Commission authorizes sheriff to manage jail staffing and addresses grant and spending issues at correctional center

The Grand Forks County Commission approved several public‑safety items April 1, including acceptance of a $30,000 state grant for a large‑scale incident exercise, an internal plan to address unapproved expenditures from a state retention award, and a reorganization of the jail chain of command that ultimately gave the sheriff discretion over a jail administrator position.

Grant award for exercise: Emergency management staff requested approval to accept a $30,000 award from the North Dakota Department of Emergency Services that county officials said came from excess funds reallocated by the state. The commission voted to accept the grant and to authorize county staff to sign subrecipient paperwork naming Michelle Olsen (listed in meeting materials) as the subrecipient signatory. The county said the exercise would likely take place this summer and would involve multiple local partners.

Back the Blue grant expenditures: County staff notified the commission that the state’s Back the Blue program had originally been intended for hiring and retention bonuses and tuition and fees for sworn…