Commission hears brief update, approves amendment tied to MacArthur Foundation Safety and Justice grant

At the start of the meeting, Jay Daniel raised a contract related to the MacArthur Foundation Safety and Justice Challenge and described a lengthy process to align grant funding and contracting for a Native American support specialist who had transitioned from the Office of the Public Defender to a county position.

Jay Daniel explained staff had worked with county counsel and other staff to resolve potential conflicts — including contractor liability insurance for the consultant added to the county contract. “She has like a million dollars of liability insurance as an independent contractor,” Jay Daniel said, describing the risk mitigation that enabled the amendment.

A motion was moved to approve an amendment to supersede the PSA, and a second was recorded. After the motion and second, commissioners commented that the issue had been resolved and thanked staff. The transcript shows the motion and second but does not include a formal roll‑call vote in the excerpt provided.

Why it matters: The contract ties a county role into a larger, foundation‑backed Safety and Justice effort and required settling payroll/contracting and liability issues so the county could accept and manage the grant dollars. Commission approval of the amended contract would permit continued grant‑funded work in coordination with the county’s Safety and Justice strategies.

Next steps: The motion to approve the amendment was moved and seconded on the floor; the transcript excerpt ends shortly afterward and does not provide a recorded roll call in the excerpt reviewed.