Awards totaling $23.8 million were announced today (Tuesday), for 70 communities across the state. The Iowa Economic Development Authority (IEDA) awarded the Community Development Block Grant (CDBG) funds to support 72 community investment projects. The federally funded grants were awarded for community facilities, infrastructure improvements, downtown revitalization and single family owner-occupied housing rehabilitation.

Among the grant recipients in the KJAN listening area, was:

• The City of Anita – $300,000 for construction improvements to the City’s water system.
• The City of Breda (Carroll County) – $300,000 for the replacement of a water tower.
• The City of Corning – $500,000 for construction improvements to the City’s water system.
• The City of Creston – $250,000 for improvements to the sanitary sewer system to reduce infiltration and inflow.
• The City of Earlham – $191,000 for improvements to the existing water distribution system.
• The City of Hancock – $196,000 for improvements to the City’s water system.
• The City of Henderson – $185,000 for a Life Station & Force Main replacement.
• The City of Macedonia – $246,000 for improvements to the water system.
• The City of Schleswig – $300,000 for CDBG Administration.
• The City of Thurman – $229,000 for improvements to the City’s water system.
• The City of Winterset – $584,000 for sanitary sewer system improvements.
• The City of Greenfield – $205,500 for the Southern Iowa Council Of Governments (COG).
• The City of Panora – $395,000 for the Region 12 Council of Governments (COG).

The funds enable communities to make needed improvements to water and sewer systems, improve housing conditions for low-income homeowners, provide facilities for disabled and at-risk individuals, and make transformative improvements to their downtowns.

IEDA received 136 applications for these funds, totaling $44.9 million in funding requests. The grants are awarded based on benefit to low- and moderate-income persons, slum and blight elimination, financial need, project impact and readiness, and commitment of local resources to the project.

The Community Development Block Grant program is federally funded through the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD). IEDA is responsible for administering the CDBG funds in the non-metropolitan areas of the state. Applications are solicited annually, usually during the fall.

The Cass County Board of Supervisors are expected to act Wednesday on the Appointment of a full-time Mental Health/General Assistance Director. Deb Schuler has filled the position in the interim, following the termination of employment in February, of former long-time MH/DD/GA Director Teresa Kanning.

The Board will also act on: The appointment of an additional member to the Cass County Food Policy Council; An amended appropriation for the Medical Examiner’s Department, and on authorizing Board Chair Frank Waters to sign a Planning Grant Agreement with the Iowa Division of Homeland Security and Emergency Management, for a Multi-jurisdictional  Hazard Mitigation Plan (HMP) Update

The Hazard Mitigation Grant Program (HMGP) is funded by FEMA to provide grants to State and local governments to implement long-term mitigation measures after a major disaster declaration. The purpose of the program is to reduce loss of life and property resulting from natural disasters and to enable mitigation measures to be implemented during the recovery from a disaster. Cass County’s current plan
continues through mid-2015. Cass County’s application is for 2015 through 2020. The grant request is was for $53,000 ($39,750 Federal match; $5,300 State match; and $7,950 County {in-kind} match).

In other business, the Supervisors will review the bids and possibly award a contract for, a concrete box culvert project. The meeting begins at 8:30-a.m. in the Supervisor’s Board Room at the Cass County Courthouse.

The Mills County Sheriff’s Office reports four arrests over the past week. On Monday, 40-year old Heath Kaleb Vanegas, of Glenwood, was arrested on Highway 275 for OWI/2nd offense. His bond was set at $2,000. Last Saturday, 37-year old Sadie Jeanine Renander, of Omaha, was arrested for OWI/1st offense, and, 35-year old Dayton Ernest Tuper II, of Malvern, was arrested in Malvern, for Disorderly Conduct. Tuper’s bond was set at $300, while bond for Renander amounted to $1,000.

And, on Friday, 47-year old Heather Leigh McCord-Bennett, of Glenwood, was arrested on a Mills County warrant for Failure to Appear in court. Her bond was set at $300.

Mills County Sheriff’s Deputies also investigated two, non-injury accidents, one of which occurred late Monday night on Highway 34, the other happened late Friday morning on 284th Street.

A joint meeting of the CAM and Nodaway Valley Community School Districts was held Monday evening at the Nodaway Valley Middle School, in Fontanelle. The meeting was designed to gauge the thoughts of both school boards and gather input, with regard to the possibility of the two districts sharing a superintendent.

CAM Superintendent Steve Pelzer told KJAN News that the boards discussed moving forward, that’s about as far as it got. He says there were no decisions made, it was merely conversation. Pelzer said both boards will likely discuss the matter separately during their respective meetings next month and made a decision on whether to proceed.

Pelzer was not ready to reveal whether there was any sort of consensus following Monday night’s meeting, on if the two districts are on the same page and want to continue moving forward. He said he doesn’t want to speak for either board as to how they feel about laying the groundwork for a possible future sharing option.

Pelzer did acknowledged that discussions have ceased with the Coon Rapids-Bayard School Board over a proposed sharing agreement, and he said there are currently no other districts courting CAM over the possibility of sharing, other than Nodaway Valley.

Districts typically explore a Superintendent sharing agreement with a neighboring school district because of the financial incentives offered by the State of Iowa. The Iowa Legislature passed operational sharing incentives equaling eight students for each district that is sharing a superintendent. The districts would be eligible for the incentive for five years. That amounts to about $50,000 per year.