County officials told commissioners they will pursue partial reimbursement from the state for legal services tied to child-in-need-of-care cases and that a pending USDA Rural Development contract and precinct-level redistricting efforts are delayed by the federal government shutdown.

A county staff member reported that the county now pays roughly $9,000 a month for contracted legal services in child-in-need cases and that, after meetings with Chief Judge Amy Harth and District Court Clerk Stephanie Gerken, the judiciary will work with the county to seek partial reimbursement starting at the beginning of the year. The staff member said the amount likely to be recovered would be modest; “I don't know that we would exceed $5,000 annually in that aspect of it,” the staff member said, and added that staff will pursue the mechanism but that savings are expected to be limited.

On a separate item, staff said they had executed and signed construction bonds and insurance documents tied to a USDA Rural Development contract with a contractor and had started the contract date as Sept. 29. The packet was returned to USDA Rural Development for final review and approval; staff said progress is stalled while federal offices remain closed during the shutdown.

Staff also warned that census and federal data access being paused could affect precinct-level redistricting work. The county had hoped to complete redistricting work by November to align with candidate filing and salary-setting timelines; staff noted that the salary resolution for elected officials is typically passed in early December and that missing census data could complicate line-drawing and timing.

No formal votes were taken on these administrative updates. Staff said they will continue coordinating with the judiciary on reimbursement, monitor the USDA review status and the federal shutdown, and return to commissioners with updates as they become available.