1.In determining whether the creation of a human service zone should be approved or
established, the department shall refer to, among other pertinent factors, the following:
a.Whether the affected county agencies are able to supply an adequate level and
quality of human, social, and economic assistance services.
b.The number and qualifications of staff personnel serving the affected county
agencies.
c.The ratio of the number of cases handled by the affected county agencies to the
number of their staff personnel.
d.The geographical area and population served by the affected county agencies.
e.The distance of recipients from the affected county agencies.
f.The benefits that would be realized from the creation of the human service zone
in terms of lower costs, increased availability of
Free access — add to your briefcase to read the full text and ask questions with AI
1. In determining whether the creation of a human service zone should be approved or
established, the department shall refer to, among other pertinent factors, the following:
a. Whether the affected county agencies are able to supply an adequate level and
quality of human, social, and economic assistance services.
b. The number and qualifications of staff personnel serving the affected county
agencies.
c. The ratio of the number of cases handled by the affected county agencies to the
number of their staff personnel.
d. The geographical area and population served by the affected county agencies.
e. The distance of recipients from the affected county agencies.
f. The benefits that would be realized from the creation of the human service zone
in terms of lower costs, increased availability of services, new services, and
improvement of services.
g. The amount of current and future access points for individuals to apply for and
receive services within a human service zone.
h. The existing pattern of the counties trade area and any regional pattern
established by the department.
i. Whether the county has a population exceeding sixty thousand individuals
according to the 2010 United States census to operate as a single human service
zone and whether it is in the best interest of the neighboring counties.
j. The maximum number of human service zones created may not exceed
nineteen.
k. Whether the human service zone director can adequately supervise the activities
and operations of the human service zone.
l. Whether the human service zone board is constituted of individuals that represent
the population of the human service zone.
m. Budget impact.
n. Other good cause.
2. The department has final approval of a human service zone. The department may
establish or modify a human service zone based on the criteria set forth in
subsection 1. All human service zones must be initially approved or established by
January 1, 2020, and may be rescinded or terminated pursuant to section 50-01.1-02,
50-01.1-04, or 50-01.1-08, modified thereafter by the department, or approved by the
department through a process developed by the department and in accordance with
section 50-01.1-02.
50-01.1-04. Plan - Financing - Human service zone board.
1. A plan for the creation of a human service zone must describe the method of operation
of the human service zone office, its administration, its location and the location of any
ancillary offices, the disbursements from public funds, and the accountability for funds
and manner of reporting receipts and disbursements. The plan must provide for the
distribution of property owned by each of the county agencies affected by the
consolidation and for the method of resolution of any disagreement between the
boards of county commissioners involved in the human service zone or between the
governing board and one or more boards of county commissioners. The plan must
also require the participating counties to participate in the indirect cost allocation plan.
The plan, once approved, may be continued for a definite term or until rescinded,
terminated, or modified by the department or approved by the department through a
process developed by the department and in accordance with section 50-01.1-02.
2. The human service zone director shall prepare a proposed budget for the human
service zone at the time and in the manner as requested by the department and shall
submit the department-approved proposed budget to the board of county
commissioners of each county in the human service zone for review. The board of
county commissioners may not take any action to amend or modify the amount
approved by the department. The board of county commissioners may make
recommendations to the human service zone director and the department to amend or
modify the amount proposed or budgeted. The amount budgeted must be sufficient to
defray the anticipated expenses of administration and the delivery of human services.
Within ten days following review of the proposed budget by the boards of county
commissioners, the human service zone director shall certify the budget to the
respective county auditors of the counties in the district. Each board of county
commissioners also shall budget and approve amounts sufficient to defray that
county's anticipated indirect costs of the human service zone. Indirect costs of the
human service zone may not become direct costs without written approval of the
department. Counties may not direct bill human service zones or the department as
counties will receive reimbursement of costs through the indirect cost plan and any
other expense incurred by the human service zone must be incurred through the
human service zone's approved budget. The amounts budgeted, reviewed, and
approved by the several boards of county commissioners or the department, or both
must be periodically deposited with the treasurer of the host county in which the
human service zone office is located and must be placed in a special human service
zone human services fund. Indirect cost payments received by the human service
zone are not required to be deposited in the special human service zone human
services fund. The human service zone's income must be deposited into the human
service zone human services fund by the treasurer of the host county. The human
service zone board shall establish procedures for the review and approval of all claims
against the human service zone human services fund. The human service zone
director or designee shall approve or ratify all claims against the human service zone
human services fund. The county treasurer of the host county, shall pay approved or
ratified claims from the human service zone human services fund. Unexpended human
service zone human services funds remaining at the end of a fiscal year may be
carried over to the next fiscal year pursuant to section 50-35-05. The department may
recalculate and adjust each human service zone's payment based on pertinent factors,
which include actual expenditures over the prior or current payment period, current
costs, offered services, need, income, performance of duties directed or assigned and
supervised by the department, and caseload.