Posted: 9/28/04
Dispatcher hired, jail contracts with La Crosse County
By David Heiller
Argus News Editor
The Houston County board approved a contract with La Crosse County on September 21 for boarding inmates.
The advantages are that La Crosse County has work release capabilities, and it is closer than Rochester, jail administrator Mark Schiltz and board member Kevin Kelleher said. The cost will be $55 per inmate per day.
The Houston County jail has 14 beds, and cannot house female prisoners or juveniles. Last year the county spent more than $100,000 transporting and housing prisoners in other jails. A committee is actively studying the feasibility of building a new jail.
The board also approved hiring Daphne Fischer as a part-time dispatcher in the sheriffís office. Personnel director Tim Comstock said that Fischer would be filling in for people who are on vacation or taking comp time. ìAlmost like a floating-type shift,î he said.
The goal of the new position is to cut down on overtime pay and save the county money, Comstock added.
Other personnel issues
The board approved hiring a student intern for the fall school semester, primarily in the recorderís office.
Bev Bauer, county recorder, said the person would be doing backlog scanning. She said interns have worked out well in the past. ìAnd the students that do come in have a computer background.î
The board also reappointed Tom Dybing for another four years as county assessor. His appointment expires at the end of 2004. ìHeís a valuable asset to Houston County. He does an excellent job,î Comstock told the board.
Watershed gets support
Also at last weekís meeting, commissioners approved a letter of support for a grant proposal for Cannon River Watershed Partnership. The three-year, $300,000 grant, which would come from the Clean Water Act, is called Wastewater Treatment and Management in Unsewered Communities. Most of the grant funds would pay for two fulltime wastewater facilitators, one each for the northern and southern counties. Houston and nine other counties are in the watershed.
4-H report
University of Minnesota Extension Service regional educator Holly Kanengeiter talked to the board about the direction that the 4-H program is going.
ìOur focus is out-of-school time,î Kanengeiter said. ìOur research shows a lot of kids are out there, on their own. So thereís a lot of need for us to provide resources for out-of-school time.î
More than 380 young people participate in 4-H in Houston County, Kanengeiter said. The goal statewide is to double 4-H participation by 2007.
Larry Graf said some 4-H parents donít seem to want to get involved in leadership roles.
After-school sites and site-based clubs address that situation, Kanengeiter responded. ìWe like parent involvement but we know that doesnít work for everybody.î
Two other thrusts for this approach are 4-H
adventures and 4-H at the county fair, Kanengeiter said.
Her organization is also doing more club leader training. ìPeople need to know what it means to be a 4-H club,î Kanengeiter said.
After Kanengeiter spoke, the board approved a resolution in support of 4-H. Commissioner Ann Thompson said that 4-H helps ensure the future of the county by training young people to be good citizens.
Houston County 4-H educator Rebecca Pruss attended the meeting with Kanengeiter.
Bridge project update
The board approved two bridge bonding resolutions for Minnesota state Transportation Fund grants. They are for:
ï A bridge on County Road 5 over an unnamed stream in Jefferson township, 3-1/2 miles from New Albin, for $23,980. The road will be closed for about a month. Detours will be set up and it will be well-signed, county engineer Allen Henke said.
ï A bridge on County Road 10 in section five of Caledonia Township (by Schechís Mill), for $82,606. A detour was put up on County Road 10 on September 23, and will be in place for 4-6 weeks, Henke told The Argus on September 23.
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