Supervisors proclaim October 23-31 as Red Ribbon Week

by Joe Moses

The Allamakee County Board of Supervisors met in regular session Monday, October 22 to address a full agenda of items including the Red Ribbon Week Proclamation, signing of the Fiscal-Year 2019 Iowa Partnerships for Success contract and discussion of hiring a Dispatcher/Corrections Officer. There were no members of the public in attendance during the Public Comment portion of the meeting and Allamakee County Auditor Denise Beyer provided an update on the November 6 general election during that time, indicating that approximately 1400 absentee ballot requests have been made so far with just over 10,000 voters registered in Allamakee County.

Coordinator Jean Bossom with Allamakee Substance Abuse Prevention (ASAP) was present for the Red Ribbon Week Proclamation agenda item. Bossom read the proclamation aloud with a group of students in attendance. Bossom discussed that October 23-31 has been designated as Red Ribbon Week and involves the unified prevention efforts against the demand for drugs in communities across the country and promotes healthy, drug free lifestyles with the wearing of a red ribbon or the display of red ribbons at schools, churches, businesses and other locations as a statement of this effort. The Supervisors signed the proclamation and approved October 23-31, 2018 as Red Ribbon Week.

Bossom discussed the request to sign the Fiscal-Year 2019 Iowa Partnerships for Success contract with the Iowa Department of Health, indicating that this is the final year of the five-year grant. Bossom discussed other funding opportunities with the Supervisors approving to sign the Iowa Partnerships for Success contract.

Beyer discussed the request to sign the Hacker, Nelson and Co. audit engagement letter for a single audit, with the Supervisors approving to sign the engagement letter. The Quarterly Reports for Veterans Affairs and the County Sheriff’s Department Commissary were accepted and placed on file. Allamakee County Sheriff Clark Mellick and the Supervisors discussed setting a timeframe to remove several small uncashed 25 cent checks from the County’s books with mailing reminders costing more in postage than the check amount.

Mellick provided a recommendation to hire Laura Jones of Lansing as a Dispatcher/Corrections Officer with the Supervisors approving the hire with a start date of November 11 at the Union starting wage.

The Supervisors moved into plat approvals with Allamakee County Zoning Administrator Tom Blake providing an overview of each of the three requests and each having received a recommendation to approve from the Planning and Zoning Commission and Plat Review Board. The plat request for Roger, Randy, Arden Dickson and Kenneth D. and Sharon K. Dickson Revocable Trust was approved, as was a plat request for James M. Kerndt and another for Brian Feuerhelm.

Under Department Head Updates, Allamakee County Emergency Management Coordinator Corey Snitker discussed recent and upcoming events. Snitker indicated that he has provided some additional information to the Iowa Flood Center per their request regarding stream gauges and flooding locations. Snitker provided an overview of the recent active shooter exercise that took place at the Starmont School and recommended that a similar exercise would be of value within Allamakee County. Snitker further discussed that the reunification process in this type of exercise is valuable and relevant to other emergencies and disasters. Snitker also briefly discussed several matters for the next Department Head meeting.

Bossom provided an overview of Red Ribbon Week activities that will be taking place throughout the county and that the prescription drug drop-off will be taking place October 27in Waukon, Lansing and Postville and that materials regarding the safe disposal of medications will be dispersed by local police departments at these events. Blake indicated that the public input meeting regarding the county comprehensive plan will be taking place this Thursday, October 25 in Waukon (see adjacent article).

Mellick advised that the public should be patient and safe while driving with fall harvest taking place and as a result, tractors and machinery are more frequently traveling on roads. Mellick provided a brief update on courthouse cameras and briefly discussed working with Allamakee County Conservation Director Jim Janett on a potential replacement for the boat their departments share.

Beyer provided an update on the post election audit, poll worker election training involving laptops and procedures. She also advised that ballots will be made available to those living in health care facilities.