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<br />CASS COUNTY SOCIAL SERVICES
<br />BUDGET HEARING
<br />August 8, 2008
<br />
<br />There being a quorum present, Ken Pawluk, Chair of the Cass County Commission, called the
<br />meeting to order at 8:00 a.m.
<br />
<br />Members Present: Ken Pawluk, Scott Wagner, Vem Bennett, Robyn Sorum, Darrell Vanyo
<br />Members Absent: Laurie Dahley, Michelle Macintosh
<br />Agency Staff Members Present: Social Services - Chip Ammerman, DeLana Duffy-Aziz,
<br />Jerry Skjonsby, Alice Swenson
<br />Others Present: Auditor's Office - Michael Montplaisir, Mary Mathesen, Alicia Ulberg,
<br />County Administrator - Bonnie Johnson
<br />
<br />PROPOSED 2009 BUDGET PRESENTATION
<br />
<br />Mr. Ammerman outlined the process of developing the budget stating the county's liability to
<br />provide mandated services to the various populations guided by state and federal law and still
<br />being fiscally responsible. He said basic mandated services cannot be met with current staffing
<br />levels.
<br />
<br />Preliminary Budget Reductions:
<br />
<br />Mr. Ammerman reported he had met with Ms. Sorum and additional reductions were made to the
<br />budget. An initial request of 25 ergonomical office chairs was cut to 12 - a reduction of $8450.
<br />Client travel in the Family Service Division was reduced from $48,200 to $46,000. If contacts
<br />with children can be done by means of web cam, this would reduce travel costs. Travel costs in
<br />the Child Assessment Unit were reduced from $13,000 to $11,000. Under the Family Based
<br />Service Unit client travel from $25,600 to $23,000. These cuts totaled $15,250. The total hard
<br />cuts were from the original cuts is an additional $206,665. That does not include the budget
<br />request reductions of positions that were taken out of the original requests. There were two
<br />Social Worker II positions in Family Services cut at the cost of$68,281 and keeping one Social
<br />Worker III which is contracted with the Red River Children's Advocacy Center - 40% for the
<br />RRCAC and 60% with Social Services. One of the two Eligibility Worker 1's were reduced, one
<br />Eligibility Worker Technician in TANF and two clerical workers. There was one Social Worker
<br />III added to take the place of the two Social Worker II's. In the original request there was
<br />$508,000 in new position requests. That was reduced to $300,000.
<br />
<br />In addition, Mr. Ammerman presented cuts made to the preliminary budget as in accordance to
<br />the directives from the Cass County Commission. Those reductions totaled $209,380 from
<br />Sponsorships ($30,000), copier maintenance ($7,000), HCBS Emergency ($2,500), proposed
<br />new staff position reductions ($33,000), reduction of costs in EBT card issuance ($24,300),
<br />homemaker travel ($1,800), staff development ($27,100) - a 50% reduction, equipment repairs
<br />($750), employment service agency for supervised visitation ($5,000), wellness inoculations
<br />($250), child support enforcement ($57,210), new office telephones ($230), printing ($2,500)
<br />and new office equipment ($17,740).
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