Supervisors obligate ARPA funding, make board appointments, hear funding requests, and also hold organizational meeting for new year
Allamakee County elected officials take the oath of office in two separate ceremonies ... A total of four Allamakee County officials elected or re-elected to their respective offices in the general election this past November were sworn into office by First District Judge John Bauercamper at the Allamakee County Courthouse prior to the start of business for the new year 2025. Pictured in the photo above, with Judge Bauercamper (at far right in photo), three of those officials were sworn in Thursday morning, January 2, including, left to right, re-elected Allamakee County Sheriff Clark Mellick, re-elected Allamakee County Treasurer Nicki Smedsrud and newly-elected Allamakee County Board of Supervisors member Tom Clark. Pictured in the photo below, left to right, re-elected Allamakee County Auditor Denise Beyer was sworn in by Judge Bauercamper in a swearing-in ceremony held Monday, December 23 due to Beyer not being available for the January 2 swearing-in event. Standard photos by Joe Moses.
by Joe Moses
The Allamakee County Board of Supervisors met in regular session Monday, December 30 and Monday, January 6 in addition to its 2025 organizational meeting held Thursday, January 2. Coverage of these three meetings held within a week’s time appears below.
DECEMBER 30
The Monday, December 30 regular meeting was called to order by Chairperson Dan Byrnes. Supervisors Mark Reiser and Dennis Keatley present, with this being Reiser’s final meeting of his board tenure.
During Public Comment, Byrnes thanked Reiser for his four years of service to the County as a Supervisor in addition to noting Reiser’s perfect attendance over that time period relating to Board of Supervisors meetings. Reiser noted that he appreciated working with the other Supervisors and Department Heads during his time on the Board of Supervisors. Byrnes further noted that Jim Pladsen and the Planning and Zoning Commission have expressed gratitude for Reiser’s attendance and participation in that group’s meetings with his continued attendance and feedback being encouraged.
Jane Regan with Upper Iowa Insurance Services thanked Reiser for his service to the County. Regan provided an overview of the workers compensation policy dividend check for the 2023-2024 policy term with Regan noting that the dividend being paid back to the County is $11,890, which is based upon 11.5 percent of the County’s total premium of $103,392. Regan recommended that a plan be developed for the use of the dividend to include additional safety training or programming.
The meeting moved into the consideration of the Resolution to obligate American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) funds with Byrnes providing an overview of the matter in which he noted that $2.658 million in ARPA funding had been provided to the County with some projects not yet completed, with this Resolution to complete the obligation of the remainder of these funds. Byrnes noted that early in this process, projects were identified that would benefit all Allamakee County residents including some special projects that would have been otherwise difficult to budget for during a typical year.
Byrnes listed projects and needs that received ARPA funding including the Veterans Memorial Hospital (VMH) Clinic, a VMH medical examiner vehicle, a scanning project for the County Auditor and Recorder, various County Courthouse repairs and improvements, election equipment and software, among a variety of other projects. The Supervisors approved the Resolution obligating the remaining ARPA funds for consultant fees not to exceed $750 and additional Public Safety Center water system expenses not to exceed $86,000. Three memorandums of understanding (MOU) relating to remaining ARPA funds were approved to address funding for the County Courthouse’s CAT6 network upgrade, the addition of security cameras, fire alarm updates, new computer servers, drop ceilings, and electrical services, in addition to the Public Safety Center’s water tower removal.
To read the full article, pick up the Wednesday, January 8, 2025 print edition of The Standard or subscribe to our e-edition or print edition by clicking here.
