DES MOINES, Iowa (AP) – The state is laying off staffers at the Iowa Workforce Development agency, which provides services to unemployed residents.  In an email sent to agency workers this week, Iowa Workforce Development Director Teresa Wahlert announced 30 staffers would lose their jobs, both union-represented and non-union workers. Wahlert says in the email that the staff reductions were due to a loss of federal funding.

But Danny Homan – who is president of Iowa Council 61 of the American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees – says Wednesday the state has a budget surplus and should be able to afford the workers. He says the cuts will limit aid for out of work state residents seeking jobs.

Gov. Terry Branstad’s spokesman Tim Albrecht says Branstad remains focused on helping Iowans find jobs.

Cass County Engineer Charles Marker today (Wednesday), provided the Board of Supervisors with an update on County secondary roads and related projects. Marker said Tuesday was the State bid letting date for Farm-to Market account road projects (Those which are paid for through the Road Use Tax Fund). It includes an asphalt overlay on Cass County Road M-56, from Highway 6 to the Atlantic Airport road, and a similar project letting for County Road G-43 (The Lewis Road), from Lewis to Highway 71.

Marker said on both of those projects, the apparent low bidder was Henningsen Construction, in Atlantic. His bid for the G-43 project, was slightly more than $1.126-million, while the bid for M-56 was a little over $1.32-million. The Board will act on approving or disapproving the contracts during their a future, after they have been received by Marker. The late start dates (without penalty), is August 26^th for the M-56 project, and September 9^th on G-43. Both projects are expected to take about a month or slightly more to complete.

Marker said also, during an Engineer’s conference held last week, they were informed all engineers (regardless of where they are in Iowa), need to be within 10-percent of the bid let contract price. He says that means they are expected to be very accurate with the Engineer’s estimate on the project costs. The federal government says as a whole, Iowa has not been very accurate since 2006, so they are investigating why. In Cass County, the M-56 project is within three-tenths of one-percent, but on the G-43 project, the estimates are outside the 10-percent goal. Maker says there are a number of variables in making an estimate that affect its accuracy.

He says on the G-43 project, the bid was $163,000 less than the engineer’s estimate, but it still came in over the 10-percent limit. Marker says discussions on those types of limits are continuing, at various levels of government and within the industry. Marker says also, work continues on a bridge project spanning the Nishnabotna River on the “Research Farm Road,” with beams being placed prior to the installation of a concrete deck.

The Cass County Board of Supervisors received a quarterly and annual report from County Veterans Affairs Director Mitch Holmes, during their meeting this (Wednesday) morning, in Atlantic.

Mitch Holmes, Cass Co. VA Director

During the 4^th Quarter report, Holmes said his office process 17 claims for general assistance, amounting to a little more than $7,674. The amount was a little higher than normal, he said, because it included two indigent burials. Aside from those burials, the costs were on-par for what is normally spent during the time frame.

As far as Federal V-A benefits, Holmes said there were a total of 99 forms filed. He said there’s been a big push over the past couple of years to try and get veterans registered for their benefits. That includes hospital visits, as well as compensation and disability payments related to injuries they may have suffered during their military careers.

They also helped veterans sign-up for nursing home, records request and life insurance benefits. Holmes said 216 veterans were assisted at the Cass County V-A Office over the past quarter, they received 230 office visits and made 22 home visits. During his annual report, Holmes said over the fiscal year ending June 30^th, 462 veterans and their family members were assisted by the Cass County Veterans Affair Office, with a total of 5,118 contacts made. A total of 342 federal V-A documents were processed.

Holmes said Cass County receives almost $5.1-million annually in veteran’s benefits, an increase of 9.6-percent over last year. That includes compensation and pensions [$2.68-million], medical expenditures [$2.2-million], and education and vocational rehabilitation [$157,000]. The remaining funds are scattered among the various VA programs.

The Cass County VA office provides a wide variety of assistance and services for its resident, honorably-discharged veterans and their family members. Its main focus is to assist them in applying for federal and state benefits and other veterans’ aid.

The Harlan City Council, Tuesday, approved two separate resolutions pertaining to the Harlan Police Department Building Project. During their regular meeting, the council also held a public hearing with regard to the project, but heard no comments from the public.

The city only received one bid from Leinen Construction of Harlan. The estimated 2,100 square foot project will cost $321,889. After closing the public hearing, the council approved the contract with Leinen Construction.

The company plans to begin work immediately on the new Police Department Building, with the completion of construction  set for the end of this year.

(Joel McCall/KNOD)