County's Healthy Families program accredited
In a presentation to the Freeborn County Board of Commissioners on Tuesday, Public Health Director Sue Yost said county staff have been working on the accreditation for many years and noted the county began a program similar to the Healthy Families program in 1998 with the dream of someday becoming accredited.
With the help of the Minnesota Department of Health and the Minnesota Legislature, which awarded funding to help this accreditation be possible, they found out at the end of May the program achieved its goal.
Yost said initially nine counties were working together on the goal, but the other seven counties decided to pursue a different program, while Freeborn and Faribault counties decided to continue with this one.
She said they had to meet 150 different standards, had a site visit by the national Healthy Families America in November and performed well during the accreditation process, ultimately being approved on the first try.
"I'm very proud of our team that they've accomplished this," she said, noting the program staff have had very little turnover since they created the county's program in 1998.
Since 2018, the combined programs have completed over 13,000 home visits. Staff working through the program conduct intensive home visits starting prenatally and working with children through age 3 and their families — and sometimes with children through age 5 until they enter kindergarten.
She said they provide support, help families connect with resources and make sure they're getting their proper health care.
The board recognized a handful of staff members in the program in attendance at the meeting.
In other action, the board:
—Approved a contract for election services with the Glenville school district for a special election on Aug. 12.
—Approved a resolution appointing Commissioner Nicole Eckstrom to a Citizens Advisory Task Force regarding the proposed Midwater Energy Storage project near Glenville.
—Decommitted $1 million from the county's Highway Department.
Administrator Melanie Aeschliman said the decommitment is because the department had several low bids that came back for the department's latest projects. While she said it was great there was an opportunity to have extra room in the department's budget, when there is a surplus, it should be brought back to the county's general fund and then the board should look at all departments to offset any budget needs.
Aeschliman said even with the decommitment of the funds, the Highway Department was able to move forward with three additional projects that it had not originally planned to do this year.
The board voted in a separate resolution to commit $500,000 of that funding toward health insurance.
The county has previously committed $1.8 million in preparation for a potential transition to self-insurance.
The county's insurance advisor has recommended maintaining a reserve of $2.3 million to ensure financial stability under a self-insured health plan, the resolution stated.
—Heard an update about the county's search for a new assessor.
Board Chairman Brad Edwin said an assessor candidate has accepted a tentative agreement.
The name of the individual has not yet been announced.
The county has been without a full-time assessor since mid-October.
Edwin noted later in the meeting during the time the board approved claims that the county had spent over $15,000 with DDA Human Resources Inc. for two search rounds for an assessor, but that process did not turn up anyone for the county. The individual the county has an agreement with came through other means.
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