[{"_1":2,"_98":-5,"_99":-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",[32,74,86],{"_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":56,"_68":69,"_70":56,"_71":72,"_73":72},"mediaId",6150828,"mediaKeyId","5506072-73649115b588c56e7bc2a559f4eebf43","parentId",5506072,"title","Board holds work session on proposed local-preference purchasing policy; legal questions and administrative concerns raised","audioSeconds",412,"startMs",1998000,"endMs",2410000,"viewUrl","/Search/View?dp=1&key=5506072-73649115b588c56e7bc2a559f4eebf43&start=1998&end=2410","thumbnailUrl","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/5506072-73649115b588c56e7bc2a559f4eebf43/thumbnail_1998000.jpg","articleUrl","/articles/6150828/Black-Hawk-County/Iowa/Board-holds-work-session-on-proposed-local-preference-purchasing-policy-legal-questions-and-administrative-concerns-raised","mediaUrl","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6150828-ed5a9571fdb60a19372d7a20a7ce6050/orig.mp4?Expires=1770561913&Signature=L0vdwODGE3q-gg~TPRwNpBWAi3EXnSnc5ePhmM-RyqrG-0Hi6KdTg7g6o3CzWxQbl~KIS~JAHYA7-xRhXgPqnksdsYZfrQ7wvPMV3M7U9WzWLeOuAYSo3OfkwuGLcUd0kjKa4y1Uc2FI8F0SUfinc-suN9GA4SFC2LT8Y6NIa~U3dlMb8i8jlGx6acUikIhA3R0kViXJa0jTc-1CT49FvngUd1Mrr8H0Pr1ltWoOSzcK8wfXTqfBfdDRoH9by3Vny-ZObD5GtYYej~8ntucXq4qsUqFx9ZzXyPtJmW1k4gIF44~PPA-aW0ElDIYxL4IptDWa6f5llbzezd3~4nQU9g__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","author","Black Hawk County, Iowa","date","2025-07-30T14:09:17Z","article","The Black Hawk County Board of Supervisors held a work session July 29 to review a proposed purchasing policy that would permit county departments to give preference to businesses based in Black Hawk County when bidding results are “relatively equal.”

Supervisor Hall introduced the proposal and said it was prompted by past procurements in which an out-of-area bidder won by a narrow margin. He described proposed thresholds that would allow a local business to prevail when its price is within 5 percent of the lowest qualifying bid for projects under $500,000 and within 3 percent for projects $500,000 and over, with a maximum local-preference supplement of $30,000.

Nut graf: The discussion addressed competing priorities — supporting the local economy and preserving competition and value for taxpayers — and examined legal constraints from state law and federal or program-specific procurement rules. County staff and the board considered how to define “local,” whether subcontractor location should factor into the determination, and what notice should be provided in solicitations.

County staff member Mike Trenan summarized the state-law baseline and said the county already follows an Iowa preference for in-state bidders drawn from state code; the draft policy would add a more specific local preference. “The code does not define what comparable means,” Trenan said, noting that state statute requires preference for Iowa bidders when bids are comparable but leaves the term undefined.

The draft policy would require that a request for proposals or bids state whether local preference may apply and provide the policy language or a summary; it also would define “local business” as a firm that owns or operates from premises within Black Hawk County. Departments would be allowed, but not required, to apply local preference; the policy would not apply where state or federal law prohibits it, or where no local business submitted a responsive bid.

Supervisors and department representatives raised several operational and legal questions. Board members asked whether general contractors using out-of-county subcontractors should qualify as local and whether the presence of local subcontractors should be weighed in scoring. Mike Trenan said the policy could be revised to consider the subcontractor mix but that doing so would make administration more complex and require clearer certification and documentation.

Other concerns included possible reductions in the number of bidders, potential price increases if bidders anticipate a local preference, and the administrative burden of certifying local status. Several supervisors asked for more data on past procurements: how often local firms were outbid by small margins and the historic number of bidders on county projects.

The board did not vote. Staff said the policy review committee had not recommended final language and suggested further review and possible targeted work sessions with department heads. Several supervisors recommended individual conversations with affected departments before the board acts.

