Bord to vote on return of DECAT/CPPC contracts

   The Jones County Board of Supervisors plans to make a decision on whether the county should once again hold the contracts of the Decategorization initiative (DECAT) and the Community Partnership for Protecting Children (CPPC) initiative.

   In fiscal year 2025, these contracts were held by Linn County to support the work in Jones County. But Linn County recently voted not to renew the Jones County portion of its contract.

   Sherri Hunt of Early Childhood Iowa (ECI) was on hand to discuss the possibility during the board’s May 13 meeting.

   “It was a difficult year for them,” Hunt said of the Linn County contract-holders.

   But while Hunt said such services are moving toward a regional model, rather than county-by-county, she believes having Jones County take it over would be more beneficial.

   She said ECI is asking Jones County to again hold these contracts and to hire an individual to lead these initiatives. Prior to fiscal year 2025, Jones County held the contracts and had a county employee do the work.

   “For me personally, it’s all about having a local connection,” Hunt said at the meeting. “When you have a bigger regional model, it’s practically impossible to make all those connections.”

   Reached later in the week to explain how the initiatives are contracted, Hunt said, “Ultimately, we have state funds to support high-risk children in Jones County, and we need an entity to hold the contract and assist with the contract implementation.”

   Greg Graver, who said he has been on the DECAT board for 13 years, agreed with Hunt during the meeting.

   “It’s not a lot of dollars, but the work that is done is important,” Graver said.

   Otherwise, he added, “you lose that person that is here, that knows your community, that can push some of the initiatives that we support. So I am completely in support of bringing that contract back.”

   The board agreed to put the request on the May 20 agenda as an action item.

In other board business:

   • Bids were taken and opened for the Jones County Courthouse roof replacement project, by the Board of Supervisors at its May 13 meeting.

   Six bids were received, ranging in total base bid price from $203,000 to $287,774.

   Board members expressed that they were pleased with the bids. They will be sent to the county engineer to make sure the specifications were met.

   Eligible bids are scheduled to be voted upon by the board at its May 20 meeting.

     • The board voted to make record of the Conservation Board’s appointments of seasonal employees Joseph Chambers and Jeremy Streets.

   • The board voted to abate property taxes on a parcel acquired by the Anamosa Community School District.

   • The board approved a gathering permit for the Midwest Hillclimbers Association for the Anamosa Motorcycle Hillclimb events to be held June 1 and Sept. 7.

   • The board voted to give property owner Andrew Stastny, Jr., 30 days to abate a nuisance property on County Home Rd. in Monticello.

   • The board voted to hire Blake Hansen as an on-call transport/court security officer.

   • The board approved the sale of a K9 officer Hunter, for a cost of $1, so that Hunter can be retired. The animal, a dutch shepherd, has worked under the direction of Sgt. Tim Smith for nine years.