Capacity crowd attends Supervisors meeting for discussion of Driftless Area Education and Visitor Center

The Allamakee County Board of Supervisors hosted a capacity crowd of more than three dozen individuals at its regular meeting Monday, February 8, most all of those attending for one agenda item - Discussion regarding the Driftless Area Education and Visitor Center. Although a half hour had been allotted for that discussion during Monday's meeting, not all points were able to be addressed within that allotted time, and the discussion was asked to be added to the next meeting agenda as well, with that meeting taking place Tuesday, February 16 due to the President's Day holiday falling on the usual Supervisors' meeting day Monday.
That discussion item had been placed on the meeting agenda after the Supervisors were presented a list of nearly two dozen questions in regard to the Center during the Public Comment portion of their Monday, February 1 meeting by a smaller group of individuals representing "Concerned and Proud Citizens of Allamakee County," the name signed to the bottom of that list of questions. Area residents Mark Reiser, Gene Averhoff and Mary Keatley were present at the February 1 meeting with the original list of questions and were also in attendance at the February 8 meeting for the discussion, but wanted it made clear that they were simply the spokespersons for a larger group of individuals who had questions and concerns about the project currently underway at the more locally known area as the Columbus property south of Lansing.
Averhoff also later reiterated what was expressed on behalf of the citizen group at the previous meeting that the group is not against having the project completed, but does have questions about the funding process and other points of administration. "Don't get us wrong, we think it can be a great thing," Averhoff voiced. "We're not against the project, we just have questions about how we're going to pay for it. We don't want it put on the taxpayers."
Board of Supervisors chairperson Larry Schellhammer began the discussion by explaining the Board's position in regard to the project, describing how the Board is somewhat representative of the entire county in regard to the project. "Some are all for it, some have specific issues with it, and some are in between those two stands," he said in comparison.
Schellhammer also explained that the Supervisors had been asked by Allamakee County Conservation - the department overseeing the Center project - during recent budget requests for the upcoming fiscal year for $100,000 in County funding and an additional $158,000 in roadway funding for paving and improving the County road that accesses the project location. Schellhammer explained that the $158,000 request for road improvements was approved and will come from the new fuel tax funding measure passed by the State of Iowa this past year and allotted to each county, but that the $100,000 in additional County funding for the project was not approved. It was explained later in the meeting that the Supervisors had already approved a contribution of $100,000 in County funding for the previous fiscal year.
Allamakee County Conservation Director Jim Janett then addressed the Board and those in attendance, first giving an overview of the project before opening up the presentation to questions. Janett explained that several funding sources have already been secured for the project - among those a $1.36 million National Scenic Byways Grant that was one of just 86 such grants awarded out of more than 1,000 applications. He also said that other grant funding measures are pending and should have their fate determined within a timeframe ranging from within a week to the next month.
Janett also provided the group with a packet of financial information in regard to the project showing anticipated total project costs, along with funding measures that have either already been secured, are in the process of being pursued, or are anticipated for the future. Janett also described any remaining funding amount as a "moving target" that depends upon other funding sources either currently in progress or to yet be pursued.
Questions regarding why the project was begun before all funding was secured were met with the explanation that some of the grant funding being sought required tangible progress to be made on the project before the grant funding would be approved. Janett also fielded questions in regard to more specific aspects of the project that included staffing and maintenance of the new facility, as well as continuing operational costs and any shortcomings in funding.
In regard to concerns over any remaining unsecured funding for the project, Allamakee County Conservation Assistant Director Jarrod Olson explained, "Our fundraising is being done by a very dedicated group of volunteers. It's an arduous process, and some of it has taken a lot longer than what we wanted or anticipated. What our whole intention has been is to secure these other large grants, then we want to do a news splash and go to the public and say we're moving forward. We're confident that there are some taxpayers out there who are willing to help the project, voluntarily."
Raleigh Buckmaster of Lansing spoke further in regard to the half-million dollar McElroy Grant being pursued for the project, saying, "The McElroy grant is not taxpayer money, it's money coming from an out-of-county philanthropic organization. The McElroy trustees believe in this project because we're an institution that is involved in transforming and inspiring young people's lives. We look at Allamakee County and see what's going on with young people, and we see business as usual in the county for young people not looking so hot. So, that's why McElroy Trust, collectively, is engaged in this project. There's been over $100,000 raised in Decorah and Winneshiek County, and there's been over $100,000 raised for this project from people four or five counties away. So, there are people who don't live in this county that believe in this project."
With discussion already lasting beyond the allotted time on the Supervisors' meeting agenda, Chair Schellhammer thanked those in attendance and moved the meeting on to its remaining agenda items. Discussion is scheduled to resume at the next regular meeting of the Board of Supervisors, which is scheduled for Tuesday, February 16 due to the President's Day holiday Monday.

