By Sara StrongThe Rock County Board of Commissioners voted against an arrangement that would have put a part-time Extension agriculture advisor in Rock County.The vote was split, with Commissioners Ken Hoime and Richard Bakken in favor, and Jane Wildung, Bob Jarchow and Ron Boyenga against.Instead, the board favored concentrating local money on the 4-H program, and directed the Extension Committee to draft a new memorandum of understanding reflecting that.The Extension Committee had recommended to the County Board that the county fund a 4-H coordinator at 60 percent time, with a total cost of $35,550 and a 25 percent time agriculture technical advisor with a cost of $10,555.Boyenga said he couldn’t justify paying $10,555 for an agricultural position that would be the equivalent of one day a week. The person could spend more time or less as needed throughout the year, but Boyenga said the average wouldn’t be worth the cost to him.In the second and third years of the agreement, the ag person would cost $18,000.The total cost for Extension in 2004 will be $98,000.Commissioner Bob Jarchow said he talked to constituents about Extension and they didn’t favor funding it.Wildung said, "Do we know how many people have called for this kind of service since [Fraser Norton] has been gone? I mean, maybe people have been going somewhere else for their information."Commissioner Bakken said he thought the board owed it to the people who make their living by agriculture to fund the position.Now that the Extension Office will mostly be a 4-H center, the Regional Center in Worthington and what it will do for the county is unknown.The Center will answer questions as fast as it can, according to director Holli Arp. Special programs formerly put on by educators may still exist, but could come with a price tag for the county or users.Arp said there may be some opportunity for grants for those programs.Wildung said the state program hasn’t given many specifics to counties and it is still unclear how the relationship will continue under this new regional system.
