Agreement to help children

NORWALK — Huron County entered an agreement to try to bring down thr costs of child protection services. The commissioners approved a deal between the Huron County Department of Job and Family Services and the Huron County Prosecutor's Office for legal services. Assistant prosecutor Randal Strickler said the agreement relates to child protection services like the placement and adoption of children. For families that live below the poverty line, the agreement will provide an attorney for those services. Part of the attorney's salary will be reimbursed by the state. Strickler said family services will determine which cases are eligible and submit them to the state for funds. "They will reimburse one-half of the eligible cases," he said. "We created a special fund for it so when monies come back, it goes into that fund." Strickler said that hopefully, in a few years, the fund will be self-sustaining. In other commissioner news, annual appropriations for the fiscal 2021 year were certified. The general fund is over $22 million and other funds are over $68 million. Commissioner Skip Wilde thanked everyone for their work on the budget. "(Last year) was a special year," he said. Commissioner Joe Hintz said the county weathered one storm and the county has to "hang in there." Commissioner Terry Boose said the county's carryover was $2 million more than the previous year, thanks to CARES Act funds. He said the commissioners have set aside about $2.6 million for one-time projects, $1.5 million for permanent improvements and $500,000 for internet infrastructure. Members of the Huron County Transportation Improvement District Board were chosen with voting members being Terry Boose; county engineer Lee Tansey; Carol Knapp, the executive director of the Huron County Development Council, education representative Ben Chaffee; and township trustee Michael Nottke.