Supervisors hold pair of sessions this past week due to holiday
Discussion of Driftless Area Education and Visitor Center draws large crowd again at Tuesday session
The Allamakee County Board of Supervisors held a pair of regular sessions within the past week, one of them delayed a day by the President's Day holiday. Coverage of both the Tuesday, February 16 and Monday, February 22 Board of Supervisors meetings appears below:
TUESDAY, FEBRUARY 16
The Supervisors hosted a crowd of nearly two dozen individuals in their holiday-delayed session Tuesday, February 16 as discussion in regard to the Driftless Area Education and Visitor Center south of Lansing remained an agenda item for a second consecutive week. Once again, the half-hour timeframe allowed for such discussion on the meeting proved insufficient to cover all topics on the minds of those in attendance.
During the public comment portion of the meeting, area resident Gene Averhoff asked if the $500,000 Community Attraction & Tourism (CAT) Grant being pursued for the Driftless Center through Iowa Economic Development had been secured. Allamakee County Conservation Assistant Director Jarrod Olson replied, "They didn't make an award when Jim (referring to Allamakee County Conservation Director Jim Janett, who was ill and not in attendance at Tuesday's meeting) went down there last week. The grant has been approved, it's in the system, and it's just a matter of CAT wants to be the last dollars in, that's what it amounts to. It's a repetitive process. The door is not closed on it."
Prior to further discussion on the Driftless Center, the Board approved a loan agreement and the issuance of general obligation bonds in the amount of $4,725,000 for the new Public Safety Center approved by Allamakee County voters in May of last year, along with the tax levy to pay for the 20-year bonds. The bonds were issued at a very favorable 2.23% interest rate. That low rate, coupled with the lower bond amount, will result in an initial levy rate in the neighborhood of .40 per $1,000 valuation on residential properties and fluctuate over that 20-year repayment period depending on property values and other factors. "We are starting out at that point, which is considerably less than what we anticipated when we started the project," Board Chairman Larry Schellhammer explained.
Driftless Center Discussion
Allamakee County Attorney Jill Kistler was present at the meeting to answer some of the legal-based questions proposed by the "Concerned and Proud Citizens of Allamakee County" seeking further answers from the Board in regard to the Driftless Area Education and Visitor Center. One of those questions was in regard to a perceived conflict of interest with one member of the Board of Supervisors, Dennis Koenig, holding a seat on the Allamakee County Conservation Board and another, Chairman Schellhammer, doing likewise on the Allamakee County Conservation Foundation, the group tasked with overseeing fundraising measures for the Center, especially in light of funding support for the Center being sought after from the County through budget and other requests made to the Board of Supervisors.
Kistler explained, "When looking at conflict of interest on Board of Supervisors members serving on dual boards, you're really looking at whether there is a personal pecuniary financial interest. I don't know of any personal financial gain that any Board of Supervisors member would be getting for this." Kistler went on to explain that she had consulted with other attorneys and leaders within the Iowa State Association of Counties on the matter, who were of that same opinion that no conflict of interest exists.
In regard to a question of approving contracts for such a large project without securing at least three bids, Kistler said she knows of nothing in the Iowa Code that requires such a minimum number for public construction projects. She also said, "It was published in the newspaper - the advertisement for bids, and it was also sent out to at least 35 different companies. You can't make people submit bids, but they do have to accept the lowest responsible bidder, and I think that's what was done here."
When asked by Mark Reiser of that "Concerned Citizens" group about their own opinion of conflict of interest in signing contracts and voting on approvals for such a project while sitting on boards most directly involved with the project, Schellhammer explained that he's serving on the Foundation Board voluntarily. "If I was to not be on that Foundation, I don't believe it would change my opinion on the project," said Schellhammer. "In fact, that's kind of what led me to that - my opinion of the project."
Reiser continued with explaining that some of the individuals who have donated to the Driftless Center project did so under the understanding that the project would be completed with donated funds and not involve taxpayer money. "If there was misinformation given, we have to correct that, and if there was a misunderstanding, we have to clarify that," Schellhammer said in regard to the efforts of fundraising volunteers who were explaining the project during those fundraising efforts.
