What’s the concern and who’s saying it’s an issue? People in just about all areas of need (food, housing, assistance [...]]]> A serious breakdown has occurred with social services in Rice County. This has been evolving for years and involves the staff overseeing the services, the County Commissioners and dysfunction in their working relationship.

What’s the concern and who’s saying it’s an issue? People in just about all areas of need (food, housing, assistance in areas of medicine and disabilities) are finding themselves cut off from funds (federal and state monies mostly) because the Rice County offices doing the paper work and distributing the monies are routinely losing or mishandling the (still not computerized) paper trail, falling behind on taking care of services, and, in the process of being overwhelmed, are too often simply not responding to telephone calls or other requests by people in serious need to set matters right.

What’s being organized? Tuesday, March 20, 8:30 a.m. at the Rice County Government Services Building, 320 3rd St. N.W., Faribault, the County Commission will be meeting at the Commissioner’s Room for a Committee of the Whole work session. Commissioner Galen Malecha has put this matter on the agenda. That allows as many citizens as the Commission Chair allows to speak about the issue to do so for no more than 2 minutes each at the very beginning of the session. If you would like to carpool, please meet at the First UCC parking lot at 7:45 a.m.