The Greene County supervisors plan to take last minute action next week to retain $1.8 million in American Rescue Plan (ARPA) they intend to use for an HVAC project at the courthouse.
County attorney Thomas Laehn told the supervisors at their Dec. 23 meeting that he believes bad advice was provided by the National Organization of County Organizations and the Iowa State Association of County Auditors about the process of using the funds. That advice predated the US Treasury Department writing the rules for the ARPA funds.
The funds must be obligated before 2025 or they are no longer available. Greene County has not yet obligated the funds, waiting to determine how the rest of the project will be paid for.
Laehn advised the supervisors that entering into a memorandum of understanding with the county auditor’s office for use of the funds before the end of this calendar year would suffice. However, he said neither he nor assistant county attorney Laura Snider would have time to draft the MOU because of the time needed to prepare an indictment in a recently initiated murder case.
Ahlers & Cooney is preparing the MOU for the board’s approval at the Dec. 30 meeting.
Supervisor Dawn Rudolph, who has served as the county’s representative for regional mental health planning for many years, reported on state action that effectively dismantles regional mental health. The legislature in the last session reduced the number of behavioral health regions from 32 to seven. Recently the state hired one provider, Iowa Primary Care Association, to run all seven.
According to Rudolph, the regions will be “null and void” when the plan goes into place July 1. “What that looks like for services for people in our county, I cannot tell you,” Rudolph said. Several employees have already left, putting a strain on the remaining employees. “We’re as lost in the whole thing as everybody else, and trying the best we can to provide services…. It’s happening way too fast in a short amount of time.”
Sheriff Jack Williams said the loss of services in rural areas will make law enforcement and ambulance services first responders in behavioral health issues. He said that he and the sheriffs in Carroll, Guthrie, Boone, Dallas counties agree the behavioral health problems will be “dumped” on them. Williams estimates the current system saves the sheriff’s office $40,000 per year by serving behavioral health needs.
County engineer Wade Weiss reported the bid letting for a paving project on County Road E-18 east of Paton has been moved from January to February. The project will be paid for with TIF funds. The bridge project on Apple Ave is scheduled for March bid letting.
Weiss reported on the biannual bridge inspection. “All in all, Greene County has improved over the last few years,” he said.
The supervisors heard FY26 budget requests from five outside groups.
RSVP 55+, represented by Michele Hull and Sheilah Pound, requested $3,000, the same as the current year. Those funds go toward the salary of the county volunteer coordinator.
Phil Heisterkamp requested $3,750 for the Bell Tower Festival. He requested the same last year; the county funded $2,500. Total cost of the festival last year was $51,000, with total revenues of $69,000 (including $40,000 from the brew station and $18,686 in donations, but not including the carnival rides and a “Family Feud” fundraiser). The goal is to raise $25,000 through donations. The requested $3,750 represents 15 percent of that goal.
Jefferson Matters board president Amy Milligan and director Matt Wetrich requested $7.500 for that organization. That’s the same request as FY 25 and the amount funded.
Mike Piepel requested $6,500 for the Greene County Historical Society. That’s the same amount requested and funded for the current year. He reported 17 programs are scheduled for 2025.
Piepel also requested $800 for care for two persons who lived at Cedar Lane Estates when it was closed and still live in the county. That’s the same amount requested and funded for the current year.
The board approved a resolution appropriating the final 15 percent of FY2025 funds, and a resolution hiring Hailey Saffell as a fulltime dispatcher at an annual salary of $45,500, effective Jan. 8.
