Julie Ann Huer, Columbia County treatment court program manager, updated the Board of Commissioners on grant requests to the Criminal Justice Commission (CJC) for treatment court funding. Huer said the budgets the county submitted are projections and that the county should not assume requested amounts will equal the final awards. "They will make award decisions mid August, and then we'll get our true award amounts," Huer said. "I do not expect that's what we are going to be awarded for funding."

Huer told the board there are 59 programs applying for the same pool of CJC funds, and that the county will refigure budgets and return to the board for approval once final award notices arrive (estimated around Aug. 19). She also raised the operational timing issue that current contracts with providers expire June 30.

On the county's procurement step, Huer said staff had sent an example request for proposals (RFP) to the district attorney's office but had not been asked to create a formal RFP; county legal staff confirmed a draft had been sent to the DA but that the DA had not requested further action. County staff said they would follow up with the DA's office to determine responsibility for issuing an RFP and drafting contracts.

Why this matters: the timing of CJC awards and expiring provider contracts could create gaps in treatment court services if contracts are not reissued or extended before funding starts July 1. The transcript records no formal board action on this item; the program manager said she will return to the board with final figures after award notices are received.