Posted: 10/11/05
County signs long-term care contracts
By David Heiller
Argus News Editor
County commissioners approved long-term care contracts with 22 facilities at their October 4 meeting.
The elderly waiver and alternative care contracts run from October 1, 2005 to August 30, 2006.
ìI think weíre really blessed to have quality providers,î county public health director Linda Grupa told the board. (See sidebar on page 2 for a list of the long-term care facilities.)
Grupa also reported on a proposed delegation agreement for food, beverage, and lodging. The county currently contracts with the Rochester office of the Minnesota Department of Health (MDH). Grupa is looking at contracting with Winona County for the service, which includes inspections and licensing of food and lodging establishments.
Grupa said she and Winona County worker Jill Johnson met with MDH representatives last week. The process is moving ahead, but the MDH is ìdragging its heels,î Grupa said. She didnít expect any changes would occur until January of 2007.
A telehealth grant proposal that Grupa had submitted last February was not approved, she said. However, University of Minnesota officials are interested in setting up a telehealth site here, and will be coming down in a week to meet with county staff. She said she would keep the board posted on this subject.
The board also approved an application for a $5,000 seat belt grant from the Minnesota Department of Public Safety-Office of Traffic Safety.
The grant would cover implementing Seat Belt Challenges in area high schools, which involves awareness and educational activities and messages related to seat belt use, plus conducting outreach and education to parents of young drivers.
There has been a great deal of youth involvement with the Seat Belt Challenge events in the past, grant coordinator Heather Myhre told The Argus after the meeting.
Sheriff contract approved
The board also approved an ìagreement for appointmentî with Darryl H. Peterson for an annual salary of $68,000. Current sheriff Mike Lee is resigning effective October 31. Peterson was appointed by the board on September 27 to fill out Leeís term, which expires at the end of 2006. Peterson will be sworn in during the boardís November 1 meeting.
In other personnel items, the board voted to extend a leave of absence for home health aide Hazel Iverson for 2-1/2 months.
Bridge contract approved
The board approved a bridge replacement on County Road 4 by Rooster Valley Road in Yucatan township. Minnowa Construction of Harmony was the low bidder on the federal project at $479,876. Work will start in about a month, county engineer Tracey Von Bargen said. There will be a bypass around the bridge work so no detour will be necessary, he added.
Maintenance supervisor Tom Molling said that there are six culverts still to be replaced on County Road 24. A couple more might have to be done next spring, he added.
Meeting reports
In their meeting reports, several commissioners said they were pleased with the presentations and attendance at an Association of Minnesota Counties District IX meeting at the Four Seasons Community Center in Caledonia on October 3. Commissioner Kevin Kelleher commended veterans service officer Rob Gross for his presentation on emergency preparedness.
Kelleher added that he would like to set up a meeting with mayors in the county to see if there are services that the county can share with cities such as the use of the human resources department.
Election discussion
Auditor Pete Johnson said he had met with city, township, and school officials regarding election equipment and changes recently. New federal election changes go into effect in January of 2006; state and local election changes start in January of 2008.
Minnesota has allocated grants of $7,059 for each precinct to purchase voter-assistance pieces of equipment. A grant will also provide from $1,500-$3,000 for precinct-counter equipment, Johnson said.
Houston County has proposed sharing polling places to save money. Local representatives discussed the advantages of central-count equipment versus precinct-count equipment at their recent meeting, Johnson said. Some officers felt they shouldnít buy precinct counting equipment, but there is a significant savings using them instead of central counting equipment, Johnson said. Thatís because central counting equipment would 27 voter-assistance devices versus 12 voter-assistance devices, Johnson said. There is also concern that some of the township polling places are not handicapped-accessible.
Township association representatives are trying to get the state legislature to pass a law that would not require townships to use voter assistance devices at their March elections, Johnson added.
The goal is to get everyone to agree with the plan and participate in it, Johnson told The Argus on October 5. ìThereís some reluctance. Townships are reluctant to vote in other places than their town hall, because there is some sharing of polling places.î
Johnson said it will be difficult to meet the January 2006 deadline because counties havenít received anything from the Minnesota Secretary of Stateís office for certification of equipment or cost of equipment. There is a limited number of vendors, he added, and training will be required once equipment is purchased.
ìItís an aggressive timeline. I donít know if it can be kept or not,î Johnson said. ìWe have our doubts.î
The most critical time for getting things in place for the county will by the September 2006 primaries, he added.
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