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Board reviews multi‑year action plans on workforce development, safety and mental health
Summary
Black Hawk County staff presented multi‑year action plans on professional development, economic development, public‑facility safety and behavioral health; supervisors gave affirmative feedback, asked for follow‑up details and did not take final votes, instructing staff to return with refined recommendations and cost information.
County staff on July 7 presented a package of multi‑year action plans aimed at employee development, economic development, facility safety and mental‑health coordination, and the Board of Supervisors asked for time to review details before taking formal approvals.
Human Resources staff led the workforce proposal, recommending a countywide, coach‑style "1‑on‑1" program that begins with a 60‑minute baseline meeting and is followed by quarterly 30‑minute check‑ins. "Our first recommendation here is that we need to focus on building trust first. The accountability will follow," said Trevor Davis, a park ranger and action‑team member. Anna Knapp, HR generalist, summarized the recommended cadence: "an initial 60 minute meeting... followed with a quarterly 30 minute check‑in," and outlined a $15,000 one‑time training request for supervisor workshops and rollout tools.
The county’s economic development action team reported outreach to city planning staff, the health department and Grow Cedar Valley and flagged land‑use and infrastructure limits that currently direct most new development to municipalities. Staff said county roles could include streamlining permitting, revising ordinances, and pursuing targeted incentives; the team recommended further analysis and a set of evaluative metrics before bringing firm policy proposals to the board.
On public‑facility safety, the safety team proposed an annual countywide safety day — with CPR, "stop the bleed," active‑assailant and fire drills — and a parallel technology assessment for video analytics, mass notification and integrated access control. Brad Metcalfe, safety coordinator, said such initiatives would improve preparedness and encourage consistent training across departments.
Public Health presented a five‑strategy mental‑health plan focused on integrating county navigation with existing community systems, strengthening prevention and resilience, improving pre‑booking coordination with law enforcement, bolstering employee supports, and creating a data‑hub for reporting and evaluation. "Our role is not to replace existing providers within the mental‑health system, rather, to lead, connect, and strengthen the mental‑health ecosystem," said Caitlin Emrick, co‑champ of the mental‑health action team.
Board members uniformly praised the depth of staff work and encouraged follow‑up. Supervisors said they wanted time to digest the materials, asked staff to return with clearer implementation steps, measurement plans and budget implications, and indicated some proposals (notably the $15,000 training request) should be considered for the upcoming budget cycle or through existing training funds. No formal approvals were taken; staff were asked to refine recommendations, present cost details and return to the board for next steps.
