According to the resolution the board passed, the $48,690 is based on a per capita formula as the Region 6 Housing Trust Fund, which serves Marshall, Hardin, Tama and Poweshiek counties (Marshall County has the highest population of the four by a wide margin), can annually apply for over $450,000 in state funds from the Iowa Finance Authority (IFA) if it secures a local match of $112,640. In turn, Region 6 plans to reserve about $300,000 for Marshall County projects in 2025 to keep the per capita split fair.

Thirty percent of the funding is expected to be spent on households under 30 percent of the county’s household median ($135,168 in Marshall County), and all applicants must have annual incomes under 80 percent of the county median as determined by the Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD).

Winter then stepped forward to the speaking podium and explained the purpose of the trust fund, which she said generally provides money for repairs to owner-occupied dwellings with a specific focus on exterior areas like roofs, windows, doors, siding, gutters, soffits and fascia.

“Our goal is to help preserve housing stock that’s already here,” she said. “We know that the cost of housing and especially the cost of building has gone up significantly in recent years, and it’s really more important than ever to maintain the housing stock we have.”

Tom Stanley of the Secondary Roads department, center, is pictured with County Engineer Paul Geilenfeldt, right, and Board of Supervisors Chairman Jarret Heil, left, after receiving his 25-year service recognition.

Between 2020 and 2024, the trust fund has provided funding for 18 projects in Marshall County with a total value of $471,835, and between 2015 and 2023, the figure was over $1.1 million. As she opened the floor up to questions, Supervisor Carol Hibbs wondered how many projects were waiting for funding, and Winter said there were “quite a few.”

In response to another question from Hibbs, Winter said the funding must be spent down within three years. Fellow Supervisor Steve Salasek asked if the trust fund included Marshalltown as well as the surrounding communities and unincorporated areas, and she said it did. Because of its population density, Winter noted that many of the applications do come from Marshalltown, but there have been projects completed outside the city limits.

Board Chairman Jarret Heil asked about how the local match compared to previous years, and Winter said the request had gone up slightly because the Iowa Legislature is increasing the amount of money available for the grant awards.

“But for the investment of the local dollars, this is a good return,” Hibbs said.

Hibbs subsequently made a motion to approve the contribution, and it passed by a unanimous vote. The other major item of business on the agenda was the bid letting for the Wolf Lake Addition resurfacing project just south of Marshalltown, and as County Engineer Paul Geilenfeldt knew was a distinct possibility, the county has not received any bids.

Marshall County Chief Jailer Pat White, center, pictured alongside Sheriff Joel Phillips, left, and Board of Supervisors Chairman Jarret Heil, right, was recognized for 25 years of service to the county during Wednesday morning’s meeting.

As the engineer explained, the project might not appeal to bidders because of the tight construction schedule and the fact that it only covers less than a mile of paving. He did, however, have a “Plan B.”

“We can do this work as a local project with a combination of day labor and hiring, basically, fee-based pay with a contractor who will do the work for us. It’ll be difficult. It’ll be more hands-on with my office because this project at Wolf Lake is a lot of specialty work, and there are dozens of driveways that will each require a unique build,” Geilenfeldt said. “Our paving jobs don’t usually have this many accesses. This is as close to urban work as I get, and it’s as close as I want to get.”

He added that he will proceed on the project as outlined, and he felt confident it would come in under the budgeted amount. Heil joked that he and Salasek would volunteer to put on orange vests and pitch in, and County Treasurer Deann Tomlinson said she would assist with traffic control “if it’s sunny and nice.”

The engineer’s estimate of the cost is around $600,000, which, as Geilenfeldt noted, is a bit on the higher end because of the small and specialized nature of the project.

“I’m pretty sure we can be well under the $600,000 because we aren’t in it to make money,” he said.

At the end of the regular agenda, the board went into closed session to discuss pending litigation.

In other business, the board:

• Approved the consent agenda as listed, including a new hire of Jeff Robinson as a full-time truck driver in Secondary Roads at a wage of $30.60 per hour to start on or after Aug. 29 and a status change for Connor Reyes from Truck Driver 2 to Truck Driver 3 with a pay increase from $31.38 to $31.77 per hour.

• Recognized the following employees for years of service anniversaries: Bryan Hart and Justin Childs in Secondary Roads, five years; Tom Stanley in Secondary Roads, 25 years; and Chief Jailer Pat White, 25 years.

• Approved a three-year lease proposal with the Masonic Holding Corporation from Sept. 1, 2024 to Aug. 30, 2027 with rent increasing five percent each year.

• Approved a State of Iowa Alcoholic Beverage Division license for Cammy Kolterman doing business as Midwest Sips for an upcoming wedding effective Sept. 28.

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Contact Robert Maharry at 641-753-6611 ext. 255 or

rmaharry@timesrepublican.com.