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Last summer the County began collecting data on County buildings to assess deferred maintenance needs and develop a plan for addressing those needs. Data collection concluded in the fall, and the County hosted open house sessions – three on December 1, 2022, and another three on February 16, 2023 – to share information with residents about the work to date. The analysis shows that the County will need to invest an estimated $13.4 million over the next five years to address all the maintenance needs in its 25 buildings. At the meeting on February 16, the County began gathering public feedback on some concepts for addressing a shortage of workspaces at the County Courthouse and a need for additional workspaces, evidence processing and storage and sallyport space at the Law Enforcement center. The estimated costs of adding the new space range from $8.42 million to $11.42 million on top of the cost of addressing deferred maintenance at the two locations. For News Herald readers who were unable to attend the open house sessions, information is posted on the County website at co.cook.mn.us/news_detail_T6_R221.php .
Since we started this process, I have been committed to sharing the data we’ve developed and listening to residents about what they want to see and don’t want to see in the CIP. Through surveys we’ve collected from open house participants and those who have reviewed the information online, and from conversations with folks in the community, several themes have emerged:
There is general agreement that the County should be taking care of the buildings it already owns. There is support for using a data-driven approach to prioritize investments in existing buildings. There is less support for increasing the size of the County’s physical footprint and uncertainty about the rationale for adding new space.
Regarding the last item, the organization has undergone changes in the last decade. In 2013, County staffing was at a level equivalent to 104 fulltime positions (someone who works 20 hours a week is considered a 0.5 fulltime equivalent, or FTE). This year, the County has just shy of 126 FTE on payroll. What happened between 2013 and 2023? Much of the growth in the organization occurred in the Public Health and Human Services (PHHS) Department, which added 13.75 FTE in the last decade. This growth was driven by several factors. Among the biggest were:
Five full-time behavioral health positions were added in 2019, 2021 and 2021 in response to the closure of the Human Development Center (HDC) office in Grand Marais and the loss of community-based mental health services previously provided by HDC and Accend Services. During this same time, the department experienced an increase in referrals for mental health case management services. These positions are partially grant funded and/or provide services that are reimbursable by the state or health plans.
Four economic assistance positions (3 FTE) were added in 2016 and 2019 when caseloads doubled due to Federal Medicaid expansion and the creation of the statewide MNsure or MN Eligibility Technology System (METS) health exchange, increasing access to MN health care programs administered by PHHS staff. Dual positions (Financial Worker/Account Tech and Financial Worker/Veteran’s Service Officer) were filled with full time financial workers as experienced staff left their positions. These positions are reimbursed at approximately 50 percent by the Minnesota Department of Human Services.
Two public health positions (1.5 FTE) were added in 2021 and 2022 to provide ongoing coverage of essential public health response duties during the ongoing response and recovery phase of the pandemic. This includes a half-time, grant-funded Statewide Health Improvement Partnership (SHIP) coordinator position that was previously subcontracted to Sawtooth Mountain Clinic that was hired within the PHHS department. Funding for these positions has come from American Rescue Plan Act, the Minnesota Department of Health grants and other competitive grants.
New PHHS positions cannot be added to the County payroll without the knowledge and consent of the PHHS Board, which consists of all five County Commissioners and the chairs of the PHHS Advisory Council and Local Mental Health Advisory Council. These advisory groups help County staff and elected officials identify community needs and assess whether those needs can be met with existing resources. In cases where existing staffing levels are insufficient to meet the need, the advisory councils may make a recommendation to the PHHS department and board that a position be added. There are three ways a position may be funded: through federal or state grants; through the billing of insurance, or through the County levy. Much of the work that PHHS does is funded through grants, and the department has in recent years expanded its efforts to collect revenue and bill insurance whenever that is an option.
Returning to the question of space needs, the growth in the number of employees has led to a situation where offices intended for one person now hold two or three employees. Because PHHS staff members work directly with clients and handle confidential information, remote work options are limited. Crowding has a negative effect on the department’s operations and quality of service to the public. In a shared office, only one person can be on the phone at a time without compromising confidentiality. The lack of confidential meeting space impacts the departments’ ability to meet with residents who are receiving or requesting county services.
PHHS is not the only department facing a shortage of space. The County’s full-time Human Resources Director and half-time Human Resources Generalist do not have permanent workspaces. The halftime Public Information Coordinator also does not have a workspace in the Courthouse. And four Soil and Water Conservation District staff members are shoehorned into an office intended for two people. Alleviating this crowding and creating functional workspaces for staff would require the addition of approximately 3200 square feet of space.
At the Law Enforcement Center, a lack of sufficient evidence processing and storage space has forced deputies to process evidence in a conference room that also serves as a lunch room. Given the hazardous substances that may be collected as evidence, this can pose a serious threat to the deputies’ health and safety. The sallyport, a garage bay where inmates are brought into and taken out of the building, is too small to accommodate modern ambulances, which are frequently called to the center. Deputies’ squad vehicles must be pulled into the bay at an angle to enable inmates to enter and exit. It is not a functional space. Addressing these deficiencies would require the addition of up to 3000 square feet.
Several concepts for addressing these space needs at the County Courthouse and Law Enforcement Center were presented at the February 16 open house sessions and are posted at the URL above. If you have not already reviewed the information, I encourage you to do so and to provide feedback through the survey on the website. The feedback we are gathering will be used to inform the draft of the CIP that is currently in development. We plan to publish the draft report on May 15 and accept public comments on it through June 9. The County Board will discuss the draft report at a work session on June 20 and will be asked to approve it on June 27. There is still time to make your voice heard.
I would like to express thanks to those who have already made the effort to attend the open house sessions or review the information online and to provide their feedback through the survey. The County Board and I want the capital improvement plan to reflect the will of the community. That can only happen if you participate in this process. Thank you for your time.
County Connections is a column on timely topics and service information from your Cook County government. Cook County – Supporting Community Through Quality Public Service.
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