Rice County Commissioners Committee of the Whole/Work Session
September 5, 2023
Present: Docken, Underdahl, Hoisington, Malecha
Outside Agency:
- Hope Center- Erica Hope Center teams with various entities in Rice County to provide holistic response to domestic violence. Advocacy is a big part of the work done, on behalf of victim of violence. Serving 12-1300 clients, this year will be increase, as the Center is fully staffed. Hoping to add one additional staff member but lack funding. Federal funding has been lower than hoped for. Commissioner Underdahl voices support for the work done.
Property Tax and Elections
- Circle Lake, Rice County, Annual Report to County Board. Lake improvement district created by the Board. Shoreline owners contribute to payment for weed cutting. 32.000 in reserve at the end of July. Maintenance, lake monitoring and restoration of lake included in budget. Income through grants, assessments. All weeds are composted. 70 acres of in lake weeds harvested this year, in addition to shoreline. The hope is to get Circle Lake off the Impaired Waters List. Four impairments: low oxygen, extremely high phosphorus levels, nitrogen levels are high, with high level muck at bottom of the lake. Three prong strategy: aerate the lake, phosphorus binding product, biological treatment for the lake, mixed to be specific to Circle Lake. Cost: 4.5 million dollars over 5 years. The plan is scalable, beginning with aeration, can be run when air temperature is greater than 50 degrees. Program can be scaled throughout the year, to take advantage of the budget, weather, etc. Will look to grants to help support the effort, hoping to enlist staff folks with grant writing expertise. Public comment: member of the Lake Board, Geologist. Difficult to treat a “broken lake”, made of many “bits and parts”. Constantly applying for grants, educating the community, make connections for ongoing support.
Social Services
- Chris Sammon. Family Resource Center Network to support families. Sauer Foundation Grant to assist families; Rice County to be fiscal hosts to assess and analyze various stake holders to build up to form completer and more holistic map of resources in Rice County. Models exist over 35 states.
Human Resource: Adam Johnson and Donna Larson from MSRS
- Minnesota State Retirement System (MSRS) presentation for the Health Care Savings Plan (HCSP). Tax free savings plan for eligible participants and spouses, dependents under age 26. Eligibility: part of a union or part of nonunion group, review of personnel policy every two years, whole group, no individual choice within either group. Equity within overall group. Can be set up in payroll deductions, contribution (wellness or portion of sick leave, portion of PTO, etc). No employer match, no corresponding health savings plans, no one person accounts. Everyone in each group (union or non) must participate in same policy/plan. There are several (very stringent) possibilities for oping out (participant in Tri Care, foreign national, two examples). Investment options range low to high-risk funds, participants educated on various options prior to investing. Retirement or termination account only. Reimbursement: Medicare premiums, vision, dental, long-term care, etc. Upon death, spouse or legal dependents. Spouse has same tax-free benefits. Children under age 26 receive tax free benefits. Beneficiaries would receive monies, although not tax free and would need to use for medical benefits. Otherwise, to probate. Cost to employee is 0.6 %, up to 11.00 per month- administrative fee. The two unions in Rice County currently utilize severance package.
Adjournment
Respectfully submitted,
Anne Meyer Ruppel
