NEW ULM — Brown County commissioners did not consider a request to retire and declare as surplus two Smith & Wesson 9 mm duty weapons on Tuesday.

The board request was removed from the county board agenda in order to avoid fees that would cost the county.

The guns with reflex optics would be sold to a federal firearms dealer, Sioux Sales of Sioux City, Iowa. The request was made by two retired/retiring deputies who wish to buy back the duty weapon they used during their career.

Sioux Sales values the trade in of the guns with C.O.R.E. cutouts at $275 a weapon and $125 for each optic. The retired/retiring deputies would have to buy back the weapons from the dealer.

Commissioners unanimously approved:

• Extending the allowance of accrued vacation time to March 31, 2022, to exceed the 200-hour limit for public health staff due to vacation time requests denied for these employees because of their position duties and department staffing needs directly impacted by the COVID-19 virus.

Action came on a motion by Commissioner Dave Borchert, seconded by Dean Simonsen.

• Extending to April 8, 2022, the allowance of accrual of vacation time to exceed the 200-hour limit for auditor/treasurer (AT) Kelly Hotovec due to the inability for her to use accrued vacation time over the past year because of license bureau oversight duties and transition to the AT position.

Action came on a motion by Commissioner Jeff Veerkamp, seconded by Windschitl.

With the increase in COVID cases, county testing, booster dose clinics and upcoming clinics for children age 5-11 expected by mid-November, public health staffing coverage is continually to be a challenge due to COVID-19 pandemic duties.

• The resignation of Assistant Brown County Attorney Andrea Leiser, effective Oct. 29, and posting the vacant position according to policy, motion by Borchert, seconded by Windschitl. Leiser was appointed to the 5th Judicial District bench by Gov. Walz in early November 2021.

• A clinical supervision contract with Counseling Services of Southern Minnesota effective Oct. 1 through Dec. 31, motion by Borchert, seconded by Tony Berg.

Last July, Sioux Trails Mental Health Center, which was under contract with Brown County Human Services, came under new management. Brown County was notified a few weeks ago that Sioux Trails would not have a licensed professional available to do clinical supervision beginning in October and contracted for this service with another agency.

Early this week, Brown County was notified the agency was unable to meet the needs required for sub-contracted supervision.

Brown County Human Services learned that Counseling Services of Southern Minnesota was doing clinical supervision for Nicollet County. Human services was paying Sioux Trails $160 per hour and the requested clinical supervision fee from Counseling Services is $150 per hour.

Supervision will take place on Zoom, which is the method used by Sioux Trails due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

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