Kalona to study child care and fire/EMS facilities needs

The city of Kalona is planning a pair of studies to assess need levels in the city.

On Monday, the City Council agreed to move forward with an early childhood needs assessment and a fire/EMS facilities needs assessment.

“This is to garner some high-level information on what the needs and desires of the community are,” City Administrator Ryan Schlabaugh said of the early childhood needs assessment. “We want to see what that demand is.”

Schlabaugh said he would like to partner with the Mid-Prairie school district, Pleasantview Home, the YMCA and Washington Economic Development Group (WEDG) for the study.

“The child care issue is huge,” WEDG Executive Director Mary Audia said. “The No. 1 issue with the workforce is child care.”

Auida said that WEDG is planning on a similar countywide child care needs assessment that will run from mid-July to mid-December.

“There is lots of money available for child care,” Audia said. “But, you need to have the data in order to get it.”

Council members Joe Schmidt and Jenelle Bender agreed to be part of the child care study group.

Regarding the fire department and EMS facilities assessment, Schlabaugh said that the city is working with Carl A. Nelson and Company.

“Carl A. Nelson will come in and tour our fire station, first responders building and Washington County ambulance building,” he said.

That assessment has been in the works since April, when the council agreed to contract with Carl A. Nelson on the study.

The study will look at what could be done in regards to renovating existing facilities or building new ones and present preliminary numbers as to what it would cost to meet those needs.

Schlabaugh described the scope of the study as a “road map” to determine future needs for the facilities.

Council members Craig Spitzer and Greg Schmidt agreed to be part of the facilities study group.