Paybacks paying off for county welfare fund

By Sara QuamThe Rock County Board of Commissioners commended Family Services, especially collections worker Wendy De La Rosa-Gacke, for recouping some of the assistance clients receive.Family Services Director Randy Ehlers said, "We’ve taken the philosophy that if you need assistance you deserve it, but if at a point you can pay it back, you should."People who live below the federal poverty level or who are already receiving cash assistance aren’t asked to repay any previous assistance.Collections are done for detox services and medical assistance in the case of someone who dies and has no spouse or children to live off existing assets.Since 1997, the county has collected almost $1 million. After state portions and local costs, the county has kept $328,954 of that. The cost of operating collections is about $20,000 a year, including salary and benefits. Federal money aids the program.Drug and alcohol reportThe board reviewed a Drug and Alcohol Normative Evaluation, which tracks information on people who’ve been through chemical dependency treatment in the county.In 2004, for example, there were 64 admissions to centers. Forty-three of those were men. (Some people may enter more than once and count as another admission.)Commissioner Richard Bakken said, "Our county certainly doesn’t have a shortage of these kinds of problems."Other facts from the report include:
The majority, 28, were age 18 to 24. The average age was 28.7 years old.
59 were white; 2 were Hispanic
39 were single
19 had full-time jobs; eight had part-time jobs, and 11 were students.
19 did not complete high school
27 went to treatment as a condition of probation; eight entered treatment to avoid losing a relationship
3 were pregnant
11 left the program against staff adviceMost of the inpatient treatment is done through the New Life Treatment Center in Woodstock, and most of the outpatient treatment is done through Luverne Community Hospital.Gas tax updateThe board received an update on the gas tax from Auditor Treasurer Gloria Rolfs. The taxes collected were increased slightly from last year.Duininck Brothers, Henning Construction, Northern Con-Agg, Pronk Ready Mix and W&N Construction contributed to the tax.The county received $22,630.65 for the Road and Bridge Fund; $3,771.77 for the Special Reserve Fund, and $11,315.33 for various townships.Luverne Township received the most, with $3,118.29.Capital improvementsThe Board voted to move forward in the development of a five-year capital improvement plan that would utilize bonding to pay for special projects.The Board set a public hearing for 8 p.m. Monday, May 23, in the Rock County Human Services Meeting Room. Commissioner Jane Wildung said the meeting should be at night to allow more people to attend. "I think this will be a good process," she said.If the board decides to use bonding to pay for special projects through the CIP, it is subject to a reverse referendum that can be forced through a petition.Chairman Ken Hoime said, "The CIP doesn’t force us to spend the money, but it gives us the authority."Based on taxable market value, Rock County may bond for $462,626 per year.