Commissioners table proposed interlocal nursing contract after concerns about scope and value

Commissioners discussed a proposed amendment to an interstate interlocal contract with the Division of Public Behavioral Health for a Community Health Nursing program that would run July 1, 2025 through June 30, 2029. Dan McArthur and other staff outlined the contract amendment; discussion focused on whether a local nurse could fill the role given insurance requirements and whether the county would bear additional service obligations if it disengaged from the state arrangement.

Commissioner Diane Path and staff noted that making the position local could require changes to assessment procedures and that a hospital would likely be the necessary employer because an individual nurse might not carry the required insurance. Commissioner Mike Reese said he opposed a three-year contract as presented and favored a shorter, one-year option, arguing the county was not receiving sufficient value from the arrangement: "I'm voting against this; we aren't getting any value from this," he said in the meeting.

Commissioner Diane Path and other staff identified additional implications, including the need to pay a stipend for epidemiology services and the eligibility rules for county health nurse immunization services (noting county services are income-based). After discussion, Commissioner Mike Reese moved to table the item to the next meeting; Commissioner Lisa Poulsen seconded. The motion passed unanimously.

What happens next: The interlocal contract will return to a future agenda for further clarification of insurance, service levels, and the county’s financial responsibilities if the contract is altered.