HomeMy WebLinkAboutPublic Protection Committee 08-06-03X
PUBLIC PROTECTION COMMITTEE
August 6 2003 8:30 a.m.
CALL TO ORDER
ADOPTION OF AGENDA
DATE OF NEXT MEETING: September 10 8:30 a.m.
ACTION ON MINUTES OF: July 9th
UNFINISHED BUSINESS:
1. Web Browser /Computer Services (Visions)
2. Public Safety/Health Sanitarian, Lori Diaby - Gassama (Dan Raebel)
3. Traffic Tickets Collection Update /ATM Machine (Chuck Mehls)
NEW BUSINESS:
1. Bills and Vouchers*
2. BUDGETS:*
a. Levy dependency programs
b. Grant /position program (s)
c. Zero operating expense (does not include wages and fringes)
d. Capitol outlay items according to schedule
3. Medical Examiner Report
4. Child Support Administrator
5. District Attorney/Victim Witness
6. Sheriff, Chief Deputy, Patrol Captain, Jail Captain and Office Manager
a. Jail assessment
b. Expenditures: Drug Fund/Confiscated Account
7. Goal setting progress for County Board Meeting August 17
ANNOUNCEMENTS & CORRESPONDENCE:
FYI correspondence sent to the committee with the agenda
AGENDA ITEMS FOR THE NEXT MEETING:
ADJOURNMENT
(Agenda not necessarily presented in this order.)
SUBMITTED BY: Julie C. Speer
DATE: July 17 2003
COPIES TO: Respective Department Heads, County Board Chair, Administrator
Coordinator, County Clerk, Public Protection Committee, News Media and News Board.
*These will be presented by each department at the time of their request.
PUBLIC PROTECTION COMMITTEE MEETING
August 6, 2003
MEMBERS PRESENT: Julie Speer, Mary Louise Olson, Denise
Gunderson, Dan Raebel, and Chuck Mehls.
STAFF PRESENT: Sheriff Dennis Hillstead, Child Support
Administrator Katy Kapaun, DA's Office Manager Jane
Esbensen Moore, Victim Witness Coordinator Ann Gustafson,
Medical Examiner Cynthia Litzell, Casey Swetlik, Finance
Director Michelle Pietrick and Renee Carufel.
Meeting called to order at 8:30 a.m. Motion by
Mehls /Gunderson to approve the agenda. Carried. Date of
the next meeting will be September 9th at 8:30 a.m. and the
October meeting is scheduled for 7th at 8:30 a.m. The
budget meeting will be on August 27 at 10:30 a.m. The
committee will meet with Finance on September 24
Olson corrected the July 9 th minutes as follows: under the
District Attorney's report, remove the word "each"
pertaining to criminal cases. Motion by Gunderson /Speer to
approve the minutes as corrected. Carried.
MEDICAL EXAMINER'S REPORT Litzell presented the budget
report and a year to date report. Swetlik and Litzell
explained the budget increases. Currently the cost for
cremations is $80. Other counties are charging up to $150-
175 per cremation. Discussion was held if St. Croix County
should increase this cost. Speer recommended Litzell and
Casey bring this back to the committee with how the extra
revenue will be used.
Review of the bills. Motion by Gunderson / Mehls to approve
the bills of $5485.55. Carried.
VICTIM WITNESS REPORT: Gustafson reported the VOCA grant
for next year has increased 5% and estimated the
reimbursement will be around 60 %. Staff development
expenses were discussed. Gustafson reported on the
increases in her budget. Speer read a letter from the DA's
office reporting on the reimbursement of the Victim Witness
Assistance Program in the amount of $35,120.27 for the
period of January 1 through June 30, 2003.
DISTRICT ATTORNEY'S REPORT Bills were reviewed. Motion by
Speer / Raebel to approve the bills of $438.92. Carried.
Esbensen reported on the budget going over each line item
explaining the increases.
The Department has not received any further information on
any downsizing of a District Attorney's position.
Speer announced each department must have their goal
setting in place for the August County Board meeting.
