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Kinship touts fresh success

FAIRMONT — Martin County commissioners on Tuesday heard an update on Martin County Kinship from director Katy Gonzalez and associate directors Greg Brolsma and Jen Kahler.

Gonzalez opened with discussion about the program’s growth over the past few years.

“Kinship started out just a couple of years ago with only one staff person, and now within the last two years we’ve grown to three,” she said. “The reason for that growth is because Kinship Inc. as a whole recommends that, with a mentoring program like what we have, that one staff person is capable of handling roughly 25 matches. We’ve grown to 75 matches, so even with what we have we’re maxed out.”

“So just beyond the size of the program, which is a really large mentoring program compared to a lot of places, we have 29 kids on the waiting list,” added Brolsma. “In my 20 years of involvement with this, we’ve never had 29 kids. So we’re at our highest match count, but we have the highest number of kids waiting for a mentor, which is a wonderful problem to have.”

“I was involved in this from the start,” said Commissioner Elliot Belgard. “I want to commend you, I think you’ve probably more than reached the expectations that we had, and the program is so much better then when we had it.”

Turning to other business, the board heard from County Engineer Kevin Peyman, who gave a brief update on County Road 26, otherwise known as “old 16.” The highway is set to receive a bituminous overlay and added bituminous shoulders, starting from Highway 15 in Fairmont and running east to the Faribault County line.

“I think most of the signs showed up on 26 and that’s got people thinking it’s going to start soon, but it’s not,” Peyman said. “We’re a few weeks out yet. They’re going to start with curb and gutter replacement in some of the driveways, and I’ll be surprised if any of the main roadwork starts before the Fourth of July, it will probably be after that.”

In other action, the board:

o Accepted the resignation of Emergency Management director Erin Morrill and authorized recruitment to fill the vacancy.

o Approved a motion to authorize the hiring of three part-time seasonal water patrol deputies to cover hours of patrolling area lakes to enforce laws, investigate crimes and educate the public on aquatic invasive species.

o Approved the resignation of a part-time corrections officer and authorized recruitment to fill the vacancy.

o Approved the resignation of a zoning technician for the Martin County Planning and Zoning Office and authorized recruitment to fill the vacancy.

o Heard from Kia Harries, regional director with the University of Minnesota Extension. Harries discussed the renewal of a memorandum of agreement, which was approved by the board.

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