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Wapello County supervisors reappoint health board members, approve easement and ARPA allocations
Summary
At its final scheduled 2024 meeting the Wapello County Board of Supervisors approved reappointments to the board of health, expanded a utility easement, passed several regional planning resolutions and allocated final ARPA funds including $29,286 for heating units and ongoing broadband and recreation projects.
The Wapello County Board of Supervisors, at its last scheduled meeting of 2024, approved a slate of routine and substantive items including reappointments to the board of health, an expansion of a utility easement, annual regional planning resolutions, and final allocations of American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) funds.
Reappointments and easement The board reappointed Lloyd Keith and Kim Brown to the Wapello County Board of Health after receiving written confirmation from both appointees. The board also approved a voluntary easement expansion requested by ITC Midwest LLC for an existing utility easement near Sycamore Road, near Chillicothe; county staff and the county attorney negotiated contract changes before accepting the company's revised agreement.
Regional planning and housing resolutions Supervisors approved three resolutions required for continued access to certain transportation and planning funds: a regional housing trust fund allocation (Resolution 59-2024, FY25-26), a regional planning affiliation payment (RPA FY25-26) of approximately $34,100, and membership funding for Area 15 Regional Planning Commission at $0.54 per capita for FY25-26. The board member who introduced the housing trust fund item described the fund as a revolving program that can provide up to $12,000 per household to repair roofs, HVAC and other essential systems for qualifying residents.
ARPA allocations and MOU The board approved final ARPA allocations, including authorization to purchase heating units up to $29,286 and direction for the chair to sign a memorandum of understanding (MOU) before Dec. 31, 2024, as part of final-year allocations. County staff reviewed ARPA expenditures and summarized the county's use of funds since award: the presenter stated the county received a little over $6.7 million in ARPA funds and cited a list of projects paid from that source.
Specific allocations discussed by the supervisor included: $1,575,000 for county broadband expansion; $600,000 (a match with Destination Iowa funds) for expansion of the county conservation campground including playground and shower facilities; $36,900 for courthouse heat pumps; $179,169 for Central Square (sheriff's office system) as a joint city-county effort; small purchases such as a vaccine freezer and a vehicle for public-health nurses; and other digitization projects with the county library and auditor's office. The supervisor said the county also contributed to the Southeast Iowa Sports Center, which he described as a major quality-of-life project due to open Feb. 1.
Board remarks During the meeting one supervisor delivered extended closing remarks reflecting on county projects and fiscal pressures facing smaller Iowa counties, saying, "The biggest thing that we contributed to ... [is] the Southeast Iowa Sports Center that's due to open February 1st." The supervisor discussed concerns about state-level fiscal pressures, property taxes and insurance costs for local governments.
Motions and votes at the meeting were called and approved by voice; the transcript records unanimous "Aye" responses on the motions, but it does not include a roll-call with named vote tallies in each case.
Votes at a glance - Reappointment: Lloyd Keith and Kim Brown to Wapello County Board of Health — Motion made and approved (written confirmation on file). - ITC Midwest LLC voluntary easement expansion (Sycamore Road area near Chillicothe) — Approved; contract changes negotiated with county attorney. - Resolution 59-2024, Regional Housing Trust Fund FY25-26 — Approved (program described as revolving trust; per-household assistance up to $12,000 mentioned by board member). - Regional Planning Affiliation (RPA) FY25-26 — Approved; amount cited as approximately $34,100. - Resolution 57-2024, Area 15 Regional Planning Commission FY25-26 — Approved; $0.54 per capita. - Purchase of heating units up to $29,286 — Approved; chair authorized to sign MOU by Dec. 31, 2024.
No formal roll-call tallies with names and counts were recorded in the publicly available transcript for these items; minutes should be checked for official vote records.
