Supervisors discuss mental health options

July 21--OSKALOOSA -- Local mental health officials have not heard back from state officials about their appeal of the decision to disband their two-county mental health region.

One year ago, the Iowa Department of Human Services gave Mahaska and Marion counties provisional authorization for 12 months to act as a two-county mental health services region.

Mahaska County Central Point Coordinator Julie Bak said that Charles Palmer of the Iowa Department of Human Services did not reauthorize the two-county region for another year and gave the counties until Aug. 1 to join a contiguous mental health region.

The mental health region governing board met recently and sent an appeal letter to Palmer appealing his decision and requested a response within 10 business days -- which would have been this past Friday.

County Supervisor Mike Vander Molen said county officials need to have a plan to submit to Palmer by Aug. 1 detailing which neighboring mental health region the county intends to join. Otherwise, Palmer will make the decision for them.

"Any preferences where to go?" Vander Molen asked. "My thoughts are to go north."

"I have no preference," Supervisor Willie VanWeelden said.

"My preference is to continue to do business" as a two-county area, Board Chairman Mark Doland said.

"Can the state compel a county to enter into a voluntary agreement?" Doland said of having to approve a 28E agreement with another mental health region.

"It's a moot point," Vander Molen said.

"I'm surprised they approved a two-county region to begin with," VanWeelden said.

Vander Molen said Mahaska County officials should meet with their Marion County counterparts to see what they want to do.

The supervisors scheduled a meeting for 1:30 p.m. Wednesday to discuss their options.

In other action, the supervisors approved the dissolution of the Lynndana Sanitary Sewer District and signed a 28E agreement with Mahaska Rural Water to serve those residents.

The also approved the third reading of the Northwest Urban Renewal Plan.

The supervisors also heard a presentation on a regional collection center for household hazardous materials from the Department of Natural Resources.

Mahaska County is currently not served by a regional collection center or a satellite site.

Kathleen Hennings of the DNR gave an hour-long presentation that spanned topics from what are household hazardous materials, the options for collection centers or satellite sites and grant-funding opportunities.

The supervisors will place the topic on the next meeting agenda.

"It's long overdue," VanWeelden said.

Herald Editor Duane Nollen can be reached by email at oskynews@oskyherald.com

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