Board nixes Wings request

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A request made at the November 23 Douglas County Board meeting was denied by commissioners at the December 28 meeting.

The request – a financial one for $6,000 – came from Dorie Twist with Wings Family Supportive Services.

In November, Twist explained to commissioners that the agency was struggling. She said it had lost funding from United Way because of pledges not coming through.

She said, “We are struggling to find funds.”

Commissioner Jerry Johnson told Twist at last week’s meeting that the county had already set its budget.

Commissioner Dan Olson told her that if the request would have come in sooner, the county might have been able to budget for it.

Olson said, “Unfortunately, I will make a motion to deny the request at this time.”

After the motion unanimously passed, Twist told the commissioners she was confused because she was told to come before the board and make the request.

At last month’s meetings, Twist noted that Wings had applied for a grant from the Otto Bremer Foundation but that the grant was a matching grant so the agency needed to come up with matching funds.

That is why she asked the county board for the $6,000 donation. She explained that if the county was able to donate the money, it could do so through the Douglas County Social Services budget because the county would then be able to get 66 percent back federally.

Twist asked the commissioners about the timing of requests and wanted to know when she should come to them with future requests.

She was told that the county starts budgeting in July, but that the sooner she makes her request, the better.

Commissioner Bev Bales told Twist she was sorry and Twist said, “That’s OK. I’ll be back.”

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