HHCC task force makes recommendation

A task force is making their recommendation for the future of Healthy Henry County Communities after Henry County officials were advised that paying the director of a nonprofit with county dollars is a violation of the Iowa constitution.

The task force met on Jan. 2, to discuss options for the HHCC director's position, the HHCC board and Henry County Public Health. Currently, the HHCC director, Kelly Carr, divides her time between Public Health as a county employee and HHCC.

County attorney Darin Stater said that the HHCC director's position must be separated from the Public Health county employee position because public money cannot pay the director of a nonprofit.

'This is a well-established, long-standing law that public money must be spent for public purpose,” Stater said.

Changes to the Public Health and HHCC director's position will be made for fiscal year 2020, which begins July 1.

The task force recommended that Healthy Henry County Communities remain a 501(c)3 to be eligible for grant dollars. HHCC has brought in over $9 million to the county since 2002.

HHCC could then decide if they wanted to handle the duties of the coalition as a board or write a request for proposal (RFP) for administrative support, HCHC CEO Robb Gardner said.

'It's not just one person doing all the work. It's actively deployed throughout the (HHCC) officers and board members,” Gardner said.

HHCC board members will have to become more active in looking for and applying for grants and organizing community programs, said Greg Moeller, Henry County Supervisor and Board of Health member. Moeller said that in his opinion, current HHCC director Kelly Carr has been doing the majority of the work on behalf of HHCC.

HHCC board member Bryce Kelly agreed with Moeller, saying that the board was 'spoiled” with Carr as the director.

'If I want to sit on this board, then what I'm also saying yes to is putting in additional hours to make sure the Healthy Halloween Walk happens,” Kelly said. '(Carr's) done all the legwork leading up to it, and I can just show up on the day of the walk and help her set up. It won't work that way anymore.

'As someone who sits on a lot of other boards, it doesn't work that way in any other board,” Kelly continued. 'Board members, when they sign on that dotted line, what they sign up for is doing all the legwork leading up to it and being the workhorses the day of.”

HHCC is scheduling an executive committee meeting for the board to discuss how they want to move forward.

Public Health is exploring the idea of creating a community health position to continue the services the Healthy Henry County Communities director was organizing such as the Halloween Walk, Swedesburg-Olds Fun Day and healthy food options at the Henry County Fair. These events would be Public Health events and no longer be organized by HHCC.

Public Health director Shelley Van Dorin will create a job description for this position to take to the Board of Health.

The Board of Health is meeting on Tuesday, Jan. 15. The community health position will be voted on at that time by the Board of Health before being taken to the Board of Supervisors for approval.

Part of Public Health's community health position could be to sit on the HHCC board as a volunteer and voting member. Currently, the HHCC director is not a voting member on the HHCC board.

Public Health's community health employee would not also be paid to be director of HHCC.

Berdette (Ogden) Davis, community health consultant with the Iowa Department of Public Health, said that if HHCC decides to continue to have a director, their administrative duties would be very small.

The Task Force has made its recommendation and is not expected to convene again.