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Hubbard County approves interim Human Services director, debt policy and operating agreement as director prepares to leave
Summary
The Hubbard County Board appointed Mike Edminster as interim Human Services director, approved a county debt-resolution policy and signed the Heartland Express 2026 operating agreement. Outgoing Human Services Director Brian Ofis described staff reassignments as budget-driven and emphasized efforts to avoid service cuts.
The Hubbard County Board of Commissioners appointed Mike Edminster as interim director of Human Services, approved a county debt-resolution policy and voted to accept the Heartland Express operating agreement for 2026, the board said at its meeting.
Brian Ofis, departing Human Services director, told the board the interim appointment will allow Edminster to be added to bank and other administrative accounts. "Mike's gonna do a really good job," Ofis said while asking the board to approve the appointment. The motion to appoint Edminster passed with the affirmative voice votes recorded at the meeting.
The board also approved a county debt-resolution policy intended to allow write-offs of longstanding receivables from Human Services, including billing for detox services dating back decades. Ofis credited collections staff—named in the meeting as Clarice—for recent recoveries and said the policy is a standard one counties use so older receivables can be cleared. Commissioners voted to adopt the policy following brief discussion about the checks and balances it contains.
Separately, the board approved the Heartland Express operating agreement for 2026. County staff said the agreement included farebox revenues and contracts with the city and DAC and reported the program was projected to be financially positive on current revenue projections. The motion to approve the operating agreement carried on a voice vote.
Ofis used his remarks to explain personnel moves in Human Services that the board had previously reviewed. He said three positions would be reassigned from child protection to adult services as a "managerial right of assignment of caseloads" to meet revenue and workload realities. He described the change as budget-driven: after the board set a preliminary levy target, staff ran scenarios and determined the reassignments would both generate reimbursement revenue and avoid layoffs. He repeatedly said the changes were made to preserve services while acknowledging the moves increase workload and overtime risk for remaining staff.
"There will be some added stress with all of the employees," Ofis said, adding the county retained telework policies he credited with helping recruitment and retention. He also told commissioners this meeting would be his last; he said he accepted a role with AirCorps Aviation in Bemidji and thanked staff and the board for his tenure.
Commissioners voiced support for Ofis and concern about statewide funding trends. Several noted other counties are making deeper cuts and urged collective state-level action to address mandates and shifting costs. Board members agreed the county should monitor caseload, reimbursement rates and how the reassignments affect service delivery; staff was asked to provide a summary of the budget impact and caseload data in the coming week.
No statutory citations were introduced during the Human Services discussion.
Ending: County staff will present a budget summary showing how the Human Services position changes affect revenues and caseloads at the next board meeting. The interim appointment and the approved policies are effective immediately as recorded at the meeting.
