Natrona County Juvenile Services Board ratifies RFA, reallocates $3,492.50 and reviews February SPE caseloads

The Natrona County Community Juvenile Services Board voted on March 24 to ratify a Request for Applications (RFA) and to reallocate amendment funds to pay a fiscal-agent fee, while also reviewing February case reports and program updates.

Amanda Lewallen, chair, called the meeting to order at 10:07 a.m. The board first approved the February 2026 minutes and accepted $8,321.19 in February expenditures, which the board reported left $58,055.45 in the 2024–2026 biennial contract (reported as 69% spent with four months remaining). Hailey Bloom moved to accept the minutes and later moved to accept the expenditures; both motions passed unanimously.

Board members reviewed the Single Point of Entry (SPE) report for February. The transcript reports 59 cases were reviewed: a stated total of 23 cases were filed with the court and 31 were accepted into pre-court programming. The meeting record then gives line-item dispositions (for example, 2 cases to Juvenile District Court and 22 to Circuit Court; and 18 to MFRC, 13 to Youth Diversion and 3 to Community Service) that do not sum exactly to the stated totals; the transcript thus contains inconsistent subtotals that the minutes did not reconcile.

The board also reviewed top offense categories for February, which the SPE summary listed as MIP–Tobacco-21, possession of marijuana (misdemeanor, 6 incidents), property destruction under $1,000 (5), MIP–Alcohol (4), simple battery (5), theft under $1,000 (5) and unlawful contact (3).

On program and planning items, members discussed strategic-plan updates and SPE written criteria submitted to the state and aligned with RFA requirements in advance of 2027 strategic planning. The board heard a recap of a needs-assessment and systems-mapping exercise. Andy Delgadillo summarized first-day feedback, noting concerns about incarceration rates and the jailing of students. "Felt like there were a lot of assertions about the program; fighting the facilitator," Delgadillo said, describing a tense session. Conversely, Leanne Loya said much of the outside feedback emphasized a renewed desire to help and suggested balancing gap identification with recognition of current strengths.

Some members were more critical of the mapping session. Dave Hulschizer said he was "not impressed with structure and biased; attack on the justice system; started the day ‘badly.’" He added that some conversation "seemed libelous" and could be damaging, and he said the board should have noted successes as well as problems. Members also raised parental involvement and funding as recurring themes during that discussion.

On motions and budgeting, Corrie Lyn Whitman moved to accept the RFA and Andy Delgadillo seconded; the motion passed with one abstention. "Steve Hamaker abstained (conflict of interest)," the record notes. Separately, Hailey Bloom moved to reallocate funds from the Drug Testing line to cover a Fiscal Agent Fee equal to 5% of $69,850.00 (recorded in the transcript as $3,492.50); Becky Burt seconded, and the motion passed unanimously.

Other updates included an OJJDP Non-Participating States grant (reentry) opportunity and a call for volunteers to staff an NPS grant subcommittee; program updates noting Mercer hiring and training adjustments, a Public Health open house, Big Brothers Big Sisters activity resuming, student court assessment-tool discussions, and WBI reporting space in its IOP program with potential for referrals.

The board adjourned at 11:20 a.m.; the next meeting is scheduled for April 28 at 10 a.m. at DFS.