BLUE EARTH– Faribault County continues to make progress filling vacant employee positions.

“I am here seeking approval of two more hires,” Central Services director Pam Krill told the County Commissioners at their regular board meeting on Tuesday. “Athena Thompson has been offered the position of a part-time clerk/typist in the County Recorder’s Office and Ty Watson has been hired as a part-time dispatcher/jailer at the Sheriff’s Department.”

The board approved the hirings and then asked Krill what positions remain unfilled?

“We have an opening for a staff engineer in the Public Works department, a Buildings and Grounds maintenance assistant and the assistant County Attorney. We also have some open positions at the Sheriff’s department and will be conducting some interviews for those openings,” Krill responded. “We still have not received any applications for the assistant county attorney.”

Alissa Oeltjenbruns, representing the Southern Minnesota Initiative Foundation (SMIF) attended the meeting to provide the commissioners with an annual update on the organization.

“I want to thank you for your past support,” Oeltjenbruns stated. “SMIF continues to concentrate our efforts in three main areas. Those are entrepreneurial support, childcare support and community vitality.”

She explained Faribault County is not the only county dealing with a childcare shortage.

“There is a nationwide shortage of daycare providers. Locally, we have been able to utilize grants to help improve the situation in Wells,” Oeltjenbruns commented. “We are also pleased to see many cities in Faribault County make use of our Small-Town grants to complete some community projects.”

In other business:

— The board set 11 a.m. on Monday, Nov. 14, in the courthouse boardroom as the time and place to convene the Nov. 8, 2022, General Election Canvassing Board.

— Approval was given to Merissa Lore and Dustin Anderson of the County Drainage department to attend the International Drainage Symposium which will be held in Des Moines, Iowa.