Following a lengthy discussion that was preceded by an information presentation on the Pine to Prairie Drug Task Force (P2P DTF), the Polk County Board of Commissioners at their meeting Tuesday voted to support a $25,000 increase in federal funding for the organization.
At issue was what this grant would actually cost the county in the end. Sheriff Mark LeTexier explained that the task force's previous funding level of $100,000 covered half a position each in the Crookston and East Grand Forks Police departments and some overtime for a Polk County Sheriff's deputy in the P2P DTF. For the first two years of task force, the PCSO has fully funded its position, with the two cities each covering the other half plus benefits for their officers.
“We decided we'd like funding for our half position, too,” he said. “We've already cut two and a half positions and $300,000 from our budget.”
Although the state actually had less money available for its DTFs this year, Crookston Police Chief Tim Motherway, who serves as the fiscal manager for the task force, applied for it anyway. The P2P DTF conducted two audits last year, one through the PCSO and the other through an independent firm, that showed everything accounted for and on the up and up, a fact Motherway made sure was noted in the grant application.
“I think that played a part in getting that extra $25,000,” he said. “Our reputation up here is just phenomenal as is our cooperation with other agencies. As far as I know, we were the only DTF to get additional funding this year.”
The grant is renewable for another year, he added.
Captain Karl Erickson of the PCSO said that while the county would be on the hook for one-half of a position plus benefits, which comes to around $47,000, these funds are actually in the budget for this year.
“We’re not asking for new money,” he said.
The strings attached to the grant were also a sticky subject. As a federal grant, it requires that a different person be put in the position, so the deputy who has been doing the job for two year will be taken off the DTF and moved into other duties.
“He will be well utilized in our department,” said LeTexier. “We're already short-handed, so there's lots for him to do.”
“I have concerns about filling a position we said we weren't going to fill,” Commissioner Warren Affeldt commented. “Everything’s on the table here, from the DTF right down to the county street sweeper. That’s how bad things are going to get. We're trying to do a balancing act. It's still coming out of your budget. What do we do next year, and the year after that?”
There would be no net gain of a position as the officer would be managed through the PCSO, LeTexier said.
“I feel some pressure here. One of the things I keep hearing from you is money, money, money. I would agree it’s frustrating but why not take advantage of this, which is nothing more than we've already been approved for,” he said.
Although Commissioner Bill Montague suggested waiting a week to further discuss the matter, the board, with Commissioner Don Dietrich absent, in the end approved supporting the grant.
