Supervisors to deal with health department facility

FORT MADISON - The status of the Lee County Health Department/EMS building is back on the agenda for Monday’s Board of Supervisors meeting.
After a lengthy discussion last week that didn’t include Supervisor Matt Pflug, who was not present, the board tabled discussion that included purchasing undisclosed property in the county to house the LCHD as a backup to constructing a new facility.
Supervisor Ron Fedler said the discussion and any decision should include Pflug, to which the rest of the board agreed, and tabled the discussion as well as a closed session to talk about the price of the property.
Monday’s discussion will be to consider putting plans on hold until the possibility of a congressional appropriation for the new construction is finalized.
The back-up option came up as part of a debate about the health department after several supervisors questioned the county’s ability to fund the proposed $6 million new construction.
The county has been moving forward with plans to build a new health department on property donated to the county by the Glen Meller family. A stipulation in the donation agreement requires that the land be used for the public good and the Meller family name be used in conjunction with the facility.
The county has roughly $2.4 million set aside for the new construction, that would also include space and bays for EMS staff and ambulances. The county also has a $2.2 million appropriation in front of Congress that was carried to Washington D.C. by U.S. Rep. Mariannette Miller-Meeks (R-IA 1). A $600,000 Community Development Block Grant has been applied for through the Iowa Economic Development Authority, and a North Lee County Community Foundation fund has been set up that Supervisor Chuck Holmes said could be worth between $500,000 and $1 million.
If all those funding streams were to become a reality, the county would have approximately $5.7 million in grant and ARPA funds for the new construction, leaving them about $300,000 short.
Under new property tax laws passed in 2022, the county can now also levy for up to $975,000 without going to a voted referendum. However, taxpayers can still petition to have that funding request put on a ballot.
Other action slated for discussion and action Monday includes:
• hiring additional personnel for the Auditor's and Treasurer’s office to help backfill positions with pending retirements.
• possible approval of a lease agreement with American Legion Post 41 for the Veterans' Affairs Office.
• consider possible sale of property located near Wilson Lake and managed by Lee County Conservation.