By Mari Radtke
Family Crisis Center (FCC) was represented by Kelsey Vanden Berg to provide the O’Brien County Board of Supervisors for the year prior. She gave an overview of the services provided generally by FCC in the area. She noted transportation is a big issue in O’Brien County. She highlighted the 17 divisions in O’Brien County and its most known service that is to assist in cases of domestic violence or human trafficking. FCC serves 17 counties in northwest Iowa with domestic abuse resources.
Also covering O’Brien County is their homicide and violent crime division covering 29 counties. The leading advocate for that division, Jesse, is based in Spencer.
Integrated advocate and services includes work with medical services. FCC has just established a permanent advocate at Promise Health Center in Sioux Center.
Housing assistance is part of FCC’s work to get victims on their feet. The have available housing across the area including Sutherland. The locations provide quick, immediate solutions on a temporary basis. FCC provided housing needs for 56 clients in the past year. They also provide a statewide Iowa Victims’ Service call center. Calls are taken for all kinds of crime victims. A person can call 1-800-799-7233. The call center accepts calls 24/7 for all of Iowa, even when local FCC offices are closed. The call center also provides simple services such as a victim having a bad time and just needed to talk. O’Brien County clients utilized the call center 65 times.
Cost per client information was provided. For clients utilizing the domestic violence, homicide, medical outreach and housing, the cost per person reached $867. Call center calls cost $20.78 per call. The cost to FCC to provide the O’Brien County service demand comes to $125,331.70. The 2023-24 funding request from FCC is 10% of cost or $12,500. FCC gets a high number of grant dollars for various specified activity.
The Board approved a version a support letter to Iowa Utilities Board for the Dakota Access Pipeline (DAPL). The pipeline was shut down until the completion of an environmental study that should have, but was not done before the pipeline was built. Depending on results of the study, the pipeline could be shut down. The company is reaching out to governing bodies who benefit from the pipeline in their county. O’Brien County submitted a tepid letter of support. Tax revenue from the project to O’Brien County is in the $600,000 range.
A discussion of library funding explained the county wide support for all of its libraries. The funding comes from the Rural Services levy. The state minimum is six and three quarter cents per $1000 of taxable value. O’Brien County applies a seven and a quarter cents per $1000 of valuation for library funding. The levy raised $78,342 in the current fiscal year with $1044 going to the county wide association. The balance would pay $10,332 to each of O’Brien’s 9 libraries. The Archer library has received $7749 from the county this fiscal year. It got a full allotment in the first half of the year and half of its second half disbursement. That is due to the building itself not being occupied as a library.
The Supervisors were asked by County Auditor Barb Rohwer what to do with the balance. Discussion about the circumstances of the Archer library were held, as well as anyone knows at this time, including the status of a potential 28E with Primghar library to provide services.
The consensus was to reasonably assist Archer if the city council determines it will provide library services to its residents. If the Archer library is finally disbanded the balance will be paid to the remaining six county libraries.
A public hearing for a budget amendment was set for 9:15am on Tuesday November 28 in the supervisor chambers. Several income sources were not budgeted originally. There is also public safety, insurance cost increases and other miscellaneous cost increases that must be authorized.
Dr. Ryan Becker and Fay Schall of Primghar sit on the Public Health board. Their terms expire at the end of 2023. Interested persons can apply for the positions. Applications are available on the county’s website.