Commission approves new Youth Assessment Center staff position after 4-1 vote

The Grand Forks County Commission voted 4-1 to approve a new full-time staff position for the county's Youth Assessment Center (YAC) after an extended debate over costs and intergovernmental funding.

Opponents said the county is already paying large operating costs for the facility and should not shoulder further staffing expenses alone. "I don't think this position should be filled with county taxpayer money," said an opponent during the discussion, citing budget figures and a projected shortfall in the department's operating fund.

Supporters said the position was included in the 2026 budget and argued that the county is the primary service provider for adolescents who use the center. "A majority of the adolescents that are served in our youth assessment center are citizens from Grand Forks County," a commissioner said while moving to approve the position.

County staff described recent contract renegotiations that raised the state per-diem rate to $546 a day and said some federal and state contracts had been freshly extended. Staff also said the YAC manager had been carrying duties across programs and a PREA audit recommended adequate dedicated staffing.

The board discussed alternatives including tabling the decision to negotiate with the state or other counties, and the potential to contract the service privately. One commissioner recommended further talks with state and city officials; another said she would vote to approve so the already-hired employee would not be displaced.

Chair-led roll call produced the final 4-1 tally in favor of adding the full-time position. The commission did not specify immediate offsets; staff said they would provide contract-term details and follow up on opportunities for intergovernmental cost-sharing.

The commission moved on to the next agenda items following the vote.