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GRANITE FALLS -- The Yellow Medicine County Board approved a grant of $15,000 per year for two years for the Women's Rural Advocacy Program (WRAP) on Tuesday.
The request came from Becci tenBensel, executive director of WRAP, for the purpose of providing services to victims of sexual assault in Yellow Medicine County.
WRAP is a nonprofit agency whose mission is to provide assistance to victims of domestic and sexual violence, sex trafficking and exploitation in southwest Minnesota and is funded through donations and grants.
tenBensel told the commissioners their request to the state for additional funding for sexual assault service in the county did not go through and the next application deadline is in two years.
WRAP expects a 15 to 20% increase in caseloads over the next few years.
"The reality is this, the number of victims is not going down," tenBenself said.
In other business, the board approved a change order for work on County Ditch 8, due to unforeseen costs on the project.
Litzau Farm Drainage, Inc. requested an additional payment of $152,257 or 14.3 percent over the original contract amount of $1,062,327 due to unexpected flooding in the ditch that will go toward installing dewatering tile, foundation aggregate and the use of pumps during the work.
The board authorized accepting a bid of $54,243 from Oldcastle Infrastructure to purchase a concrete box culvert to replace one on County Road D7.
The board approved three bids from local contractors for remodeling the Exhibit Building of the Yellow Medicine County fairgrounds.
Jelen Construction bid $31,001 for work on the walls and ceiling, C.A.S. plumbing bid $4,888 for work on the toilet facilities, and RANGAARD Electric Inc. bid $12,456 for electrical work.
The board approved a preliminary levy at 5.35% for 2024. According to Finance Manager Dana Hoffman, the county's estimated revenue total should amount to $13,444,059.
The board set the Truth in Taxation meeting for Dec. 12 at 6 p.m.
At the recommendation of County Attorney Mark Gruenes, the board voted to dismiss opioid claims against Masters Pharmaceutical after discovery during litigation revealed Masters has never distributed opioids in Yellow Medicine County.
Gruenes said the dismissal of claims against Masters does not impact the county's claims against any of the remaining defendants in the ongoing opioid lawsuit.