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Supervisors seek amendment for mental health voting

Clinton Herald - 1/18/2018

Jan. 18--CLINTON -- The Clinton County Board of Supervisors on Tuesday took the first step in allowing the county to have an alternate to have the voting ability at Eastern Iowa Mental Health Region meetings.

The Clinton County Board of Supervisors approved a resolution requesting the governing board of the Eastern Iowa Mental Health Region adopt a proposed amendment allowing the county to appoint one of its Supervisors as an alternate. The amendment would allow the county to have one vote exercised by the appointed director or their alternate.

Supervisor Dan Srp said the county in the past had an issue with not being able to designate an alternate to vote during a meeting of the Eastern Iowa Mental Health Region, which is composed of Clinton, Scott, Cedar, Jackson and Muscatine counties. Supervisor Shawn Hamerlinck was unable to attend a meeting and then-Supervisor John Staszewski attended the meeting but was not permitted to vote.

"He was prohibited from voting to represent Clinton County's interest by the mental health region and was told only the designated Supervisor of the county would be allowed to participate with an active vote," Srp said. "So the county attorney and Supervisor Hamerlinck worked on this a little bit and came up with the proposal that we on paper designate all three board members so that all three of us have the authority to cover in an absence. It's not the intent to have a revolving door of participants down there but just simply as a back-up plan to ensure that Clinton County can vote to represent the interests of tax dollars collected within Clinton County."

The resolution allows for the county to open up the 28E agreement for discussion with the other counties in the Eastern Iowa Mental Health Region. The resolution is the first step in allowing a possible change to the region's 28E agreement.

"I know Supervisor Hamerlinck has said he does not believe that this will be accepted by the region," Srp said. "He's gotten feedback that indicates that the region is not supportive of this direction that we're taking. So it may be somewhat of a moot point. But we feel it's important to at least document our intent to be able to represent the interests of Clinton County in the mental health region discussion."

The resolution passed on a 2-0 vote. Srp and Supervisor Tom Determann voted in favor of the resolution. Hamerlinck was absent.

Meeting Watch

Consent Agenda: Approved, 2-0 vote

--Resolution 2017-18: Resignation, Building Maintenance

--Resolution 2017-19: Appointment, Building Maintenance

--Resolution 2017-20: Accept updates to the county cooling/warming center policy

--Resolution 2017-21: Property tax adjustment

--Motion: Utility permit number 35-2 for ITC Midwest

--Motion: Utility permit number 16-189 for Windstream Communications of Iowa

Resolutions: Approved, 2-0 vote

--Resolution: Eastern Iowa Mental Health Region appointment

--Resolution: Final plat of Hughes First Addition

--Resolution: Adoption of the Construction Permit Evaluation

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(c)2018 the Clinton Herald (Clinton, Iowa)

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