Supervisors approve resolution authorizing VMH Community Project Fund application again after project focus changes, agree to role of fiscal sponsor for grant application to help fund Allamakee Leadership Institute
by Joe Moses
The Allamakee County Board of Supervisors met in regular session Monday, February 23 to address a short agenda of matters including the consideration of approving Allamakee County as a fiscal sponsor for a grant application, the consideration of several plat requests and the consideration of the resolution to support, authorize and to submit an application to Congresswoman Ashley Hinson’s Community Project Fund on behalf of Veterans Memorial Hospital with a change of project.
The meeting was called to order by Board of Supervisors Chairperson ProTem Dan Byrnes with Supervisor Dennis Keatley present. Board of Supervisors Chairperson Tom Clark was not present due to a scheduled absence.
During the Public Comment portion of the meeting, Executive Director Val Reinke of Allamakee County Economic Development (ACED) via Zoom web-conferencing provided a brief update relating to the Busch Light Curling event which took place in Lansing over the weekend. Reinke advised that the weather and ice conditions on the Mississippi River allowed the event to take place with participation and the number of spectators present indicating that this was a popular event. She said that it was a busy weekend in Lansing with a high level of vehicle traffic with the car ferry in operation between the Iowa and Wisconsin sides of the Mississippi River.
With time remaining for Public Comment, Executive Director Rachelle Howe with Upper Explorerland Regional Planning Commission (UERPC) noted that she would be attending meetings and discussions with legislators this week in Des Moines relating to proposed funding changes that would impact Iowa’s Councils of Governments (COG), organizations providing regional planning and technical assistance to local governments and communities.
In addition to those planned discussions, Byrnes suggested that Howe seek feedback from legislators relating to Local Option Sales Tax (LOST), which he advised is an important funding source for counties with some current debate taking place at the State level relating to other uses for this funding. Byrnes noted that the loss of LOST revenue would put constraints on townships and funding for rural services including ambulances, fire, solid waste and law enforcement, among other needs. Byrnes noted that LOST revenue is distributed to include 40-percent for townships, 30-percent for rural services and 30-percent for roads. Keatley made note of discussions at the State level relating to the proposed consolidation of 911 dispatch services.
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