By BRIAN RATHJEN
The Iowa County Board of Supervisors will do its best to keep transportation rates flat for clients served by a Conroy agency that provides vocational services to adults with developmental disabilities.
Jeannine Scanridge, REA director, explained that the agency gets most of its funding through Medicaid. The agency’s primary costs are staff-related, and there have not been many increases to programs in recent years.
The agency turned a profit of approximately $19,700 during fiscal year 2011, but is projected to have a loss of $19,900 during the current fiscal year.
Iowa County Transportation provides transportation services for REA clients, most of whom do not drive. Rates during the current fiscal year are $185 per trip to Iowa City, and $1 per mile to locations within Iowa County. The rates had increased 10 cents per mile within Iowa County in 2010 and 2011, and $5 each of the past two years for trips to Iowa City.
“If there’s any way we can hold the increase next fiscal year it would be advantageous to us,” said Scanridge.
Board chairman Ray Garringer said he would do what he could to keep rates flat for fiscal year 2013.
“I have no problem with us keeping rates the same. We’ve always worked with REA,” he said.
WORKPLACE LEARNING
CONNECTION
Mary Lou Erlacher, Workplace Learning Connection, updated the board about recent activities by the organization.
Workplace Learning Connection, based in Cedar Rapids, provides job shadowing and vocational guidance to junior high and high school students in several eastern Iowa counties, including Iowa County. Erlacher also requested a $640 annual donation from the county, which the board agreed to program into the budget.
During the 2010-2011 school year in Iowa County, the organization assisted approximately 1,250 students at each of the five school districts in the county – Iowa Valley of Marengo, Clear Creek Amana of Tiffin, HLV of Victor, English Valleys of North English and Williamsburg – in areas such as job shadowing and internships.
DENTAL PLAN REVIEWED
In other business, the board:
• Reviewed dental plan rates for county employees, which will become effective July 1. Board members will be reviewing quotes from Wellmark Blue Dental, Delta Dental and Met Life Dental.
• Approved a motion authorizing Garringer to sign the audit letter from Hunt & Associates for fiscal year 2011.
NEXT MEETING
Supervisors will have their next regular board meeting at 9 a.m. Friday, Jan. 13, in the board room at the Iowa County Courthouse Annex, 970 Court Ave., Marengo.
A budget workshop meeting is slated for 9 a.m. Thursday, Jan. 12; the board also met Tuesday.
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