Supervisors Strub, Schellhammer announce candidacy for re-election

by Bob Beach

During public comment time at the regular meeting of the Allamakee County Board of Supervisors Tuesday, January 7 Chairman Larry Schellhammer and Supervisor Sherry Strub announced their intentions to run for re-election this November. County Democrats and Republicans will conduct their precinct caucuses Tuesday, January 21.
During regular business, the Board met with Jolene Koopman, Volunteer Coordinator for the Riverview Center. Koopman said that the Riverview Center will be the sole provider of sexual assault services in five northeast Iowa counties, including Allamakee County, while Helping Services will continue to provide services to victims of domestic violence. Koopman said that while the Riverview Center's main office is located in Dubuque, office space is being sought in Postville and at least two bilingual advocates would be hired to provided services locally, including a 24-hour crisis hotline, legal and medical advocacy, peer counseling, professional training for law enforcement and prevention education. She said that the missing component in the services offered is therapy, which the Riverview Center is hoping to correct by contracting with a therapist, for which she requested a $2,500 funding contribution from the County. The Board will consider that funding request as it conducts budget discussions over the coming weeks.
The Board also met with County Sanitarian Laurie Moody, who also serves as the County's Weed Commissioner. Moody presented the Board with the Weed Commissioner's annual report, which details the noxious weeds that are a problem in the County. The report also includes Moody's suggestions to improve control of weed and brush infestations, such as requiring other agencies, such as the Iowa Department of Natural Resources, Iowa Department of Transportation and railroads to tend to their problem sites; allowing road crews to cosmetically mow roadside ditches earlier in the year for public safety; and utilizing the inmates at the Luster Heights Correctional Facility to cut brush. Moody also suggested that funding of programs to control Japanese Knotweed would help prevent further infestations downstream and that better methods should be found to enforce weed control rules on private property owners. The Board accepted the report as presented and reappointed Moody as Weed Commissioner.
The Board also adopted a resolution to cancel the 28E agreement with Winneshiek County to split the cost of the salary for Central Point of Coordination in light of the recent resignation of Jan Heikes from that position and the changing nature of the position due to the regionalization of mental health and developmental disabilities services. Chairman Schellhammer noted that funds budgeted for that salary are still included in the budget for County Social Services, but that the funds could possibly returned to the County's budget if the budget were amended to reflect the change.
In other business, the Board approved a sub-recipient agreement between the County and TASC regarding the Community Development Block Grant application to fund a fitness center for persons with disabilities. The Board also re-appointed Dennis Nebendahl and Bob Drahn to serve on the Allamakee County Area Solid Waste Commission and Adam Weigand to serve on the Upper Explorerland Regional Planning Commission's Revolving Loan Fund Board.