiencing this," Meyer said to applause. "I think you need to listen to these employees who serve this county and deal directly with the issues at hand. I don't mean to say you're looking from the outside in, but kind of, you are. You're not dealing on a day-to-day process of what goes on in those buildings over there."
Decision deferred
After nearly three hours of conversations, which pushed a public hearing on another matter to more than two hours late, Koering closed the public comment and stated the board would make a decision on whether to integrate the program at the Nov. 10 meeting. Houle noted anyone who would like to weigh in on the matter that did not have the opportunity to do so could email him or any of the commissioners.
History of a partnership
Crow Wing and Morrison counties first partnered on community corrections in 1974 as one of the first three systems of its kind in the state. Aitkin County joined the group in 1992, forming CMCC as it exists today. The three counties are some of 32 counties in the state who administer a correctional system governed by the Community Corrections Act, one of three systems for community supervision of offenders operating in the state, according to the Minnesota Department of Corrections.
Legislation passed in 1973 allows counties or groups of contiguous counties with populations exceeding 30,000 to provide their own supervision services, funded by state subsidy and county property tax dollars. In the remaining counties in the state, probation and supervised release is delivered either fully by the DOC or in cooperation with county probation officers.
CHELSEY PERKINS may be reached at 218-855-5874 or chelsey.perkins@brainerddispatch.com . Follow on Twitter at www.twitter.com/DispatchChelsey .
