[Vision2020] Priorities in Latah County

[Rosemary Huskey]

Many  V2020 folks probably read the article in the LMT yesterday morning
regarding emergency help for indigent folks traveling through Latah County.
A friend forwarded the story to me this morning.  In an effort to learn more
about the situation I found this story written last week by a reporter for
the Argonaut.  (I need hardly remark on the fact that the DN and LMT are
apparently relying on a student newspaper to get story ideas. How
embarrassing.  Of course, I don't fault the DN and LMT staff reporters who
are assigned stories, but I do wonder about the leadership/initiative of the
editorial board).  Anyhow, the Argonaut offers a broader look with their
original work.


University of Idaho Argonaut


Troubled program


Submitted by Andrew Jenson <http://www.uiargonaut.com/author/andrew-jensen/>
on 04.14.2014 - 9:30 pm 

Just more than a month ago, potential legal problems came to the attention
of the Latah County Board of Commissioners concerning the county's
Non-Indigent Public Assistance Program. 

Now, the Board plans to discontinue the program by the end of April.

According to Latah County Clerk Susan Petersen, the program, as set forth in
Latah County Resolution 2009-10, was created to assist people in emergency
situations - especially in cases where people needed help after the Social
Services Office closed at 5 p.m. However, the program may have been created
out of sync with Title 31, Chapter 34 of the Idaho Code - which outlines
county duties for providing non-medical indigent assistance.

"The code also says that the Social Services director or the clerk can
authorize an expenditure of not more than $200 for non-medical assistance,"
Petersen said. "We kind of used that to go into this resolution where if
somebody didn't have a place to stay for whatever reason, we could authorize
that they could stay in the hotel for one night."

Petersen said the county had an agreement with the Royal Motor Inn and
another motel on 6th Street. The motels would receive the necessary forms
from the Sheriff's Department and bill the county $35 for providing rooms
for the applicants.

County Commissioner David McGraw said people in need could obtain such a
voucher under the program and have a place to stay for the night.

"This particular tiny piece - of our very large indigent program in Latah
County - this is the piece where, for example, let's say . you have no
money, no place to go, you can run up to the Latah Sheriff's Department
right to the dispatcher's window (and) explain your situation," McGraw said.
"We've had a program where (they) would typically check your driver's
license, look and see who you are, make sure there's no arrest warrants out
for you. They would give you a voucher for a motel room at the Royal Motor
Inn."

McGraw said the county is not legally allowed to hand out vouchers in that
way. He said an investigation must be completed before any vouchers can be
given to anyone.

"By statute, we can only assist people after an investigation process, an
application process has gone through," McGraw said. "When you show up at the
window at the Latah County dispatchers, the only thing they do is they run
your name through the computer database to see if you have any wants or
warrants for you. If you don't, the give you the voucher and you run down to
the motel."

McGraw said the investigation is lengthy and necessary by law, but it
doesn't happen under the Non-Indigent Program. He said the program's checks
and balances are lax.

"When we go to help people out with their rent, we go to their checking
account, their credit cards," McGraw said. "We look at what they're spending
for food, what they're spending for fuel, what they're spending for rent.
That doesn't happen when somebody comes up here to get a voucher for a motel
room for a night. The checks and balances on this program have never really
been there."

Additionally, McGraw said the program has been abused. He said this is
partially how the idea to end the program came about.

"We've had a couple instances down at the motel where it's been abused,"
McGraw said. "We had a gal who went down there and apparently was using
drugs in the room or something. She was in the room and just the story we
got - no way to investigate or anything - the motel said she'd been using
drugs in the room and they wound up charging us an extra $50 to clean the
room or something. That's what kind of brought it up."

Despite the program's setbacks, McGraw said very little is spent on the
program each year.

Petersen said $2,000 is usually budgeted for the program.

"I usually put in about $2,000 into our budget for that each year and that's
what the commissioners adopt," Petersen said. "This year, we've spent $835
of that."

While the county will not and cannot cease assisting indigents altogether,
McGraw said the Board hopes the volunteer groups in Moscow will help pick up
the slack once this program is gone.

"The volunteers in Latah County are just absolutely second to none," McGraw
said. "I hate to tap into them for even more, but I hate for the county to
be doing something that's not legal."

XXXX

Frankly, this funded program costs very little and a night of safe rest is a
small gift from Latah county residents to those in desperate need.  There
must be a way to solve this issue, but first we need to learn exactly how
and why this program raised any red flags.  Who got a bee in their bonnet in
the first place and brought it to the attention of others?  

 If you (the reader) have any ideas or have an accurate history of this
self-righteous, pinch penny saga please share what you know about it with
V2020.

Rose Huskey

 

 

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