Supervisors hear funding requests for Robey Memorial Library expansion, RSVP program

by Bob Beach

During its regular meeting Monday, February 6, the Allamakee County Board of Supervisors met with Will Ament, Co-Chair of the Robey Memorial Library Capital Campaign, who presented a funding request for the expansion of Waukon’s public library. Ament noted that the County has been generous in contributing to other projects, such as the Waukon Wellness Center and the renovation of the Postville YMCA. He asked the Board to consider either a $150,000 contribution over three years or a $200,000 contribution over five years to the $1.4 million project.
Ament said that over $100,000 in pledges and contributions has been raised by volunteers and that Ralph Savoy intends to apply for a $130,000 Community Attraction and Tourism grant. He added that the Waukon City Council planned to consider the City’s contribution to the project at its regular meeting Monday night, February 6.
The Board also heard a funding request from Northeast Iowa RSVP Director Kathy Barloon, who explained that her organization matches senior citizens who are willing to volunteer their time with local non-profit organizations in need of volunteers. Barloon said that Northeast Iowa RSVP serves Allamakee, Howard and Winneshiek Counties with 270 volunteers, 43 of those from Allamakee County. She asked the Board to consider a $1,500 contribution in the coming fiscal year. County Auditor Pam Benjegerdes said that the County had budgeted a $1,000 contribution for the current fiscal year, but that the funds had not yet been released.
The Board also met with Solid Waste Director Dave Mooney, who reported that the manned dump site in Ludlow will move this week to the Harpers Ferry area, beginning weekly service Wednesdays from 3 to 7 p.m. Mooney said that he had spoken with Ludlow area residents who have been using that manned site and he feels that most would not be overly inconvenienced by traveling to the main site near Waukon.
Mooney said that service could be continued to the area on a bi-weekly basis if the County were to purchase a dump trailer for approximately $6,500. The Board asked Mooney to continue to provide updates on comments from the area in the coming weeks.
In other business, the Board approved the use of funds originally allocated for salary and fringe benefits for SPF-SIG Coordinator Maxine Grotegut for training costs and environmental strategies that will include advertising, signage and compliance checks.
The Board also approved detour routes for parades scheduled to be held in Waukon in the coming year and a letter to Canadian Pacific Railroad requesting cooperation with planned shoulder paving projects south of Lansing and south of Harpers Ferry that are part of the Mississippi River Bike Trail project.