By: Donovan W. Mann – donovanm@977thebolt.com
Dakota City, IA – Humboldt County is preparing to move human services regions as they receive memorandum of understanding from a potential new partner.
On Monday, Nov. 30, the county board of supervisors met with CEO of Rolling Hills Community Services Region Dawn Menpzer over a Zoom teleconference call. The purpose was to address a memorandum of understanding the county will sign as well as allow the supervisors to ask questions.
Humboldt County is currently part of the Iowa Department of Human Services Region known as County Social Service (CSS). Due to recent legislation the county is needing to join a different region. Supervisor Sandy Loney serves as the county representative on the board for the human services region and has been working to assure the county has a new home to help provide the essential human services.
Rolling Hills has agreed to accept Humboldt and Pocahontas County tentatively. To make the move official Menpzer says they waiting for other member counties to sign their approval. She doesn’t anticipate any problems with the two counties joining but believes the delay has been a result of recent election taking priority.
Supervisor Bruce Reimers asked about the financials and what Humboldt County will have to contribute. Menpzer says that she doesn’t have solid numbers at this time because she has been working with other matters. She does plan to begin putting budgets together soon and says every county will pay their fair share based on services they provide and a per capita basis.
Loney says Rolling Hills offers a lot of the same services that CSS does. The one area the supervisor says she has concerns about is brain injuries. This is not required by state legislation and Rolling Hills does not offer assistance for these services.
Humboldt County will potentially be joining the Rolling Hills Human Services Region at the start of the next fiscal year in July of 2021.
No official action of the memorandum of understanding could be taken at this time but the board of supervisors expressed their appreciation to Menpzer for meeting with them. They also thanked their colleague Loney for all her work in the process.