Supervisors discuss possible separation of IHS, CPC budgets

By STEPH TAHTINEN

Mt. Pleasant News

Henry County may be reorganizing its departments to give Insight Human Services its own budget, separate from the Central Point of Coordination budget.

The budget for Insight Human Services is currently a built-in part of the budget for Central Point of Coordination. However, in a meeting with the board of supervisors on Thursday morning, Todd Meyer, Insight Human Services administrator, raised the possibility of separating the two and giving Insight Human Services its own separate budget.

?That takes pressure off of Sarah [Kaufmann, county CPC] and puts responsibility solely on our shoulders and lets us stand on our own two feet,? said Meyer.

There have been problems with the combined budget recently due to difficulties of mental health funding and overspending.

Supervisor Kent White raised the question of whether Insight Human Services could be made its own department, and Auditor Shelly Barber said there is no reason it can?t be.

Barber pointed out that with the new state legislation and changes that are coming to the way mental health is funded, there may need to be some reorganization anyway.

?Based on what Sarah said, you?re going to have to do something in the next year,? said Barber.

Recent legislation passed in Iowa has made changes in the way mental health services will be funded in the future, with changes set to go into effect July 1, 2013. This legislation decreases the mental health funding that the state provides to the counties. There are also plans for regionalization of mental health services.

Supervisor Chairman Marc Lindeen said that Kaufmann and county attorney Darin Stater need be consulted about separating the budgets.

In other business during the department head?s meeting, the group discussed creating a contingency plan should an emergency or disaster occur at the courthouse.

Treasurer Ana Lorber and Recorder Shirley Wandling recently attended a meeting on emergency preparedness, and they brought up the idea to the supervisors that the courthouse should have a plan in place should something such as a fire, water damage, tornado or even something such as the elevator getting stuck were to occur.

New Emergency Management Coordinator Deb Goetting said that she would work on creating a basic plan.