[{"_1":2,"_99":-5,"_100":-5},"loaderData",{"_3":4,"_26":27},"root",{"_5":6,"_17":10,"_18":19,"_20":21,"_22":10,"_23":-5,"_24":-5,"_25":10},"user",{"_7":8,"_9":10,"_11":10,"_12":-5,"_13":-5,"_14":15,"_16":-5},"roles",[],"isAuthenticated",false,"isPremium","planName","subscriptionStatus","featureFlags",{},"insightsBudget","isDevelopmentHost","userPreferences",{},"recaptchaSiteKey","6LcvOJcUAAAAAHsB-gPGfGktcRlKpH7OTIU_dMTD","isImpersonating","impersonation","affiliateStatus","isFreedomPortal","routes/v2/article/layout",{"_28":29,"_30":31},"notFound",true,"relatedArticles",[32,75,87],{"_33":34,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":40,"_41":42,"_43":44,"_45":46,"_47":48,"_49":50,"_51":52,"_53":54,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":60,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":66,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":68,"_72":73,"_74":73},"mediaId",6250871,"mediaKeyId","3197976-70745850d0a9eb29f281e40c8195a1ab","parentId",3197976,"title","Linn County proclaims May 2025 Mental Health Month; hears Access Center quarterly report and selects sobering‑unit provider","audioSeconds",3437,"startMs",168000,"endMs",3605000,"viewUrl","/Search/View?dp=1&key=3197976-70745850d0a9eb29f281e40c8195a1ab&start=168&end=3605","thumbnailUrl","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/3197976-70745850d0a9eb29f281e40c8195a1ab/thumbnail_168000.jpg","articleUrl","/articles/6250871/Linn-County/Iowa/Linn-County-proclaims-May-2025-Mental-Health-Month-hears-Access-Center-quarterly-report-and-selects-soberingunit-provider","mediaUrl","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6250871-a6804ccd95047ea38f290ba5149cb423/orig.mp4?Expires=1771157747&Signature=KtzetCYALpA6T0CpVqvhWxZ0iKJ9MvqZ~itUbn-atB4ZNLeLQFQPxIvn4xsg6EVg8Rga1ig8KWf1MfVzGQkdYKamwhrKkNTC930tWpjpIds2gD3CNuz4Bi1Q5tJhtJZ1f34ESqiSVvS6F0LuBL1A9waSyQmxw0XH18K79LEJFO9OBerxEoK5-AKpl1g3JczrygHqD0TcZ5pF0TUBKvX7KEkbA8jsx~ngiZj4~aeUK47vaUze0rPzKdhFs6IuStAaojNmjY72jmCFRhKNsZ2ig1HjvCYh2ERK4dpouRzhrgWQd7WpzLRmzCSH9p7uUmDdOWqTiBwj2U4xNOMmeecQMw__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","author","Linn County","date","2025-04-30T00:00:00Z","article","The Linn County Board of Supervisors on April 30 proclaimed May 2025 as Mental Health Month and received the Linn County Mental Health Access Center’s third‑quarter report, which described rising EMS and law‑enforcement referrals, statewide behavioral‑health realignment questions and local steps to expand diversion and withdrawal services.

The board’s proclamation asked residents, government agencies, schools and businesses to increase awareness of mental health and support prevention and treatment. The board then heard a roughly 30‑minute presentation from Erin Foster, director of the Linn County Mental Health Access Center, on operations, partnerships and pending contract and licensing issues.

Foster told the board that referrals from emergency medical services and law enforcement have increased since a recent change allowing EMS agencies to bill to transport people to designated access centers. “That was a really big barrier that we addressed then,” she said, describing improved coordination and a quarterly EMS/law‑enforcement subcommittee that reviews data.

Foster presented utilization data: triage times average about an hour, stabilization (“beds”) stays average three to five days, and law‑enforcement and EMS made 67 referrals in the quarter covered by the report. In those referrals, staff recorded that 37 percent of referred individuals “would have gone to jail” if not brought to the center and 68 percent “would have gone to the hospital,” measures the center uses to track diversion from higher‑intensity settings. Foster said the average handoff time when law enforcement or EMS drop someone at the center is about three minutes.

The Access Center is offering multiple levels of care on site, Foster said, including walk‑in crisis counseling, a 23‑hour observation unit, stabilization beds and a sobering unit for people who are intoxicated. She described a jail‑release connection pilot with the sheriff’s office that routes people released from suicide watch to the Access Center rather than the emergency room when appropriate; Foster said that route has been used “a couple times” and produced follow‑up engagement.

Foster discussed the state’s behavioral‑health realignment, which places Linn County in District 7 under a state‑selected administrative services organization (ASO) based in Des Moines. She said timelines for advisory councils and contracts remain unclear: the county was told advisory councils would be formed and used to shape district contracts, but meetings and contract rollouts have shifted. “We were told initially that those advisory councils would, be decided in March,” she said, and later noted the district’s advisory council includes several sheriffs in the elected‑official slots rather than county supervisors.

