Webster County conservation director seeks reimbursement as department proposes under-1% budget increase

Matt Cosgrove, Webster County conservation director, told the county board on Jan. 27 that the department’s proposed fiscal-year budget would rise by less than 1%, roughly $17,000, and asked supervisors to note several grant- and trust-fund items that affect the county’s cash position.

Cosgrove said the department is projecting about $1.3 million in general-fund expenditures, with roughly 70% of that spent on staff and benefits. "We've got about, less than a 1% change that we're looking at, in our general and rural basic funds," he said, describing 12 line-item adjustments overall.

The presentation emphasized how several special funds and grants reduce direct county expense. Two positions at the county OHV park are reimbursed "at 100% from the grant program," Cosgrove said, and the Growth Alliance manages those quarterly reimbursements. He also said the state OHV registration fund has grown since OHV legalization and that the county typically receives about $200,000 annually from that competitive pool; "they're sitting on like $4,000,000 surplus in that fund," he said.

Cosgrove identified the most immediate cash concern as a delayed reimbursement through the Destination Iowa program. He told the board the department has expended about $4.4 million on capital work tied to destination and fish-habitat grants and that reimbursement is currently in a multi-round review process. "There is a process, but the process shouldn't take 7 months to get a reimbursement," he said, adding staff "have provided all the information" and that the department may need to ask legislators or other higher-level contacts to help expedite payment.

On capital and trust funds, Cosgrove said the conservation trust balance is roughly $367,000 and described how rec revenue is split: 50% to the general fund and 50% to a trust fund, of which 80% is earmarked for development projects and 20% for facilities maintenance. He said that arrangement helps ensure user fees pay for repairs such as HVAC and campground facilities rather than general tax revenue.

Operations supervisor Cody Peterson outlined modest changes on the rural-basic side: aquatic spraying for a drained lake raised the aquatic-chemical line from $3,000 to $5,000, office-supplies rose to cover a computer replacement, and contracted brush spraying would increase by $10,000 to target roadside brush using a north/south rotation. Peterson summarized net rural-basic changes as essentially flat (about a $500 net increase).

The presentation included equipment planning: Cosgrove requested funding to add a cab to a four-wheel-drive John Deere that now runs a snowblower attachment to improve operator comfort and safety, or to replace the unit with a mower that already has a cab. Board members pushed for a formal replacement schedule to avoid making a short-lived investment, and Cosgrove said staff are developing a multi-year replacement plan for vehicles and computers.

Cosgrove also briefed the board on Kennedy Cook Park, where the 1970s-era campground and sewer lagoon show signs of failing and the department is commissioning a master plan; he said much of the trust fund could be used for whatever recommendations follow. He noted weather and contractor delays on a Meyer Marsh supplemental environmental project that could push reimbursement timing into the next fiscal year and said the budget contains a marker in case reimbursements are late.

Cosgrove told supervisors he will circulate an updated slide deck and that staff may ask the board when it is appropriate to contact legislators about the delayed Destination Iowa reimbursement. The department did not request new ongoing staff funding beyond funds already reimbursed by grants; the conservation board is pursuing a succession plan and internal salary review.

Next steps: Cosgrove will send the updated capital-project slide deck to supervisors and continue to pursue reimbursement through the Destination Iowa process; staff indicated they may request legislative assistance if reimbursements are not expedited.