Board approves $55,000 strategic planning addendum and pools training funds for county leadership program

The Black Hawk County Board of Supervisors on Sept. 9 approved an addendum to a strategic planning contract and accepted department contributions to support a leadership training program for county employees.

The board approved Addendum 2 to the strategic planning contract with consultant Ted Garnett, extending the contract to include Phase 2 leadership and role‑clarity work scheduled for October–December 2025 at a cost of $55,000. The motion passed by roll call vote during the consent/other business segment of the meeting.

Separately, the board approved using $34,026 from several departmental training budgets to support the next round of “Leadership University” sessions. Finance and HR staff said departments voluntarily allocated budgeted training dollars to enable broader staff participation; HR’s training budget was singled out as a principal contributor. HR Director Amanda (last name not specified) explained that funding leadership training centrally would allow more staff—rather than only managers—to attend and align the training with the recently adopted county strategic plan.

Supervisors discussed budget timing and the importance of budgeting for ongoing training in future fiscal years so the cost would not always fall to HR. They also asked that staff consider partnering opportunities with local organizations to reduce per‑person costs when appropriate. No changes were made to the approved addendum or funding allocations at the meeting.

The board instructed staff to proceed with the training schedule and to report on participation and outcomes as the program is implemented.