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Crow Wing County administrators brief commissioners on budget update, audit findings and cybersecurity steps
Summary
County Administrator summarized a senior management meeting that covered a budget update to be presented to the budget committee, four audit findings related to documentation for federally funded contracts, planned cybersecurity policy changes after area ransomware incidents, and a new foundational leadership training program for supervisors.
Crow Wing County Administrator reported at the board meeting that senior managers reviewed a budget update, four audit findings and planned cybersecurity policy changes and training.
The county administrator said senior managers discussed “a budget update” that will be presented at the county’s budget committee meeting at 10:00 a.m. He said the county had “4 findings in our audit this year, mainly around documentation for the most part.” The administrator explained that the county must verify vendors against the federal suspension and debarment list for contracts using federal dollars and that documentation of those checks needs to be recorded “prior to the first payment being made or contracts being entered into.”
The administrator also framed cybersecurity as a priority following recent news about a ransomware attack on the city of Saint Paul. “While we can't protect against everything, there are always things that we can protect against,” the administrator said, and added that IT will bring policy change recommendations to the board in the coming days to address network vulnerabilities.
The administrator said the senior management team also discussed a “foundational leadership training program” intended for newly promoted supervisors so they “have the tools that they need to be successful.”
The board record shows several procedural motions during the meeting. Votes at a glance: Approve minutes of the Aug. 12 meeting (motion by Commissioner Coring, second by Commissioner Lee; motion carries), Approve agenda (motion by Commissioner Coring, second by Commissioner Lee; motion carries), Adjourn (motion by Commissioner Lubcke, second by Commissioner Coring; motion carries).
The administrator offered to answer questions and the meeting moved to other agenda items. The record includes no formal decisions to adopt new policies at this session; rather, staff outlined follow-up steps: a budget update to the budget committee, IT policy proposals to be returned for consideration, and documentation process changes for federal contracts.