On funding and outreach, Foster said the center is working with a marketing firm, De Novo, using already‑approved Access Center budget funds plus money from Linn County opioid settlement funds to reach newly added counties in District 7.

Foster gave updates on two services still in development: withdrawal management (a medically supervised program) and a sobering unit. She said withdrawal management is ready to open once the Iowa Department of Health and Human Services issues a temporary license; “literally as soon as we get that license we can open our doors,” she said.

Regarding the sobering unit, Foster said the county issued a request for proposals in March and received two bids. A review subcommittee including EMS, law‑enforcement and advisory members recommended Area Ambulance for continued service. Foster said Area Ambulance’s contract will be included with other Access Center contracts when county counsel and the county contracting process are completed; she noted Area Ambulance’s current contract runs through June 30 and the county will not need an immediate replacement contract before that date.

Public comments during the meeting reinforced support for the Access Center. Jenna Shonifer of Foundation 2, the region’s crisis operations partner, thanked the board and said, “every conversation we can have about mental health care and suicide prevention can be life saving and life changing.” Kurt Rogan of NAMI Linn County told the board, “This is a good thing,” and urged continued community support.

Foster closed by describing routine evaluation work planned for June—community partner surveys, client feedback and an advisory‑board review—so the center can refine operations heading into the next fiscal year.

Questions remain about state contracts and the ASO rollout, which Foster and board members said will determine some funding and reporting changes after July 1. Foster asked the board for patience as the county and providers “do literally everything we can within our power” to align local practice with state requirements and protect continuity of care.

Board members expressed support for the center and concern about the contract timeline; they said they would continue to monitor the ASO transition while keeping local programs operating.

The board’s proclamation and the report were informational; the board did not take separate formal votes on Access Center operational items during the presentation.","mediaType","Video","parentTitle","Linn County, IA Board of Supervisors Formal Session - April 30, 2025","oneSentenceSummary","The Linn County Board of Supervisors on April 30 proclaimed May 2025 as Mental Health Month and received the Linn County Mental Health Access Center’s third‑quarter report, which described rising EMS and law‑enforcement referrals, statewide behavioral‑health realignment questions and local steps to expand diversion and withdrawal services.","taxTitle","Linn County, Iowa","taxId",4688,"location","headline","","shortSummary",{"_33":76,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":77,"_41":78,"_43":79,"_45":80,"_47":81,"_49":82,"_51":83,"_53":84,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":85,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":86,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":68,"_72":73,"_74":73},6250863,"Board permits auditor to unseal seven ballots for administrative recount after polling‑place error",57,2065000,2122000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=3197976-70745850d0a9eb29f281e40c8195a1ab&start=2065&end=2122","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/3197976-70745850d0a9eb29f281e40c8195a1ab/thumbnail_2065000.jpg","/articles/6250863/Linn-County/Iowa/Board-permits-auditor-to-unseal-seven-ballots-for-administrative-recount-after-pollingplace-error","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6250863-7a39328c39783848e9bb11690e5cab8f/orig.mp4?Expires=1771157747&Signature=d-~hpIDKy-voP6zIQi6u7TLBBlhis0l9gZScVcBvbQgdx9lYNudIQRnVs5pHCBZ6Ginf6Ffmg64JH7Ji5ZBFiYe-L9iSHmRYRi85p~Lk7wSdhGasgvB74J~HpCNIe6hJ4K7In9hfCv2Lqu~ZM5vtj9pkpNzBTa1S1jq4FYIBSdK~cGFYNkzCyBCKAdY6snh5i7Xi-33m32j83f3DUWKjwd1DGuXN7KzggDUC6rpXaj0uRKg1QjvbBm0UsKIJL9OdEGUAvPTWA4dU0~ZFWngI53l4ejLUDNDc2nAJ4g474r3R7K75Vkima6S~WSUs-yv-~4BjKcDvxwqKt25QSBn2WQ__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","The Linn County Board of Supervisors on April 30 approved a request from the auditor’s office to open seven sealed ballots and conduct an administrative recount after a procedural error at a polling place.

Matt Warfield, deputy auditor and deputy commissioner of elections, told the board that a procedural error resulted in seven ballots not being counted and that state law requires an administrative recount in that circumstance. “We had a procedural error at 1 of our polling places, resulting in 7 ballots not being counted,” he said, and referenced Iowa Code section 50.50 as the governing statute for the recount.

Warfield said the auditor’s office would post the required 24‑hour notice and conduct the administrative recount at 11:00 a.m. the next day. The board voted to allow the auditor’s office to open the sealed ballots so staff could proceed with the recount and stay on schedule with certification.

