The county board is looking to curb costs as it prepares for likely cuts at the state level.

The board postponed filling a financial assistant specialist position in Human Services Tuesday in favor of reorganizing the office to possibly leave a different position vacant in the hopes of saving money.

While the position isn’t one recommended to leave vacant, the board may look to filling the position internally and leaving another position empty.

“If it’s something we can avoid filling, I’m in favor of that,” said Commissioner Jerry Reinartz.

The county board also opted to fill a position in dispatch,  but only as three-fourths of a position, and by passing off some of the work to other dispatchers.

The person retiring is responsible for filing warrants, and Dispatch Supervisor Marlys Sorlie said she works four 10-hour days each week.

“I don’t know what you think we’re going to do with half a person to do a full job,” Sorlie said.

Sheriff Terese Amazi said accuracy is highly important for that role because lawsuits are a risk if there is a mistake.

“Of all the areas in dispatch, that is one of the most critical,” Amazi said.

“That is our biggest area of liability,” she added.

Board members said they’d switch the role to full time if the part-time position doesn’t work.

Go-Cart track adds food, rain day

The owner of a local go-cart track will have a few more options this year in running his track.

Michael Schubert, owner of SMS Promotions go-cart track, adjusted his conditional use permit from 2004 at Tuesday’s county board meeting.

After his property tax status changed to commercial, Schubert said he looked for more options to recoup some of his operating costs. He will now be able to serve food like hot dogs, candy bars and pop, though he won’t be able to serve alcohol.

“I want to try to make a little bit of money to cover my taxes,” he said.

While Schubert can still only open the track one day a week, he will be able to stay open an hour later until 11 p.m. and he can hold one special three-day event each year. Schubert will also be allowed to open the track from noon to 8 p.m. on Sundays, though he said that would only be in case of a rain out.

Schubert said the track is intended as a destination for families.

“It’s a family thing,” he said. “Sixty to 70 percent of the participants are kids.”

Turtle Creek board planning for 2011

Arlen Schamber updated the county board Tuesday on the recent work of the Turtle Creek Watershed District.

The 309 acre Riceland restoration project was recently completed to reduce flooding.

Commissioner Jerry Reinartz, who lives by Turtle Creek in Austin, said the efforts appear to be working because the water didn’t come up as much as it had during last year’s flooding.

In 2011, the watershed district is loooking to continue reducing flooding through easement projects.

The district will also identify ditches that don’t have at least on rod buffer.

Stanley, Schmidt honored by board

Probation agents Deborah Schmidt and Duane Stanley were named the county’s employees of the month for their work with cognitive skills classes.

The classes are offered to offenders to help change the way they think and prevent future criminal behavior.

Correctional Services Director Steve King commended the two for running the classes on top of full caseloads.

He described cognitive skills classes as one of the more effective tools in corrections.