By Dave Baumeister, County Correspondent
SIOUX FALLS – After recent reports of lower insurance costs, this week, the Minnehaha County Commission looked to shift some of those savings into employee salaries.
Overall, commissioners voted 4-0 (Jeff Barth was absent) to raise all county salaries by at least .5% for 2022.
Some employees will be receiving larger increases to make their compensation more inline with the current job market.
For example, it was unanimously approved to raise the salary of the lowest paid county employees from $9.70–10.25 up to $12–12.75 per hour.
Human Resources Director Carey Deaver did mention that only eight people fall into that pay category, but she wanted the county to keep pace with private sector entry level positions.
However, being employed with Minnehaha County does allow for upward career mobility, as well as health care and retirement benefits that may not be available in other jobs.
Commissioners also approved the addition of three new part-time positions in the treasurer’s office to help implement recent recommendations to increase services there.
Treasurer Kris Swanson told the commission how her office has already implemented some of the recommendations by making the window for disabled customers more “user friendly,” as well as opening all windows from 7:30 a.m. to 5 p.m.
Previously, the customer service windows in the treasurer’s office had only been opened from 8 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.
Swanson said, the three new part-time employees will be able to greatly help the workload in her office, and there was discussion about having trained people available to move into full-time positions that may become available in the future.
‘There must (may) be more money!’
To paraphrase author D.H. Lawrence, the county is looking at a windfall of $37.5 million, but those funds may become even more beneficial depending on action by the U.S. Congress.
Auditor Ben Kyte reported on action in Washington to allow more flexibility for spending money allocated to the county by the American Rescue Plan Act of 2021.
The original intent of the $1.9 trillion allocated by Congress was for Coronavirus relief, but senate Bill 3011, which was passed by a unanimous voice vote, is to allow States and local governments to use coronavirus relief funds provided under the American Rescue Plan Act for infrastructure projects, improve the Local Assistance and Tribal Consistency Fund, provide Tribal governments with more time to use Coronavirus Relief Fund payments, and for other purposes.
Kyte said, South Dakota Congressman Dusty Johnson has introduced similar legislation in the House of Representatives, but it has not yet come up for a vote.
When it does, Kyte said he would keep the commission informed on that future action by Congress.
Commissioner Jean Bender added she was glad to see Rep. Johnson sponsoring this legislation and hoped the House would have the same unanimous voice vote on the bill.
Other briefings
Commissioners also heard briefings by two local agencies providing services to the community.
The first was by representatives from the Glory House, a “half-way house” which helps those who had previously been incarcerated integrate back into the community.
Glory House interim president Nicole Dvorak talked about an increased emphasis on addiction and correctional behavioral health programs to add to more affective treatment with their clients.
While she didn’t have exact numbers, Kittams said that of current Glory House clients, about 85 to 90% were currently employed, stating the main people unemployed were those who just moved in from correctional facilities.
In another briefing, Janet Kittams of the Helpline Center told commissioners about changes in the 211 Helpline system with the addition of a statewide 988 phone number to help with mental illness and other “at-risk” problems.
While she explained the 211 Helpline will still be able to direct people to mental illness and crisis services, it is more intended to help people access certain social services, such as housing needs.
988 is more of a “crisis line,” and mental health experts will be available there to help people with those issues.
The 988 phone number will be rolled out in July of 2022.
The next meeting of the commission will be on at 9 a.m. Tuesday, Nov. 16, on the second floor of the Minnehaha County Administration Building at 6th and Minnesota in Sioux Falls.
There is always time allotted for the public to speak on non-agenda items.
