T-R PHOTO BY ROBERT MAHARRY — Region 6 Resource Partners Executive Director Marty Wymore addresses the Marshall County Board of Supervisors during Wednesday morning’s regular meeting. The board unanimously approved a contribution of $41,345 to the Region 6 Housing Trust Fund.

During another brief regular meeting at the courthouse Wednesday morning, the Marshall County Board of Supervisors unanimously approved a contribution of $41,345 to the Region 6 Housing Trust Fund.

Marty Wymore of Region 6 Resource Partners attended the meeting and explained that the primary purposes of the trust fund are to preserve the existing affordable housing stock within Hardin, Marshall, Tama and Poweshiek counties and preserve the lower-income tax base for owner-occupied homes in the same region. The organization is also involved in developing new affordable housing opportunities and approving the appearance of low-income housing.

Region 6 can apply for state funding to help with its objectives, but a local match is required. Wymore said the amount of money in the pool has been increasing in recent years due to housing being a top priority along with workforce issues.

Between 2015 and 2022, the trust fund has provided just over $1 million that has been spent on Marshall County projects, and on top of that, a special award of $200,000 was received in 2018 after the tornado. Local beneficiaries have included the new senior living complex near Wolfe Eye Clinic, the senior living development on East State Street, the old Iowa Wholesale building and the Tallcorn Towers, all in Marshalltown.

“The primary activity, though, that we do is owner-occupied improvements for houses around the county, so the primary things we focus on are stabilizing the home with roof repairs and siding and window repairs. We don’t generally do anything inside the house unless it’s some sort of critical issue,” Wymore said. “Sometimes we do handicap accessibility ramps (and) sometimes some improvements within the home to make sure that people can get in and out of bathrooms and things like that.”

So far, the supervisors in Tama and Poweshiek counties have supported the resolution, while the Hardin County board tabled it. Last year, the Marshall County supervisors voted 2-1 not to make a contribution to the Trust Fund — with former supervisors Bill Patten and Dave Thompson opposing the contribution and Steve Salasek, who is still on the board, supporting it — the first time they had made such a decision. Region 6 ultimately went to the city of Marshalltown and received the local match it had requested.

“Historically, Marshall County has been a great partner with us to allow this activity to go along. This program has been around since 2009, so we’ve been at this for 14 or 15 years,” Wymore said.

Supervisor Steve Salasek asked if the city would continue to support the application, and he said that when the city offered the local match last year, it came with the expectation of keeping the projects within city limits as opposed to Marshall County as a whole. Fellow Supervisor Carol Hibbs asked for some history on projects outside of the city, and Wymore said they had done work in communities like State Center, St. Anthony and Ferguson in the past.

County Auditor/Recorder Nan Benson told the supervisors the money for the contribution could come from a fund dedicated to economic development unless Assistant/Deputy Auditor/Recorder Maria Vargas-Gonzalez would prefer it on a different line item.

Hibbs said she believed the contribution aligned with the county’s economic development goals and should thus be pulled from that fund, and she subsequently made a motion to move forward with the contribution for fiscal year 2024/2025. It carried by a unanimous vote.

In other business, the board:

• Approved the consent agenda as listed.

• Recognized Jeremiah Manken for 15 years of service in the conservation department.

• Approved the hiring of Assistant County Attorney Dakota Keninger at an annual salary of $73,500.

• Approved a pair of status changes in the secondary roads department — one for Todd Borton from B-OP3 to A-OP3 effective Sept. 2 and another for Chris Donaldson from TD3 to B-OP3 effective Sept. 2.

• Approved the hiring of precinct election officials at a rate of $10 per hour, precinct election official chairs for $12 and the election special precinct board of up to six people at a rate of $10 an hour for the upcoming city of Marshalltown special election.

• Approved the designation of Jarret Heil as the primary representative and Salasek as the alternative representative on the CICS County Supervisor Regional Advisory Committee.

• Approved an agreement for a central shredding service with The Shredder for $50 every four weeks for one year and allowing the auditor/recorder to sign.

• Approved a band shell contract for Russ Roseland on Sept. 1 pending an insurance certificate for a benefit event.

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Contact Robert Maharry

at 641-753-6611 ext. 255 or

rmaharry@timesrepublican.com.