Supervisors consider joining five other northeast Iowa counties in effort to provide regional mental health services

by Bob Beach

During its regular meeting Monday, July 9, the Allamakee County Board of Supervisors met with Central Point of Coordination Director Jan Heikes for continued discussion of upcoming changes to Iowa’s mental health and developmental disabilities services. Heikes explained that under the new system, the regions that counties are expected to form on their own initiative must be geographically connected (contiguous) and must be able to provide services required under the new state law.
The counties currently considering forming the northeast Iowa region, Heikes said, include Winneshiek, Allamakee, Clayton, Fayette, Delaware and Buchanan. Heikes said that Howard County intends to join with Black Hawk County, part of the “Bob Lincoln Group” that currently includes 18 counties. The Board agreed to consider a resolution expressing its intent to join with the other counties in the proposed northeast Iowa region at its regular meeting next week.
Heikes also asked the Board to continue a waiting list for county-funded mental health and developmental disabilities services, as the budget for those services is “fully encumbered,” meaning there is no money to provide services for any new clients. Heikes said there is currently one person on the waiting list for “sheltered work services,” which is that person’s preference, but that person is currently receiving alternative services. The Board agreed to extend the waiting list, which was first established in March of this year.
The Board also met with Allamakee County Engineer Brian Ridenour, Zoning Administrator Tom Blake and property owner Scott Brown regarding a cabin that was inadvertently built within an old county road easement. Ridenour explained that Brown owns a triangular piece of property on Collins Ridge Road, which, it was recently learned, is fully encompassed by an old county highway easement.
Ridenour asked the Board to set a date and time for a public hearing to vacate a portion of the easement, retaining only 50 feet from the centerline of Collins Ridge Road. Blake said that vacation of that portion of the easement would allow the cabin on the property to remain, but a variance would have to be requested and approved or the cabin would need to be moved to accommodate setback requirements.
Brown said that he would be willing to move the cabin and to pay the cost of a public hearing to vacate a portion of the County’s easement. The Board set July 30 at 9:30 a.m. as the date and time for a public hearing on the proposed vacation of the easement. Ridenour said that notice of the hearing would be published in the newspaper and that adjoining property owners would be notified.
In other business, the Board passed two amendments to the County zoning map, one requested by Waukon Feed Ranch from A-1 (agricultural) to C-1 (commercial), and the other requested by William Reed from R-2 (residential) to A-1 (agricultural). The Board also accepted and placed on file the Auditor’s quarterly report, approved a transfer of $9,050 from the General Basic Fund to the Emergency Medical Services Fund and signed a contract with Covenant Medical Center in Waterloo for mental health services.