County explores community health, jail questions

During their meeting on April 21, members of the Waseca County Board asked county sheriff Jay Dulas to prepare a summary regarding changes that will be needed as the county transitions from its current status as a jail approved to take in, hold, and keep inmates for a year and longer, to a short-term holding facility which must transfer longer-term inmates elsewhere. Board member Brad Milbrath, who finished a 12-year term as county sheriff in 2022, asked for close attention in Dulas’ report regarding ways to ensure corrections department staff, lawyers, and others will have ready access to inmates who are part of the county’s justice procedures.

 

Dulas’ presentation was placed on the schedule for commissioners’ June 16 meeting.

Sarah Berry, director of the county public health department, provided a brief update regarding the opioid advisory committee. A group of nearly 20 community members and county professionals meet regularly and make decisions about distributing money which will be paid to the county for the next 20 years or so as the result of numerous lawsuits against certain pharmaceutical companies which profited from opioid medications that led to a nationwide addiction crisis which still has many ongoing repercussions.

 

The county is one of many thousands of public service units receiving the settlement money, and because payment amounts are based on population, the amount the county receives is smaller than many other counties and cities. Still, county administrator Michael Johnson told commissioners, the county has more than $339,000 to distribute under the program; annual payments to the county under the lawsuits will continue for about another 20 years. A stipulation is that money is to be used to fund community based projects, and cannot be used to subsidize existing programs or staff wages.

 

Barry reported the advisory council has set itself a target of allocating about $50,000 a year toward projects. The council requests applications from area organizations, individuals and groups and awards funding based on numerous criteria. The $50,000 amount for 2026, she said, has been reached.

 

Board members also heard from MNPrairie executive director Tara Reich, who shared that work toward redistributing the staff and assets of the organization is ongoing. MNPrairie was established in 2014 when Dodge, Steele and Waseca counties put together an agreement to form a collaborative and consolidate the funds that support it, including funds from the three counties and money the state usually provides individual counties to support human services. At Steele County’s request, the three-county agency is now being reconfigured into two separate entities–a Steele County Human Services Department and an ongoing collaboration between Waseca and Dodge counties. The process is scheduled to be complete at the beginning of 2027, but the time frame will be influenced by changes and separations which must occur at the state level–over which no one in any of the counties has any control.

 

Reich told commissioners it is her intent to provide quarterly reports which keep them current regarding ongoing services and initiatives, and brought in three department managers–Tina Rentz of Adult and Disability Services, DeAnn Boney of Income and Health Care Assistance, and Patricia Harrelson of Childhood and Family Services.