Supervisors initiate home financial assistance process

The Washington County Board of Supervisors initiated a process that could lead to helping moderate to low income Washington County residents receive financial assistance on down payments when purchasing a home. The supervisors signed a service agreement with the East Central Iowa Council of Governments (ECICOG) to start the ball rolling to apply for a grant to receive up to $200,000 to help Washington County residents save up to 50 percent of down payment costs when they purchase a home. The action took place when the supervisors met in regular session Tuesday, June 16.

The Down Payment Assistance Program would be available to moderate to low income individuals. The homes would need to be inspected and not located in a 100 year flood plain. Grant money would cover up to 50 percent of closing and other down payment costs. A public hearing will take place regarding the application. The county would have two years to spend the money. ECICOG Housing Fund Executive Director Tracey Achenbach of and Washington Economic Development Group Director David Collins presented the program to the supervisors.

Ambulance Service Report

Ambulance Service Director Jeremy Peck said that an agreement has been reached by the cities of Wellman and Kalona to lease a three-bay building at 2285 133rd Street south of Kalona to house one of the service's two ambulances to improve the response time to residents in the northern half of the county. He said the service will only be responsible for electric and water costs for two years, the length of the lease on the building.

The supervisors also approved Peck's recommendation to make Administrative Assistant Patrick Curl's employment full time. He was hired April 14 at a wage of $32 an hour.

Cost Advisory Services

The supervisors renewed its contract with Cost Advisory Services, Inc., a firm that does business with 93 of Iowa's 99 counties providing cost allocation services. The three-year renewal rate is the same as the current rate of $4,125. Supervisor Abe Miller said he could not remember a year when the savings provided by the firm wasn't 10 times that amount.

Other Business

In other business, the supervisors:

*Moved the June 30 meeting to July 1 at 10 a.m. and

*Discussed a COVID-19 virus update.