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Pottawattamie supervisors approve letter backing SWIride medical-transport pilot
Summary
The county unanimously authorized the chairman to sign a letter supporting a three-vehicle pilot to connect rural residents to health care, part of a $100,000 Iowa DOT grant request and an estimated $220,000 annual operating budget.
Pottawattamie County supervisors voted to authorize the board chairman to sign a letter of support for a proposed SWIride pilot program that would provide medically oriented transportation connecting rural residents to health care.
The letter, submitted with a grant application to the Iowa Department of Transportation, accompanies a request for $100,000 in RISE/DOT funding — $50,000 in fiscal 2027 and $50,000 in fiscal 2028 — to help operate the pilot. The program planners said the pilot would run three vehicles, provide about 6,000 driver hours annually and deliver an estimated 8,000–16,000 rides per year.
The pilot’s presenters described projected annual operating costs near $220,000. They said about 40% of that amount would come from federal transportation funds the agency already receives, supplemented by state transit assistance and the DOT grant; planners also said they are pursuing contributions from local foundations and human-service partners. A SWIPCO representative said Mercy Hospital’s Jenny Edmondson Foundation and the Gideon Foundation are among organizations they expect to engage as partners.
Supervisor Miller, who attended a preliminary planning meeting, told the board the initiative showed “very promising” traction and recommended the county provide a support letter to strengthen the grant submission. The board discussed the timing and the application deadline, which was stated as Oct. 1, and then approved the motion by voice vote with no recorded opposition.
The cover letter presented to the board specifically noted Pottawattamie County’s readiness to collaborate on supplemental funding identification and to promote the service through county communications channels. Presenters emphasized the program’s initial focus on medical trips for seniors and lower-income households, while saying routes could be scaled later to serve other essential needs.
No budget appropriation or ongoing funding commitment was approved by the board at the meeting; the action was limited to authorizing the chairman to sign the letter of support for the grant application.
