BROWN COUNTY — Brown County Commissioners will receive the 2020 percent delinquent tax report at their next regular meeting on Tuesday, Jan. 26.

The report appears to be good news.

Brown County Auditor-Treasurer Jean Prochniak said the percentage of unpaid taxes fell from .4228% in 2019 to .3637% in 2020.

“This is certainly a reflection on the taxpayers of this county and county staff who provide multiple opportunities to get taxes paid using many of the options that have been established,” wrote Prochniak in her report.

“This is truly commendable in this year of a pandemic and economic hardship for many of our property owners,” Prochniak added.

Commissioners will also consider:

• The 2020 Holiday Projects Report prepared by Brown County Human Services that includes a review of Adopt a Family, Santa’s Closet, and the Coats for Kids projects. The value of contributions for the Adopt a Family and Coats for Kids projects totaled $46,200 in 2020. The value of the Santa’s Closet project was not available as reports were being prepared.

The report recognizes the volunteers and community donors who have of their time, talent and treasure to benefit the projects. Their efforts benefited 390 households including 769 people in Brown County.

• Purchasing services from OPG-3 to set up an automatic filing system in Laserfiche, the county’s electronic filing system, that will work for the Brown County Human Services accounting unit at a cost of $3,300.

Human Services has been looking for a way to file all claims electronically in a system that allows easy access to locate claims that need to be referenced later. Currently, all paid bills and invoices are filed in boxes by year and need to be located manually by looking through boxes.

• The 2020 donations list that totals $18,524.20 including a $10,234.20 donation approved Jan. 5.

• A six-month placement agreement with House of Lights and submitting a request for proposal and South Central Community-Based Initiative for a new board and lodge provider. House of Lights is a 10-bed board and lodge facility with services in rural Morgan. It provided services to up to 10 adults with mental health needs since Oct. 2008.

House of Lights owners Jan and Mike Carpenter notified Brown County Human Services in December of their plan to sell their property and retire. Their desire is another provide buys the property and continues the service.

Brown County Human Services prefers to retain the service within Brown County but other locations within South Central Community-Based Initiative counties would be considered when reviewing requests for proposals (RFP).

Human Services asks for a six-month approval of the House of Lights Placement Agreement, from Jan. 1, 2021 to June 30, 2021. With board approval, an RFP will be sent out by Feb. 1.

• Authorize A-T Prochniak to make a $15,000 loan transfer from the revenue fund to Judicial Ditch 9 & 10, Brown and Blue Earth County to cover a deficit remaining after 2021 assessment billings. Interest would be billed at 4%, consistent with other loans to date.

• A resolution to call for a Feb. 23, 2021 public hearing for financing a project by Oak Hills Living Center. The resolution would allow eligible parties to borrow money at a lower rate and tax-exempt status to refinance an original loan to benefit Oak Hills. There is no cost to Brown County.

• A closed session workshop begins at 1 p.m., Jan. 26 in the Brown County Law Enforcement Training Room to discuss labor strategies.

The regular board meeting starts at 9 a.m., Jan. 26 and will be streamed on Zoom.

(Fritz Busch can be emailed at fbusch@nujournal.com).