Imagine the Possibilities responds to inspection report and reimbursement plan; board seeks title review before property sale
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Summary
Imagine the Possibilities officials told Des Moines County supervisors they have trained staff, conducted audits and begun reimbursements after state inspection findings at a Walton group home; community members pressed the board for a title review before the county sells properties originally associated with a local ARC.
Representatives of Imagine the Possibilities and Partners for Persons with Disabilities met with the Des Moines County Board of Supervisors during a March 24 work session to address a recent news article and state inspection findings about a Walton group home and to discuss proposed county property sales.
Tiffany, identified in the meeting as Imagine’s CEO, told the board the agency “immediately followed our protocols and separated that individual from that staff, reported it to [the state licensing body]” after receiving a report that a staff member spoke derogatorily to a resident. She said Imagine submitted corrective action, retrained leadership and staff, and has been working with state licensing and Social Security payee processes to remediate the problems.
On the related financial issue, Imagine staff acknowledged that at one Walton location client funds were used for shared facility items such as towels and tables. Agency representatives described a focused audit: “we thoroughly went through the last 2 years, and then we also went back to and visited with the leadership there on any major purchases that we knew had been purchased,” and said some reimbursement checks have already been cut while others are scheduled to be issued in April after further audit work.
Community members pressed for details and accountability. Jane Housewright, president of Partners for Persons with Disabilities and a long‑time local advocate, presented archival deeds and said the local ARC (now Partners) founded Hope Haven and conveyed property to the county with an express purpose: the property was to be used to provide services for people with disabilities. She told the board, “ARC did not become Hope Haven. We founded Hope Haven,” and asked whether sale proceeds should revert to Partners if the land is no longer used for disability services.
Board response and next steps: county staff acknowledged uncertainty in the property record trail and the need for a title search. A supervisor said he would “look at it” and suggested the board might obtain a formal title opinion before taking any sale action. Another supervisor proposed holding proceeds in escrow and using the funds to support client programs if title questions remain. The board did not take a final vote on sale of the parcels; it directed staff to research deeds, return with a title opinion if needed and consult with relevant parties.
Why it matters: the discussion pairs two community concerns — the agency’s handling of care and client funds, and the legal and ethical questions around the disposition of properties tied historically to services for people with disabilities. Imagine’s representatives described remedial steps; advocates asked for transparent proof of title status before any sale.