OTHER BUSINESS
Following conclusion of the Driftless Area Education and Visitor Center discussion, the Board moved on to its remaining agenda, approving the highest and most complete of five bids received for rigid foam insulation sheets removed from the Makee Manor building. The bid of $850 for all 200 sheets submitted by Jeff Allison of Waukon was approved unanimously by the Board.
The Board also approved and placed on file the quarterly report from the Allamakee Veterans Affairs office, and approved an interfund loan from the General Basic Fund to the Public Safety Center Fund in the amount of $175,000 to cover costs until the bond funding for the Public Safety Center is received in March of this year. Those funds will then be paid back to the General Fund from those bond proceeds.
Allamakee County Sheriff Clark Mellick presented the Board with a quote of $16,090 for a security alarm system within the offices of the Allamakee County Courthouse and outlying Allamakee County departments that would allow an emergency alert to be immediately disseminated to local law enforcement in the event of an emergency situation taking place within those locations. The quote included 40 of what Sheriff Mellick described as "duress alarms" to be placed within those various County department offices, along with additional networking equipment for the system, with funding for the purchase already identified within the Courthouse Maintenance budget. Approval was given for the purchase.
Approval was also given to a change in the County payroll system that will result in all departments being paid on the same payroll cycle. The change, to go into effect for the July 1, 2016 pay date, will adjust the payroll for union and non-union employees of the Allamakee County Sheriff's Department and all other non-union, full-time Allamakee County staff from their pay status of current to being paid one week in arrears, such as all other County employees currently are. This payroll change will, in effect, result in those employees affected by the change to receive just a single week of regular pay in what would normally be a two-week payroll cycle this one time in order to align all County departments to the same payroll cycle. In order to "lessen the difference in pay for this one-time pay period adjustment," those impacted employees will be allowed to "cash in" up to one week of their own comp time and/or vacation pay.
Upon the recommendation of Allamakee County Engineer Brian Ridenour, the Board also approved the hiring of Chad Jones as a Maintenance Person II/Motor Grader Operator for the Secondary Roads Department, pending a pre-employment drug test. Jones will begin his duties February 16 at an hourly rate of $17.82.

BOND SALE APPROVED TO FUND PUBLIC
SAFETY CENTER
Following a late-morning recess, the Board reconvened early Monday afternoon to review bids for the purchase of general obligation bonds in the amount of $4.8 million approved by Allamakee County voters in May of last year to fund construction of the Allamakee County Public Safety Center. Michael Hart of Northland Securities, bond counsel for the County in regard to the sale, said that a favorable current market and the County's AA- rating by Standard & Poor resulted in a very favorable interest rate of 2.23% for the bond sale, a rate he described as one of the best he's worked with for such a long-term bond.
Hart said that interest rate would "lessen the tax impact" for the bond funding by approximately $1 million dollars from what was originally calculated last year at about this same time, which Schellhammer described as "good news for the taxpayers". Seven bids were received for the bond sale, with Suntrust Robinson Humphrey from Nashville, TN presenting that lowest interest rate. The Board unanimously approved a resolution awarding the bond sale to Suntrust Robinson Humphrey.