Supervisors approve allowing County to serve as passthrough for grant being applied for by VMH, first reading of amendment to Zoning Ordinance L relating to solar utility
by Joe Moses
The Allamakee County Board of Supervisors met in regular session Monday, March 10 to address a full agenda of matters including the Resolution for Allamakee County to be the applicant/passthrough for Veterans Memorial Hospital’s application for the Fiscal-Year 2026 (FY26) Hinson Community Project Fund Grant, the Public Hearing for Amendment #15 to Zoning Ordinance L relating to Solar Utility, and the consideration of the Embargo Resolution for some asphalt Secondary Roads. The meeting was called to order by Board of Supervisors Chairperson Dan Byrnes with Supervisors Dennis Keatley and Tom Clark present.
The meeting moved into Public Comment with Executive Director Val Reinke of Allamakee County Economic Development (ACED) providing an update. Reinke made note of the Thursday, March 6 event held at the Northeast Iowa Community College (NICC) Waukon Center involving a presentation and showing of the film “GRIDSHOCK” relating to human trafficking in Iowa. She also discussed Allamakee County Conservation’s Moonlight Snowshoe Hike scheduled for 7 p.m. Friday, March 14 at Yellow River State Forest (YRSF).
Relating to other upcoming events, Reinke made note of the “Bounce into Spring with Main Street Lansing” event scheduled for Saturday, March 15 at TJ Hunter’s in Lansing in addition to the St. Patrick’s Day Parade scheduled for 1 p.m. Sunday, March 16 in Waukon. Reinke also provided a brief recap of the Reality 101 event held for Allamakee County high school seniors at Waukon High School Friday, March 7.
The Supervisors moved into the discussion and consideration of the Resolution for Allamakee County to be the applicant/passthrough for Veterans Memorial Hospital’s application for the Fiscal-Year 2026 (FY26) Hinson Community Project Fund Grant. This matter relates to the Community Project Funding available through the Office of U.S. Representative Ashley Hinson of Iowa’s Second Congressional District in which each member of Congress can submit up to 15 eligible projects for their respective district to allow certain federal funds to be directed through the appropriations process toward a state, locality, or eligible nonprofit serving a Congressional district.
Executive Director Rachelle Howe with Upper Explorerland Regional Planning Commission (UERPC) and Chief Executive Officer (CEO) Michael Coyle of Veterans Memorial Hospital (VMH) provided an overview of the request for Allamakee County to serve as the applicant/passthrough for this grant application. Howe noted that this application relates to the renovation and expansion of the VMH Postville Clinic with $829,505 in total being requested.
Coyle advised that the former UERPC building in Postville has been purchased as a new location to allow this expansion which will move the current clinic’s limited space of three rooms to six exam rooms, a procedure room, two behavioral health offices, and obstetrics (OB) and lab areas at a total cost of $1.1 million. Coyle and Howe discussed the $829,505 grant funding request which is a maximum of 75-percent of the project cost. Following discussion, the Supervisors approved to allow the County to serve as the applicant/passthrough for this grant funding if awarded.
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