CHILD SUPPORT REPORT Kapaun presented the budget with year
to date figures. She made arrangements with the Sheriff's
Department to have Laura Kinnett, part time Jail nurse, do
the oral swabs for paternity testing at no cost to the
Child Support Department. Motion by Mehls /Olson to approve
the bills of $2300.09. Carried.
Kapaun explain the reasons for the increases in the budget.
The county cost for the department should be $23,833 for
2004. This increase will probably be covered by
reimbursements from the State.
Speer received resolutions from other counties regarding
legalizing video gaming machines in taverns. No action was
taken.
TRAFFIC TICKET COLLECTION UPDATE Mehls met with the Clerk
of Court twice on this issue. Out of state violators
account for 53% of unpaid fines. Base fine now is $144.00.
If violator pays with a credit card the county will absorb
any credit card fees. The fine money is electronically
deposited in the County account. State fees are deducted
and sent to the State, much of which is returned. The
other option would be to pull the files, send letter of
notification, phone call and then publish the fine and name
in the paper.
Sheriff Hillstead said the patrol officers could start this
process of using credit cards in the cars after Labor Day.
PUBLIC SAFETY /HEALTH SANITARIAN: Raebel reported he invited
Lori Diaby- Gassama to next month's meeting.
VISIONS Hillstead reported Tom Boron, Computer Services
Director, is still working on procuring a web browser.
Speer reported Deuce, St. Croix County's K -9, has been
named Dog of the Year. Officer Knudson and Deuce entered
into a regional competition in July in Minnesota. Deuce
scored the highest of the eighty dogs in the competition.
SHERIFF'S REPORT: Hillstead reported on the corruptible
behavior on the Apple River. The more the Minnesota media
report on this, the more people come to party. The
campground owners need to do more to clean up the river.
Discussion of fines and the revenue due the County was
held.
Hillstead received a nice letter from woman in another
state who was very thankful as a St. Croix County deputy
changed a tire for her daughter while she was traveling
through Wisconsin.
Hillstead reported receiving a federal grant for $52,000 to
help pay for bulletproof vests for the past 3 years and
also 3 years in the future. Committee suggested we should
have a bulletproof vest for Deuce. Another grant for
$164,800 for juvenile gun violence applied for was denied
but received $55,000 to be used for personnel only. This
would cover an investigator for about 8 months. This money
can also be used on educational issues about gun violence.
Consensus of committee would be to use this money and try
again later for the equipment part of this grant that was
denied. Motion by Mehls to utilize that portion of the
grant for personnel hire as the grant specifies. Second by
Gunderson. Carried.
There have been 15 traffic fatalities in the County in
2003. Hillstead reported on the recent finding of a body in
the St. Croix River and also the progress of identification
of the skull found in Somerset earlier this spring.
JAIL CAPTAIN'S REPORT Humphrey requested temporary help
for data entry because the Jail is going live with Visions.
She will need someone 20 hours a week for maximum of four
weeks. The cost would be around $1000 and has money in the
budget to cover this. Motion by Speer / Mehls to approve
the temporary data entry person for up to 4 weeks for
$1000. Carried.
Humphrey reported there is over $139,000 money owed to the
county for medical bills from Jail inmates, which
0
represents 263 cases. She will try and take the larger
ones to small claims.
Humphrey is also trying to hire a second part -time Jail
nurse. Construction on the Huber facility is going well.
Overtime budget is at 81% at this time, which is a concern.
The medical expenses are high also.
BILLS & VOUCHERS: Motion by Mehls /Gunderson to accept the
Jail bills of $73,407.42. Carried. Motion by
Gunderson /Raebel to approve the Sheriff's bills of
$59,207.91. Carried. Revenues for July were $86,579.30 of
which 99.9% went into the general fund or specialized
accounts.
The Huber census will have to decline when the renovation
on the Huber facility begins.
Hillstead reported we were having problems with the cell
phone system so we switched to a different cell phone
carrier. By contracting with Nextel, the County will save
about $6- 10,000 per year. This should keep us from going
over in that budget item.
Meeting adjourned at 12:50 p.m.
Mary Louise Olson, Secretary
Renee Carufel, Recording Secretary