Lancaster County commissioners on Jan. 6 approved a continuation contract with Fresh Start Incorporated to secure transitional housing for up to four female adult participants in the county’s drug court program.

Jeff Gilpatrick of Community Corrections presented the item and described it as a continuation of an existing contract and an update to the rate structure. The contract covers placements at a transitional housing program located at 6433 Havelock in Lincoln. The transcript lists the contract cost as "not to exceed $7,072,000 dollars per year." Gilpatrick said, "This is a continuation of a contract that we've had." The board moved, seconded, and unanimously approved the contract.

The contract is structured to provide housing placements tied to the drug court program; the transcript does not provide a per-bed or per-client rate, nor does it explain how the $7,072,000 cap is calculated. The county attorney's office informed the board that a related contract item had already been voted on earlier, after which the board proceeded to public comment.

Because the transcript records a large annual cap but does not supply a rate breakdown or explanation of sourcing (grant, state, or county funds), the reported dollar figure is presented exactly as stated in the meeting record. The approval authorizes county staff to proceed under the terms of the contract; the transcript does not record further programmatic details or implementation milestones.

The board voted unanimously to approve the contract. The next procedural step is contract execution by the county chair and routine program administration by Community Corrections.