Ending: The board left the policy in work-session status for further refinement, legal review and discussion with department leaders; staff said they would provide additional options on subcontractor treatment, notice language for solicitations and possible certification mechanisms for qualifying local businesses.","mediaType","Video","parentTitle","Black Hawk County Board of Supervisors Meeting - 07-29-25","oneSentenceSummary","Supervisors held an extended work session on a proposed local-preference policy that would allow county departments to favor in-county businesses when bids are within defined margins; county counsel explained legal context and supervisors and staff debated thresholds, subcontractor treatment, publication and administrative cost.","taxTitle","taxId",3693,"location","headline","","shortSummary",{"_33":75,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":76,"_41":77,"_43":78,"_45":79,"_47":80,"_49":81,"_51":82,"_53":83,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":84,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":85,"_67":56,"_68":69,"_70":56,"_71":72,"_73":72},6150832,"Board approves $657,696.97 in claims, auditor lists major vendor payments",81,1418000,1499000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=5506072-73649115b588c56e7bc2a559f4eebf43&start=1418&end=1499","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/5506072-73649115b588c56e7bc2a559f4eebf43/thumbnail_1418000.jpg","/articles/6150832/Black-Hawk-County/Iowa/Board-approves-65769697-in-claims-auditor-lists-major-vendor-payments","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6150832-b903b0f02da590f79e083ad144d327e1/orig.mp4?Expires=1770561913&Signature=NHnnwadbs9yf~pFwv59iOQQCehhFnqT~gqretZd5jq82YXwOZyAf5lP339BH~HhP1nwmNQMYtcvWJtJiGFxttuROtakX6vEUUIY48lnmyWoTGkbHvPBW1NbyxDkhh91BD5IH-nOA18xDZL10e5R~gZgGzZvTZXykH-BcOZgEuai8qKtJZC6F2sMaBb5D2KF3yrmOtUqG4ONAQaAN4e3jgNRMjEpljbhjA5WLNTAKnrbijMlPrDsvBXjncDIywI3Wzyz2Q0G4A8BMiuY0MbaUOPXsyDgscwfDYLb4FCDnrzgUvQmkQjGJRuiP3KvnkcujrhIbwI7Ongpxm~Dz856xnA__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","The Black Hawk County Board of Supervisors on July 29 approved a resolution authorizing claims and payments totaling $657,696.97, the county auditor reported during the meeting.

“The total bill payment today is $657,696.97,” the auditor told the board. The auditor said $2,750.36 came from a special fund (identified in the packet as the $60.40 fund).

Nut graf: The purchases identified by the auditor include recurring and one-time items spread across departments; the resolution authorized the county auditor to issue payment against the listed settlements.

In his summary, the auditor identified several larger disbursements: an Esri annual licensing fee of about $60,000, a $40,000 payment to the Iowa Department of Corrections for the first half of the county’s jail assessment, and a new washer-and-dryer for the jail listed at $88,400. The auditor also cited ARPA-funded items, including a payment for the Cedar Valley Nature Trail to Taylor & Origin Design for $70,077.97, and equipment purchases that included a mower for $11,679.12 and a related $74,194 line item listed as a mower cap.

The board moved and seconded the resolution and conducted a roll call; the board chair announced the motion carried. The auditor noted the claims packet and answered a brief question about the washer-and-dryer timing, saying the replacement had been funded in the 2024 budget and was delayed by specification and shipping issues.

