Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Get email alerts on the Family Resource Center topic
No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.
Meeker County approves consultant study to explore Family Resource Center, funded by $60,000 grant
Summary
The county approved a $40,000 consulting contract to assess the need for a Family Resource Center, funded in part by a $60,000 grant; board members discussed mobile service delivery and insurance limits on the vendor contract.
Meeker County on May 6 approved a contract with Creating Community Consulting to conduct an “explore and assess” needs assessment for a proposed Family Resource Center, after Health and Human Services Director Tina Schenk outlined the project and funding.
The board voted unanimously to accept the consulting contract for the next phase of planning. The consulting fee is $40,000; Schenk said the county received a $60,000 grant that will cover the consultant and other related costs such as staff time, community meetings and small hosting expenses.
Schenk told commissioners the center would aim to reach families earlier, reduce duplication among agencies and coordinate services across Meeker County communities. “This gives us a really good early in with families,” Schenk said, noting the county’s current services are “very Litchfield-centric” and that the consultant will help design a model that can be mobile and nimble rather than a single, fixed site.
Commissioners asked how the grant funds would be used. Schenk said approximately $20,000 of the grant is expected to cover county staff time, meeting hosting and outreach; the contract itself will not create new county positions. She also said other nearby school districts and counties are pursuing similar assessments and the county has exchanged contact information with a school district representative who reached out by email.
A point of discussion for the board was the consultant’s insurance limits. Schenk said the firm does not provide client-facing services, does not maintain physical site operations and does not store protected health information, so staff recommended accepting the vendor’s lower insurance limits. County counsel and the county risk reviewer both examined the contract; the reviewer advised the risk appeared low and that accepting the consultant’s insurance could be appropriate.
Commissioner Scott Schmidt moved to approve the contract; Commissioner Samkee seconded. The motion passed, recorded by voice vote.
Next steps include consultant-led community engagement (surveys and focus groups), stakeholder training and a phase 2 grant opportunity for startup support if the assessment recommends moving forward.
