Board adopts resolution that Polk County Ag Center serves a public purpose to enable grant eligibility

Polk County commissioners on Sept. 16 adopted a resolution declaring that the proposed Polk County Ag Center serves a public purpose, a step county staff said is needed to make the project eligible for grants.

A speaker who identified themselves as the vice chairman of the Polk County School Board and as a member of the Polk County Youth Fair board urged approval and told commissioners the facility would benefit students and families, saying the project “is gonna be an amazing facility for our students as well as our, families.” The speaker also said the center would support local economic development by bringing “heads to beds” to the county.

County staff explained adoption of the resolution is one of the administrative steps required to pursue grant funding for the Ag Center. The board moved, seconded and approved the resolution by voice vote; the transcript records the motion and chair’s call for “Aye,” with “Motion carries,” but a roll-call tally does not appear in the record.

The resolution itself finds the proposed Ag Center serves a public purpose; staff said the formal finding will assist grant applications but did not specify particular grant programs during the hearing. Further project design, budgeting and grant-application steps were not completed at the meeting.