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Council hears details of shared mental‑health liaison funded by grant and partners
Summary
Council was told the city shares a mental‑health liaison with Johnson County and Coralville; a recent grant will increase the shared position to four-party funding (approx. 25% each), lowering North Liberty’s net cost compared with prior budgets.
Police and city staff told the council the mental‑health liaison service is shared regionally and that a new grant changes the cost split.
The chief explained the liaison will be shared among Coralville, Johnson County, North Liberty and a grant that covers a quarter of the cost. "Everybody pays 0.25 of it for that person, but it's the same cost that we're currently paying for our new mental health liaison," the chief said, adding that the city originally budgeted for the full salary across three entities before the grant arrived.
Councilors asked whether the city is getting its share of time from the liaison and how usage is tracked; the chief said the liaison will generate monthly reports and that tracking follow‑up work across jurisdictions remains challenging because some contacts and follow-up happen remotely. Staff described the arrangement as cost‑effective and said the grant effectively gives the city greater coverage for the money it already budgeted.
