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Community services director reports grant wins, COSUP drawdown and raises policy questions on funerals, IDs and transportation
Summary
County community services staff reported a large COSUP drawdown, ongoing grants for housing and childcare, a proposal under discussion to alter county funeral policy, and requests to reimburse local shelter mileage; the board approved a five‑hour/week assistant agreement for outreach work.
Sarah Faust, Codington County community services director, gave the board a detailed monthly report that included program statistics, recent grant activity and several policy issues the department is tracking.
Faust said staff provided 95 client contacts in August across 48 individuals and 88 different services, with funeral assistance the highest‑used service. For CARES-era funding the county drew $3,000 for administrative fees. Medicaid billing for community health worker services totaled $1,943.61 for August. Faust reported a first COSUP drawdown of about $105,000 to cover staff and program expenses tied to the county’s substance-use initiative and said the department expects quarterly drawdowns going forward.
Faust told commissioners the county is working with partners on several grants and initiatives: a South Dakota Housing Development Association grant of roughly $1.3 million that funded emergency housing; a $50,000 Governor’s Office of Economic Development (GOED) grant that supported child‑care expansion; and a $100,000 award from the South Dakota Community Foundation under the Beyond Idea program. She said nearly 30 local providers have completed the Transition to Success case management training and that the county is developing a comprehensive community action plan and a housing presentation scheduled for Oct. 8.
Faust summarized three policy topics under discussion: a proposal discussed with funeral directors and the South Dakota Association of County Welfare Officials to consider changing state statute around county‑funded funerals (options include automatic cremation for county funerals or limiting changes to unclaimed remains); a transportation shortfall for people stranded in Watertown that has led the county to consider reimbursing mileage to a local fallout shelter that currently provides rides without reimbursement; and a recent surge in requests for IDs and out‑of‑state birth certificates, which exhausted a small line item (about $500 annually) and produced roughly $300 in requests last month. Faust said out‑of‑state vital record fees can run $60–$120 and asked whether the county wants to set stricter parameters or budget adjustments.
Commissioners asked follow‑up questions about liability if the county reimburses mileage for rides in non‑county vehicles and suggested an MOU or release could be required; Faust said she will consult the state’s attorney and bring a drafted approach back to the board for approval. On birth certificates and IDs, commissioners asked about budget adjustments and policy changes; Faust said she will coordinate with the auditor for line‑item adjustments and plans to revisit the county policy in January.
Faust also updated the board on the Covington/Coddington Connects cross‑sector initiative (the department’s “backbone” role), noting the county is exploring making Coddington Connects a nonprofit, seeking a physical centralized service location, and partnering with the Watertown Area Home Builders and other local organizations on housing strategy.
Separately, the board approved an assistant agreement to hire Kathy De Jong for five hours per week to help with these initiatives and grant work. Commissioner Johnson moved the hiring; Commissioner McElhaney seconded; the motion passed by voice vote.
