SUPERVISORS MEET; REQUEST IS MADE FOR NEW POSTVILLE CHILDCARE BUILDING

Attending the July 17 Allamakee County Board of Supervisors meeting was Vicki Bloxham, representing a Postville request concerning a possible new facility housing day care, early childhood development, Headstart, and a cultural resource center for minority family assistance to be located within the city.
An interested group of Postville citizens are currently seeking available funding sources for the project. The Board was made aware of the group's desire to obtain a Community Development Block Grant, as the county is eligible to be granted a large portion of the proposed costs.
The desired facility is to be built on school property, the specifics of which are not yet finalized. Members of the Jewish school community have expressed interest in purchasing the building if it is vacated from its current use.
A step-by-step process, the county's grant application must meet its first deadline Aug. 23, filing what is known as a "pre-application." A full application is due in October, and the final proposal must be completed by December. The county will learn if it has been accepted for the funds early next spring.
If all proceeeds as hoped, building may begin the end of next summer. Bloxham is optomistic about the facilities' success. "We feel that it's a very good project. We're sincerely hoping it gets funded," she said.
In other news, an expressed interest in placing buoys in the Noble Island area near Harpers Ferry has resulted in the approval of a Public Hearing Notice, scheduled for July 24. The area under discussion is without a wake zone. The buoys would be placed 300 ft. apart, 200 ft. from shore.
The annual contract with Solutions, serving the courthouse computer needs, was accepted, pending a telephone discussion with Solutions President, Greg Davis, of Spencer.
Initially, the county expressed concern over the increase in this year's contract, and sought an explanation for the additional burden. According to Davis, the additional cost reflects Y2K costs not previously determined, as well as staff salary increases, deemed necessary to retain valued employees.
A bid was awarded to Decorah Mobile Glass to place an automatic door opener on the handicap-accessible south courthouse door. The projected cost is $1,648. Not included in the price is the electrical work, which the county will determine at a later date.
Also meeting Board approval was a request by Dennis Homewood, dba Knotty Pine of Dorchester, for a Class C liquor license.