Cass County board hears $12.5M annex remodel plan, discontinues care coordination partnership and notes paused payment‑error initiative
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Summary
Advisory board members were briefed on an annex remodel expected to cost about $12.5 million, a decision to end a care‑coordination relationship with Agassiz Valley/RSR because it did not match client needs, and an update that a payment‑error‑rate initiative is paused after initial visits; staff warned the county’s SNAP payment error rate is around 10% and cited potential statewide costs if unaddressed.
Gail, director and chair of the Cass County Human Service Zone Advisory Board, told members the county is in design development for an annex building remodel that will affect zone space and that she has been collecting staff questions for a forthcoming town‑hall meeting with county leadership and architects.
Robert, speaking from a county accounting/administration perspective, described the project as a substantial investment. “The county right now is anticipating 12 and a investing 12 and a half million dollars in this remodel,” Robert said, noting the remodel aims to create more accessible, better‑dampened workspace and that some offices will move to cubicles or shared configurations. He said the zone will occupy the first and fourth floors in the planned layout.
Board members asked about schedule and bidding; Robert said the design development phase is expected to move into building plans this spring with the county intending to go out to bid in May–June. He acknowledged space reductions for the zone and said conversations about confidentiality, sound dampening and appropriate confidential meeting areas are ongoing.
On operations and service contracts, Gail said Cass County will discontinue a care coordination relationship with Agassiz Valley and RSR for homemaker services because the clients being served in Cass County require more intensive case management than that program was designed to provide, and the service population would be better served by other local providers.
Gail also reported that Rebecca Askins, director of quality control, visited Jan. 26 as part of a payment error rate initiative; the initiative is paused after initial site visits. Gail told the board Cass County’s payment error rate is roughly 10% and said lowering it below 6% could avoid substantial costs. “If we get below 6%…it would be 24,000,000,” Gail said, linking improved accuracy to potential statewide fiscal savings.
The board discussed outreach and logistics for staff engagement on the remodel, and Gail said she will gather staff questions through Wednesday and arrange a Q&A session with architects and county leadership. The meeting included procedural business: approval of December minutes and a vote to keep existing officers, both approved by the board.
No formal capital appropriation vote was taken at the advisory board meeting; Robert’s comments described county planning and budgeting assumptions rather than a final funding decision.