- Property tax and elections: Denise Anderson
- Anderson reviewed what will occur in the first quarter of 2024 regarding property taxes. This includes courtesy letters to 24 parcels who have not paid their 2021 property taxes, giving them a 1-year warning prior to starting forfeiture on the parcels in January 2025. Key dates include
- January 15th – Notice of Expiration of Redemption Period begins on 13 parcels who have not paid their 2020 property taxes. Deadline date is Monday, May 13th @ 4:30 pm.
- February/March/April – calculate property taxes for 30,000+ parcels with approx. $92+ million dollars – send out statements prior to April 1st.
- March 23rd – first publication of 1st Time Delinquent Taxpayers
- April 6th – second publication of 1st Time Delinquent Taxpayers
- Further details available here.
- Questions
- Purfeerst: What if the person who owns the land doesn’t live in the county?
- A: Notice is posted on property and serve 18 yr/old physically present and/or send certified mail and phone to wherever they are living
- Docken: Do you have vacancies?
- A: Fully staffed now due to two new staffers as of Jan 3
- Purfeerst: What if the person who owns the land doesn’t live in the county?
- Anderson reviewed what will occur in the first half of of 2024 for elections:
- January 19th – Absentee Voting begins for the Presidential Nomination Primary (PNP) in the Rice County Elections Department & City of Northfield Offices
- January 23rd – Election staff will be giving Election Judge Training for the PNP 1 hour required training – expecting to train 486 election judges
- February 9th – Absentee Voting begins for March Township Election in the Rice County Elections Department
- ELECTION DAY – Presidential Nomination Primary March 5th
- Canvass PNP Election Results March 8th
- ELECTION DAY – March Township Election March 12th
- April – State of MN Election Training for County Election Administrators
- May – Election staff will be training Township, City & School District Clerks on the required duties they need to administer elections in 2024 & 2025
- Filing period runs from May 21st until June 4th at 5 pm
- Withdrawal period ends June 6th at 5 pm
- June 10th – Secretary of State to reimburse County for costs of PNP
- June 28th – Absentee Voting begins for August 13th Primary Election
- Questions
- Malecha: Expressed appreciation for Denise Anderson and her staff
- Anderson reviewed what will occur in the first quarter of 2024 regarding property taxes. This includes courtesy letters to 24 parcels who have not paid their 2021 property taxes, giving them a 1-year warning prior to starting forfeiture on the parcels in January 2025. Key dates include
- Social Services: Megan Thomas
- Adult Services Updates
- DD Waiver case management has increased by 3%
- 2022 there were 408 DD case served
- 2023 there are so far 421 DD cases served
- CADI Waiver case management increased by 12.4%
- 2022 there were 355 CADI/CAC/TBI cases being served
- 2023 there are so far 399 CADI/CAC/TBI cases being served
- MNCHOICES Assessments: Currently unable to track numbers without tracking on own by spreadsheet. Cases are too fluid
- MnCHOICES is a comprehensive web-based application that integrates assessment and support planning for Minnesotans who need long-term services and supports (LTSS), regardless of age, type of disability or service needs.
- Adult Protection-MAARC reports increased by 9%
- 2022- 379
- 2023- 415 (12/11/2023.)
- Adult Mental Health case management increased by 11%
- 2022- 50 new cases
- 2023- 56 new cases
- Intakes increased by 14%
- 2022- 63 intakes completed
- 2023- 73 intakes completed
- Friendship House
- Independent living skills, wellbeing, community supports, and other resources for those living with severe, persistent mental health diagnoses
- South Central Mobile Crisis
- This service began being offered on April 1st, 2023, located in the Rice County offices in Northfield, including housing Mobile staff M-F, 8am-4pm.
- Mobile is responding to calls in Rice & Le-Sueur County
- We currently have 4 staff that can be assigned to work in Rice County office location.
- Starting September 1st, 2023, Mobile shifted their hours from 8am-4pm to 10am-6pm.
- SCCBI has initiated 2 other satellite offices within the region. 1 in Brown County and another in Watonwan County.
- Within Rice County we have participated in the Rice County Fair, we have met with Northfield High School, Middle school, and St. Olaf College. We have also met with Northfield, Lonsdale, and Faribault Police Department, as well as the Rice County Sheriff’s Office.
- We continue to build relationships with the CAC, Allina Health Medical Center, schools, colleges, and other areas where people can get the information.
- SCCBI is looking to potentially develop sites within some Mayo Health Systems across the region embedded in Emergency Rooms and Urgent Care departments to assist with barriers to mental health access and treatment.
- Malecha Question: What about communities without Mayo clinics?
- A: In discussions with Allina system, so as to serve Northfield.
- We have authorized the purchase of vehicles (2) for Mobile to use for transportation and response. Previously staff used their own vehicles and contracted for transportation to the Crisis Center. An additional vehicle for outreach and engagement events.