The board took the action by voice vote; the transcript records unanimous recorded ayes. No additional details about the nature of the procedural error were provided in the public record at the meeting. The auditor’s office said the recount and any resulting adjustments will be processed as part of the normal certification timeline.","Linn County supervisors granted the auditor’s office permission to open seven sealed ballots after a procedural error at one polling place and authorized an administrative recount to proceed under Iowa Code §50.50; the opening is scheduled for 11:00 a.m. the following day.",{"_33":88,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":89,"_41":90,"_43":91,"_45":92,"_47":93,"_49":94,"_51":95,"_53":96,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":97,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":98,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":68,"_72":73,"_74":73},6250866,"Linn County approves FY26 DOT secondary‑roads budget and revises 2025 five‑year construction program; board defers FY26 plan final vote to Monday",989,390000,1379000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=3197976-70745850d0a9eb29f281e40c8195a1ab&start=390&end=1379","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/3197976-70745850d0a9eb29f281e40c8195a1ab/thumbnail_390000.jpg","/articles/6250866/Linn-County/Iowa/Linn-County-approves-FY26-DOT-secondaryroads-budget-and-revises-2025-fiveyear-construction-program-board-defers-FY26-plan-final-vote-to-Monday","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6250866-ea9b7193ccf9f6bf5daea4b105afe936/orig.mp4?Expires=1771157747&Signature=brBFAVFwDQN49LkulDKQF4AqTGO3sR6kwxjI0BrsZb2J-gi8pqFprrT5GcQHlLm1Vq6fjzz6NojuN-Za42uGSrLtBzxQCRv-WH0jkOQoE6ivWSpoWzCYMr0gRSYTEHRfeneiC8vuiG6UllR1Trcl5jTR1OZ4J6bdlgbTbCSKcP7e5snTmfTRiexJU6xnMAGzHcBnqTU6aEgCsN7f0VKK8JAXzaDjaEYqWbE4WlyLkVcYew-U7k4VufM9mvLfsEpJBN~bLQK7fsX-UOVO7EtiuN4l2zdMF~bb8VGrwAD-q79XMjRZWtN02ULDMXrZ9x2BfIsbOnjwzf66ONzB-fwJ8g__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","The Linn County Board of Supervisors on April 30 authorized the chair to sign the fiscal year 2026 Iowa Department of Transportation secondary‑roads budget and approved Revision 2 of the county’s 2025 five‑year secondary‑roads construction program, while postponing formal action on a separate FY26 construction plan item until Monday’s regular meeting.

Brad, a county staff member who presented the highway documents, told the board the FY26 budget is an annual submission that accompanies the county budget and that the Revision 2 item amends the 2025 construction program to add one project: 30th Avenue in Marion. “The Marion 30 Fifth 1 is the the biggest change,” he said, describing a plan to upgrade a half‑mile section that is currently rock to a sealed‑coated roadway.

Board members said the two similar agenda items—annual DOT budget submission and the multi‑year construction program—were confusing when placed together, particularly for supervisors who said they had not seen the original 2025 program. The board voted to move the FY26 five‑year construction program discussion to Monday’s regular agenda to allow staff to provide clarifying documentation and to check contract and submission timelines.

The 30th Avenue project is a joint city‑county effort: Brad said portions of the corridor fall within the county’s jurisdiction and other portions are in the city of Marion, and the project has been discussed with the city for several years. He noted increased traffic near Boulder Peak Intermediate School and said the project is timed to begin within the next two months; any funds expended must be included in the construction program.

Supervisors also pressed staff about a line in the plan that had earlier indicated the old bridge on Old Bridge Road would be “removed” in 2029. Brad and staff said the term “removed” was a poor choice of words for a projected action and that the bridge had been moved earlier in some drafts to fiscal 2026; they advised the board that inclusion in the plan is often used as a placeholder to reserve funding and that subsequent amendments typically clarify final scope and timing.

On the approval votes recorded by voice, the board adopted the county’s FY26 DOT secondary‑roads budget and Revision 2 of the 2025 five‑year program. The board also approved a separate motion to move the FY26 construction program item to Monday’s agenda, allowing staff to return with clearer documentation and recommended wording.

Brad offered to provide supervisors with a one‑page summary of routine annual submissions so new board members could more easily review recurring items. The board thanked staff for the explanation and asked for clearer labeling of future construction‑program amendments so that placeholders or tentative language do not suggest final actions.

No specific dollar amounts for projects beyond budget‑level totals were changed on the record at the meeting; staff said the program’s first year is the primary “accomplishment year” and that later years in the five‑year plan are projections that the county and DOT amend annually.","The board authorized the chair to sign the county's fiscal year 2026 Iowa DOT secondary‑roads budget, approved Revision 2 to the 2025 five‑year construction program, and moved a separate FY26 five‑year construction program item to the next regular meeting for more review after staff requested clarification on project timing and wording.","actionData","errors"]

Article not found

Linn County proclaims May 2025 Mental Health Month; hears Access Center quarterly report and selects sobering‑unit provider

Board permits auditor to unseal seven ballots for administrative recount after polling‑place error

Linn County approves FY26 DOT secondary‑roads budget and revises 2025 five‑year construction program; board defers FY26 plan final vote to Monday