Otter Flint, speaking during the department-update portion of the meeting, described several administrative and election-related items the office is managing, including training on check-in hardware, an upcoming migration to the state's Civics iVoter system, audit preparation and courthouse roofing work.

"Amy and I attended a 10x training back in late April. 10x is the iPad system that we use for checking in voters," Otter Flint said, noting hands-on sessions were held with the vendor and county users. Otter Flint said the county had planned an August transition to the new state iVoter (Civics) system but now expects the migration in December because some components remain unfinished. "It won't take effect until December," Otter Flint said.

The department received a PIE award from the state auditor for public-innovation/efficiency work. "State auditor Sam was here in May and presented myself and Ned with our PIE award," Otter Flint said, and added the award object was given to the county conservation staff.

On financial and audit matters, Otter Flint said the office is responding to audit prework and a new Governmental Accounting Standards Board (GASB) standard related to compensated absences. "There's a new one that is about compensated absences. So I will be working through that, for the first time," Otter Flint said. Auditor Elizabeth completed two days of prework and left a list of items the office must prepare; staff are assembling materials to hand to the auditor when she returns in early to mid-September.

Otter Flint also described work with construction counsel and engineers on legal notices and postings for the courthouse roof and said contractors from Minneapolis visited last week to gather information needed to prepare proposals. "Contractors came from Minneapolis last week to review look at the statues," Otter Flint said in the update.

On budgeting, Otter Flint said staff completed fiscal year-end cash and budget-amendment work and balanced accounts. The department plans additional virtual training on Civics in November or December as the migration approaches.

The remarks were given as part of routine departmental reporting to the commissioners; Otter Flint said staff are focused on migration planning, audit responses and procurement steps for the courthouse roof work.