By Tracy Overstreet
tracy.overstreet@theindependent.com

"We have officially closed that case," State Auditor Mike Foley said Thursday.

No problems were discovered, he said.

The investigation was launched last fall at the request of Hall County Attorney Mark Young. Young has not disclosed why he asked for the investigation.

In October 2007, Foley said only that the investigation was "financial" in nature.

This week, Foley said the investigation related to Mid-Plains' license.

"It got very complicated because the law had changed several times over the last six to eight years," Foley said. "We weren't sure how each of those law changes affected Mid-Plains, but my lawyer and the lawyer for Health and Human Services walked through the whole thing and analyzed it in great detail."

Foley said the attorneys "came to the conclusion that Mid-Plains was in full compliance."

Mid-Plains is a private organization that is run by the elected county supervisors in 12 Central Nebraska counties, including Hall County, and one at-large community representative. That at-large representative, former Hall County Supervisor Dick Hartman, chairs the Mid-Plains board.

No written conclusion will be issued to Hartman, the board, Mid-Plains Chief Executive Officer Scott Dugan or other staff, Foley said.

"It wasn't a formal audit, just investigatory, so we'll be closing the case and moving on to other issues," Foley said.

Dugan previously said the investigation was centered on the organization's recently constructed detoxification center, subcontractor agreements, center funding and operational revenues.

Mid-Plains' headquarters is at 914 Baumann Drive in Grand Island. Its mission is to provide mental health services, the bulk of which are financed or subsidized through county, state and federal contracts paid by taxpayers.

Mid-Plains has 90 full-time and part-time employees.