County departments report case filings, reentry outreach, training and equipment updates

Multiple Adams County departments presented operational updates during the board meeting, reporting case filings, outreach plans, training opportunities and equipment availability.

Clerk of Courts: A court representative joining from the state capital reported January case filing counts. The clerk said there were about 32 new filings tied to state patrol (down from 2024 levels), 68 county traffic filings, planning-and-zoning forfeiture filings increased, civil filings rose from 13 in January 2024 to 26 in January 2025, and total case filings for the month were 311 (a slight increase from January 2024). The clerk also reported 534 transactions in January totaling "just under $5,000." The clerk joined the meeting remotely and asked for questions.

Child Support: The child support office reported routine performance and ongoing staff training. A staff member said an employee named Lou has been with the office about five months and is "about halfway trained." The department scheduled a reentry outreach visit to the federal correctional institution for March 12 to meet inmates preparing for reentry; staff noted the program has not run since COVID. The office described its role adjusting support orders for incarcerated people to set reasonable payment rates while incarcerated and to facilitate post-release compliance. The office also reported a youth education event and planning for "reality day" on April 15.

Emergency Management: Emergency Management staff, identified as Jane, announced a National Incident Management System overview for senior officials on March 18 and a "Recovery from Disaster: Community Role" course in May, requiring a minimum of 15 and maximum of 30 participants. Jane also said recent long-range radio equipment testing (an IFRN test) produced markedly improved communications for the Adams Fire Department and sheriff’s dispatch after the county approved additional equipment.

Medical Examiner: The medical examiner reported 219 calls for the year (slightly above normal), one autopsy in January for an FCI inmate that will be reimbursed, and work on Port Farm Cemetery mapping. The medical examiner recounted an anthropologist, Dr. Karsten, mapping the cemetery on Dec. 16 and said the mapping suggested fewer burials than historically thought and that some burials appeared about three feet deep. The examiner described coordinating with Juneau County on access to a Randox multitask testing machine (a device that can screen a small blood or urine sample for 44 analytes in about 20 minutes); the machine’s purchase price mentioned in the meeting was $54,000. The examiner noted quantitative confirmation would still require sending samples to a private lab for levels and that private lab turnaround is typically about three weeks. The office also reported locating a VA reimbursement program for unclaimed veterans; after completing paperwork the county recovered $9.78 for a December unclaimed-veteran cremation that originally cost the county $995.

Sheriff’s Office: The sheriff’s report showed an average daily jail population of 22.61 and additional inmates held in other facilities (an average of about five persons); a board member asked why inmates were held elsewhere, and sheriff staff said transfers or placements (including to Mendota) account for those numbers. The sheriff reported hiring two new patrol deputies who begin training this week but said the department remains one deputy short in patrol and understaffed in investigations following recent retirements. Speakers noted a well-attended retirement event for Investigator Lauder.

Board logistics: The board set the next meeting for March 12 and adjourned at 9:32 a.m.