Supervisors hear update on State's mental health system; Bear Creek Bridge closing for three months

by Bob Beach

During the regular meeting of the Allamakee County Board of Supervisors Monday, June 18, the Board met with Central Point of Coordination (CPC) Administrator Jan Heikes, who again spoke with the Board regarding the upcoming redesign of the State’s mental health and developmental disabilities system. She explained that many of the details regarding services and quality control will be determined by the supervisors of the counties that are included in the regions, once those have been established.
She said that a meeting will be held Thursday, June 21 in West Union, where county supervisors are expected to express their intentions with regard to joining specific regions. Once the regions have been established, the supervisors of the participating counties will need to work together to develop a 28E agreement for their region, Heikes said. Heikes also presented the Board with contract renewals for services with TASC, Makee Manor, Northeast Iowa Behavioral Health and Alternative Treatment Associates. The Board approved all of the contracts as presented.
The Board also met with Fern Rissman of Upper Exporerland Regional Planning Commission, who asked the Board to renew a rental contract for office space at the courthouse. Rissman said Northeast Iowa Community Action shares the office space at the courthouse with Upper Explorerland; Upper Explorerland pays the County $75 per month for the office space and Community Action pays Upper Explorerland $30 per month as a sub-leasee. The Board approved both the lease and the sub-lease.
County Engineer Brian Ridenour and Zoning Administrator Tom Blake met with the Board to discuss a parcel of land in Taylor Township along Collins Ridge Road, where Blake said a “temporary cabin” has been built in the County right-of-way, which currently extends across the entire triangle-shaped parcel. Blake said that if the County were to vacate a portion of the easement, the cabin, which was built without a building permit, may need a variance to remain in its current location due to setback requirements. But if the Board decided not to vacate the County’s easement, the cabin would need to be removed entirely.
Ridenour said that at least a portion of the County’s right-of-way should be retained to maintain a consistent right-of-way width along the road, but suggested that perhaps a greater width should be retained in case the land is needed in the future. The Board agreed that the property owner should obtain a building permit and submit a formal request that a portion of the County right-of-way be vacated. Blake agreed to send a letter to the property owner to that effect.
Ridenour also informed the Board that the bridge over Bear Creek on County Road A-26 (Bear Creek Drive) would be closed for approximately three months for replacement starting Monday, June 25.
In other business, the Board approved Jake Halverson as an unpaid summer intern at the County Attorney’s Office starting in July. The Board also passed a resolution for the destruction of noxious weeds and approved a plat of the Waukon City Hall property and the adjoining alley. County Attorney Jill Kistler said that once the plat as been recorded, the County would convey the property to the City of Waukon by quit-claim deed as part of its originally-scheduled exchange agreement in regard to the property.