Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Get email alerts on the Grants Dwi Court topic
No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.
Waseca County approves amended DPS grant to continue DWI court position
Summary
The county board approved an amended one-year contract with the Minnesota Department of Public Safety's Office of Justice Programs to continue funding the county's DWI court position; staff said the amendment restores noncompetitive funding for another year and reduces county levy support for the post.
Waseca County commissioners voted to accept an amended Community Justice Reinvestment Grant from the Minnesota Department of Public Safety, authorizing one additional year of funding for the county's DWI court position.
County staff told the board the grant amendment maintains a position that has been funded since about 2016 and asked for approval and signature of the amended contract. Staff said the contract change removes roughly $44,590 that had been budgeted locally for the position because the amended grant will fully fund that portion of the county's calendar-year expenses. "We were supposed to get a noncompetitive renewal for the next two years; within the last month they came to us and amended the contract for one year," Speaker 5 said, explaining the procedural change at the state level.
Commissioner Malter moved to approve the amended grant; Speaker 4 (second) recorded the second. After brief clarifying questions about how the county had budgeted a local share in case the grant did not arrive, the board voted by voice and the motion carried. Staff said the county may need to reapply competitively next year if the state returns to its prior process.
What it means: The amendment preserves the DWI court position without using county levy dollars that had been tentatively held in the 2026 budget. Staff framed the change as a short-term amendment; they said the county and partner Steele County had planned to cover any local share if the grant had not been awarded.