Koenig further explained his position on the Conservation Board. "We checked into any conflict of interest before I ever accepted this," he said in regard to his Conservation Board position. "In fact, I think it's in the taxpayer's interest that one of us sits on that board."
Koenig went on to say, "You know, my biggest fear with this whole project is - and everybody's biggest fear - is that we keep dragging this out and doing all these negative things, that this project is either going to stop or it will have to be taxpayer money involved because people are not going to give."
Reiser suggested that a project costing in the area of $4 million should have been voted on by the people of Allamakee County. Although it's understood that such a project that seeks to be funded primarily through donations and grant funding measures would not require such a vote, Reiser expressed his concern that the project will continue to involve taxpayer money because he sees it as not being self-sustaining with maintenance and other operational costs.
Schellhammer further suggested, "For me, it's a matter of does this project have value to the entire county, and will it have value going forward. And when I look at this, I see Allamakee County as a very changing environment. Our county is changing, and we can either support that or we can ignore it. There are buildings that are for the public good, I look at it like a school or like a road. It's a public disbursement of money for the good of the public."
Reiser refuted that schools are a necessity, to which Schellhammer replied, "Going forward, something like this, I believe, is a need for the county, and that's been my position all along. It will enhance the livability, and it sends a signal to people who are looking at relocating here that we're willing to invest in the future of this. We've already identified that we'll have costs, but as long as we have costs we'll also have benefits to the people who use it."
Jane Regan, local resident and business owner who was appointed to the Mississippi River Parkway Commission by Iowa Governor Terry Branstad, was then asked to address the Board and those in attendance in regard to the economic impact of tourism and visitors to the Allamakee County area, such as what the Driftless Area Education and Visitor Center is designed to draw. Regan explained that as part of her appointment to that Commission she had to take an "oath of office to the State of Iowa to serve as a good Commissioner who would preserve and protect, and do the better good for the economic development of the Great River Road," which runs directly past the Driftless Center being questioned.
Regan went on to share data indicating an impact of $40.12 million dollar per capita from visitor and tourism expenditures in Allamakee County alone based on data compiled in 2014 by the U.S. Travel Association. She explained that in order to replace that economic impact to the county, each resident would have to come up with $2,832.
She further explained how the data further shows that the Mississippi River is a "destination, it is the reason they came here, it is the reason they stayed here." Regan finalized her presentation by asking those who don't want to see taxpayer dollars spent on the Driftless Area Education and Visitor Center to take pledge forms to their friends and neighbors to assist in the fundraising efforts for the Center.
"You cannot ignore that visitor industry and say that it is not of value to Allamakee County," Regan said. "I encourage you to go out there, like the rest of us, to help get the money raised for this Center so we don't have to spend County dollars to build it. Don’t cut off what is a primary source of economic development to this county. Be positive, forget the negative."
Gene Averhoff of the "Concerned Citizens" group agreed with Regan's emphasis on the importance of the tourism dollars, but also raised the question on the approach taken of beginning to build the Center before all the funding was in place. "These three people up here," Averhoff said in pointing to the Board of Supervisors, "had the ability to say to the people that started digging the hole down there, 'let's raise the money before we do this thing, so we don't stick the taxpayer with it.' That's what's happened here. I would like to know, do you think that you spent or gambled our tax dollars in the correct way by putting this liability on us right now? That's the way I look at it right now, and I think there's a lot of people who look at it that way. It may be a good gamble, but it's still a gamble. We've got the cart before the horse, but we don't even own the cart yet."
With that being said, Chairman Schellhammer broke in to advise of the alloted time on the agenda having run out, and the necessity to move the meeting's other agenda items along as scheduled. But before moving on, he did add, "I can assure you that you have, in fact, lit a fire under the Foundation. We are meeting this afternoon and I, myself, have a page and a half of suggestions to present to that board today on where I think this project should go. So, you have, in fact, been very effective in lighting that fire, and I appreciate that."
