HACAP stays active providing local services

     Jane Drapeaux, HACAP CEO, met with the Jones County Supervisors on Nov. 22 to provide an update on the HACAP (Hawkeye Area Community Action Program) services throughout the county.

     “I want to first thank you for the support you give us,” said Drapeaux.

     HACAP in Jones County serves many, various sectors of the community: Early Childhood Education, Health & Nutrition, Housing Stabilization & Programs, Jones County Food Bank (previously known as Community Cupboard), and partners with the Anamosa Ministerial Association. HACAP employs 10 people in the county.

     For Fiscal Year 2016, HACAP served three Head Start programs in Jones County:

     • 20 full-day and eight part-day slots were filled in Anamosa.

     • Six part-day slots were filled in Monticello (in collaboration with the Monticello School District).

     • Three part-day slots were filled in Olin (in collaboration with the Little Lions Learning Center).

     “We will increase slots in Monticello if needed for Head Start,” offered Drapeaux.

     Through the HACAP Food Reservoir, 98,135 pounds of food were distributed to agencies and programs in Jones County in FY 2016. HACAP saves its Jones County partners over $163,800 in FY 2015/16.

     Operation BackPack provides weekend food assistance for 132 elementary students, attending six schools in Jones County: Carpenter, Midland, Monticello Middle School, Olin, Sacred Heart and Shannon. Drapeaux said the BackPack program represents successful partnerships between schools, local volunteers, and HACAP through community involvement.

     The supervisors asked Drapeaux how those children are selected for the BackPack program. She explained the students are identified by school counselors and nurses.

     “We are currently setting up a mobile food pantry in Jones County,” offered Drapeaux. She said Midland is the target area, particularly in the summer.

     “It’s been very successful in other areas,” she said.

     The mobile pantries provide items year-round food pantries can’t store routinely such as frozen foods and meats and fresh produce.

     Through Housing Stabilization:

     • 17 homes received weatherization assistance, totaling $268,557 in assistance.

     • Provided energy crisis intervention (furnace replacement or help with energy bills) for 241 households worth an additional $90,220 in assistance.

     • Operation Home (SSVF) provided housing service for families with homeless veterans from Jones County. These services included utility and rent assistance, case management, and links to community and veterans resources to help sustain housing options.

     Drapeaux said these housing assistance figures are quite high for a rural county like Jones.

     The food bank served 1,187 individuals in 408 households in the county. Of those, 309 households were at or below 100 percent of the poverty guidelines. Drapeaux added that $23,621 was distributed through food assistance. She said this amount is down from the previous year because Family Foods in Anamosa has since closed, and they were processing assistance vouchers.

In other county business:

     • The board approved filing a $300,000 Federal Recreational Trails grant application on behalf of the Wapsipinicon Trail Committee.

     • The board held a public hearing and approved the re-zoning of 3 acres in Lovell Township from A-Agricultural to C2-Highway Commercial. The land is owned by Welter Properties, LLC. Lloyd Welter plans to build a 60-by-100-foot commercial building to house Culligan Total Water.

     Welter was present at the meeting, and said Culligan is running out of room at their current location on John Drive in Monticello. The facility will have its own septic system with city water services. Welter said he wanted to build a new facility for Culligan “because we don’t want them to go to another town.”

     Gary Schwab, E911 coordinator, did not object to the re-zoning, but wanted to get the E911 addresses in that area straightened out.

     “It’s been very confusing for years,” he said. “I want to see that it gets cleaned up.”

     For instance, the business Kerp’s Service Center has a Business Highway 151 address, but the actual building has a 197^th Street address.

     “They should each have a Business 151 address,” suggested Schwab. (197^th Street is a private road in that area.)

     • Land Use Administrator Michele Lubben gave the board an update on the upcoming Nov. 22 Board of Adjustment meeting.

     She said the board received a variance request from a landowner on 202^nd Street near Cascade to split a farmstead off from the farmland. Lubben said this piece of land was already split in 2009, and county ordinance only allows for one farmstead split.

     The other issue at hand, 40 acres is required for a farmstead split; there are 18 acres in question here.

     “They have two strikes against them,” commented Lubben.

     She said the current owners purchased the property in 2010, after the initial split. Their variance request, Lubben noted, is financially based.

     • Dan Lambertsen was present at the board meeting to praise the county and County Engineer Derek Snead on the County Road E-45 overlay project.

     “This project was awesome!” praised Lambertsen. “The field entrances are outstanding. That road is beautiful!

     “Derek followed your policies to the letter,” Lambertsen told the board. “That’s what you want in an employee.”