Ending: The resolution passed by roll call; the auditor left the boardroom with directions to issue the approved payments.","The Black Hawk County Board of Supervisors approved a claims resolution on July 29 authorizing payments totaling $657,696.97; the county auditor highlighted several large items including an Esri licensing fee, a $40,000 Department of Corrections payment, and a jail washer-and-dryer purchase.",{"_33":87,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":88,"_41":89,"_43":90,"_45":91,"_47":92,"_49":93,"_51":94,"_53":95,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":96,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":97,"_67":56,"_68":69,"_70":56,"_71":72,"_73":72},6150836,"Cedar Valley Coalition outlines 27-year federal outreach, urges county participation",936,80000,1016000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=5506072-73649115b588c56e7bc2a559f4eebf43&start=80&end=1016","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/5506072-73649115b588c56e7bc2a559f4eebf43/thumbnail_80000.jpg","/articles/6150836/Black-Hawk-County/Iowa/Cedar-Valley-Coalition-outlines-27-year-federal-outreach-urges-county-participation","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6150836-20f65d12eb83d242475ba7454f2a6d1f/orig.mp4?Expires=1770561913&Signature=DhTzNx~5G-Hx0nYmgcWWrH83BU-jeAs3L7N7k-mon6585~Yk8BPxySSpHuplrEKlnpsakAZCDkVFN3wUNfA4hDKcjjDnaMiK-rdug6m4wxOwcaNhmRAP~NaY1ZaWOB41bX0dRIyjCK2KzJUQ3kELmVFTPwM9vP4gesvMjwPb5iKYYB2yNMX36le0ip5Kk4gkargUGz1c5p25GPVajm9LjbVjOvxY9U~vMXEyM3-thmAl2lq-xTXePBpAzChOQvMzuBQNo3tWC8L30haxmlv2sQUkWcbuZywN8hxfatHL~bOB7UVenkl1ZPvOe4SvLdEKOuJIy5iF6AK-LlrEaaGeYw__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","Steve Farmer, representing the Cedar Valley Coalition, told the Black Hawk County Board of Supervisors on July 29 that the coalition has spent nearly three decades doing federal outreach on behalf of local governments and other public entities in the Cedar Valley region. “It is a pleasure to be here,” Farmer said as he opened his presentation.

The coalition was formed in 2003 after earlier, smaller delegations to Washington, D.C., and now organizes annual visits and briefings aimed at informing congressional offices about local projects and funding needs. Farmer said the group’s primary purpose is “to inform federal officials about what’s going on, what our challenges are, what our successes are, and to seek funding support for those priorities.”

Nut graf: The presentation matters because the coalition aggregates priorities from cities, counties, schools, health care and economic-development organizations and brings them to federal staff and members of Congress, helping local officials identify grant opportunities and, historically, secure earmarks. Farmer said the group’s reach and longevity let the region present coordinated requests for transportation, workforce and community-development resources.

Farmer outlined the coalition’s recurring focus areas for 2025: education and workforce development, transportation and infrastructure, and community development. He described workforce items including career-center partnerships, apprenticeships and a new nursing program at the University of Northern Iowa and said the coalition also discusses automation and engineering technology. On transportation, Farmer cited long-running projects such as the Green Hill intersection in Cedar Falls and ongoing rail-crossing and street-conversion issues in Waterloo.

The coalition is structured as an informal, member-funded group. Farmer said most member organizations pay annual dues — “For most of the groups, those dues are $700 a year. For the county, it’s $1,400. For the cities it’s even more” — and those dues underwrite coalition operations and a congressional reception during the Washington trip. Farmer described membership as primarily local governments, education providers, economic-development organizations, nonprofits and health-care providers.

Board members asked about campaign priorities and current federal uncertainty. Farmer said the coalition had been monitoring potential cuts to federal programs. “Our message when we met with the legislative staff was, so what happens when these things go away?” he said, naming FEMA, the Community Development Block Grant and HOME program as examples local officials asked about.

Farmer said the coalition had considered scheduling the Washington trip earlier in the federal appropriations cycle next year and that the group plans to move its annual delegation to February when possible. He also invited board members to participate in coalition meetings and the Washington delegation. Multiple supervisors said they wanted to be included in future briefings and that county staff could help shape the coalition’s agenda.

Ending: Farmer closed by saying the group’s long-term presence in Washington has produced measurable outcomes over the years and by asking for the board’s continued engagement. The coalition offered to provide briefing materials and to include county staff when putting the 2026 agenda together.","Steve Farmer of the Cedar Valley Coalition told the Black Hawk County Board of Supervisors the group focuses on educating federal officials about local priorities, pursuing grant opportunities and building interjurisdictional consensus; he urged continued county participation and noted concerns about potential federal program rollbacks.","actionData","errors"]

Article not found

Board holds work session on proposed local-preference purchasing policy; legal questions and administrative concerns raised

Board approves $657,696.97 in claims, auditor lists major vendor payments

Cedar Valley Coalition outlines 27-year federal outreach, urges county participation