Other Business
In the remainder of the meeting agenda, the Board approved a plat for Merlin W. and Rebecca L. Gesing, as well as a limited disclosure dissemination agent agreement with Northland Securities to assist in meeting all timelines and other reporting requirements in regard to the Public Safety Center bond issue approved earlier in the meeting. A plumbing bid of $275,952 for the Public Safety Center from 7 Rivers Mechanical LLC of La Crescent, MN was also approved, having to be delayed for approval initially as the lowest bidder due to licensing requirements not being entirely completed in the state of Iowa, which have now been finalized.
Prior to the close of the meeting's regular business agenda, a date of Monday, March 14 at 9:40 a.m. was also set for a public hearing on the Fiscal Year 2017 proposed County budget. The public notice for that hearing and the budget is published elsewhere in this Wednesday, February 24 issue of The Standard on Page 5B.
MONDAY, FEBRUARY 22
The Allamakee County Board of Supervisors met in regular session Monday, February 22 with a relatively short agenda. No public comments were offered during that portion of the meeting that typically kicks of the regular sessions.
Chuck Bloxham and Josh Kelly, representing Wennes Communications, were in attendance to discuss a lease renewal with the County for a radio transmission tower site located along Iron Mine Drive north of Waukon facilitating KNEI radio’s FM broadcast. The original 20-year lease agreement for the tower location was signed in 1996 for an annual $500 lease payment and is set to expire May 30, 2016, with Wennes Communications seeking extension of the lease arrangement for another 20 years.
Allamakee County Engineer Brian Ridenour said the lease agreement appears to be fairly simple and has been “harmonious,” but advised that he would like to see an updated structural engineering rating completed on the tower, and would like reassurance that the agreement can be renewed during this day and age of more involved legal language without any type of resolution being approved by the Board itself. The Board will direct Allamakee County Attorney Jill Kistler to look into Ridenour’s resolution inquiry and draft a new lease agreement to be considered by the Board and Wennes Communications in anticipation of continuing the lease agreement.
The Board gave its approval to the annual Drainage District No. 1 Levy along the Upper Iowa River. Approval was also given to re-appointing Laurie Moody as the Allamakee County Weed Commissioner for year 2016.
Allamakee County Emergency Management Director Chris Dahlstrom presented a second quote for an electronic door lock entry system for the Allamakee County Courthouse which would eliminate the hard key entry system currently used on four entry doors of the Courthouse. The second quote was from Custom Alarm out of Rochester, MN and came in at just under $12,600, more than double the original quote of $5,350 received from IndiCom Electric of Waukon. Dahlstrom and Allamakee County Sheriff Clark Mellick each indicated that there was “really no difference” in the operation and specifics of the two quoted systems, with the exception of the card style used for each, which both Dahlstrom and Mellick said will “work the same, either way.”
The electronic entry system will eliminate all hard key entry and will give employees and department heads access after public open hours, with any after hours access being logged in a computerized system that will allow tracking of that usage at the County's discretion. Following Dahlstrom’s presentation, the Board approved the quote of $5,350 from IndiCom for the project, with Dahlstrom stating he will contact IndiCom.
Jane Regan from Leschensky Insurance Agency of Waukon reviewed the County’s insurance coverage coming up for renewal. She highlighted several points of interest within the County’s current coverage and also advised of “cyber” coverage in regard to data breaches of personal information within any of the County’s departments, stating she will be looking into that possibility and bring any quote she may obtain back to the Board. Following further discussion and Regan answering several more specific questions posed by Board members, the Board agreed that there would be no need to make any changes to the County's coverage at this point in time.
Under the Department Head updates, Allamakee County Coordinator of Disability Services Kim Waters updated the Board on the Medicaid privatization process. She advised that no official decision has been made on that privatization process in regard to remaining at or extending the March 1 delayed deadline date. She also advised that a Senate hearing is scheduled for later this week that may impact that deadline date.
Engineer Ridenour updated the Board on a meeting held last week in regard to an All-Terrain Vehicle (ATV) trail system within the county that would ultimately make use of various County roads. Ridenour said he will share with the Board various documents that have been shared with him from other counties currently allowing such a system and will then wait for further direction from the Board.