- We are looking at investing in a Mobile application that will track referrals and dispatch of calls. This will allow for easier access and breakdown of data needed for reports.
- Continue to hire staff and engage in a 2-person response to all Mobile needs.
- Continue with Satellite offices throughout the region.
- Legislative Priorities:
- 3% rate increase for mental health services
- 17.6 million for FY 24-25 and then 48.5 million for FY 26-27.
- Mobile Crisis Grants increase (one-time)
- Tribal Mobile Crisis grants created
- School-linked mental health grants increase
- Start up grants for PRTFs (Psychiatric Residential Treatment Facility)
- Eliminated the county cost share of those MI&D awaiting admission from one state facility to another for 2 years.
- Adult Mental Health (AMHI) block grant funding update
- Funding has been revoked, which would have provided training and support for Friendship House
- None of the funds expected are being received by Rice Co or any other county in the state of Minnesota.
- This has been a sudden and disruptive change
- Minnesota Association of County Social Service Administrators (MACSSA) members have been working on developing and approving Legislative positions for 2024. Position Statements are in the following areas:
- Adult Services (3)
- Moratorium Simplification
- MNCHOICES Administrative Timelines – looking to expand to 365 days
- MNCHOICES Cost Shift
- Behavioral Health (7)
- Eliminate County Cost Share for Behavioral Health Fund
- High Acuity Beds and Safety Net Services
- Children’s Mental Health Initiative
- Case Management Redesign
- Charge to Counties when Direct Care and Treatment (DCT) Beds is the Next Appropriate Placement
- South Central Community Based Initiative (SCCBI) developed a Children’s Cabinet to advocate for and focus on mental health care for children. Activities so far include:
- Gaps Analysis Themes:
- Increased level of aggression in youth
- Complexities in referrals for case management services
- Limited crisis management and crisis stabilization services
- Limited child residential settings/PRTF’s to meet the needs of children with complex and intense behavioral health concerns
- Parent Survey
- Critical Incident / Systems Review
- Reveals the complexity of the children’s mental health system, which is very difficult to understand and navigate. Full visual map of system available in agenda packet for this meeting.
- University of Minnesota Psychiatric Consultation Contract
- Consultation is done virtually with Dr. Charles Lewis, U of M Masonic Children’s Hospital. This is a consult, not a patient appointment. Dr. Lewis provides an objective opinion on case scenarios with recommendations.
- Children’s Crisis & Stabilization Services
- There is a huge gap between systems and funding for adult mental health services, as compared to those for children’s.
- Rebranding Mobile Crisis
- Need to make clear this is for children, too
- Questions
- Malecha: Are we also working with schools, placing staff in schools?
- A: Have met with nearly all schools. Some resistance from remaining schools.
- Hoisington: Walk us through a typical phone call that crisis center gets.
- A: Calls vary greatly. Range from “I need to talk to somebody” to “My sister is suicidal and I need help” and mobile sends someone to meet with them and walking through the situation. At the end of the day, they want people to stay at home, but if there is not a safety plan, options include going to the emergency room or crisis center. EMS could be called if it’s highly volatile.
- Hoisington: When would law enforcement be called?
- A: Law enforcement could be called depending on the situation if the situation were
- Hoisington: Would there be a gap in time?
- A: There could be, and that’s the goal of the mobile crisis center. Before this, the staff was located in Mankato, which meant longer waits.
- Docken: It’s so complex.
- Underdahl: It’s great to know we have these services at the county level.
- Malecha: AMC and MICA have been advocating for more money for mental health for years. In the last year, they made significant improvements in dollars, but there is a long way to go. The state has a lot to do with this, because counties are responsible but depend on state funding. There is a lack of beds for mental health crises. You’re taking people to Iowa, North Dakota, etc to find beds because we don’t have them in Minnesota. And family can’t come and visit.
- A: We are very lucky representation from Blue Earth County on a state committee with commissioner re: needs for resources.
- Purfeerst: Thanks the staff. Notes this is complex. If we went back 30 years ago, would we have this level of cases?
- Malecha: Are we also working with schools, placing staff in schools?
- Community Services and Community Corrections: Angela Brewer
- Reviewed the work and achievements of the last year
- What corrections does:
- Provide community supervision to justice-involved individuals – pretrial – diversion – probation – supervised release
- Monitoring of court conditions
- Public safety
- Cognitive Programming and Education
- Assessment of risk/needs/responsivity
- Chemical Testing
- Coordination of services and service referrals
- Community partnerships and collaboration
- Gaps Analysis Themes:
- DD Waiver case management has increased by 3%
- Adult Services Updates
Observer had to leave meeting at 9:30 am, missing the following content from the agenda:
- Highway
- Highway updates
- Presentation of draft 2023-24 Transportation Improvement Plan
- Sheriff’s Office
- Request for setting salary for Rice Co Sheriff
- Attorney’s Office
- Request for setting salary for Rice Co Attorney
