County approves agreement with CliftonLarsonAllen

Supervisors seek advice on low fund balance

The meeting of the Hamilton County supervisors Tuesday was fairly routine, with only two agreements approved during the meeting.

Supervisors Rick Young, April Ely and Mary Clausen approved an agreement with CliftonLarsonAllen, which is the private auditing company which handles the county audit once a year.

"Our fund balances are lower than they should be," said Ely. This agreement will help find ways they can improve the county finances over the next three years, realizing there is a 2% cap on their spending that is mandated by the State of Iowa now.

"We have to be able to protect the whole financial system," she said.

In a second vote, they approved the continued relationship with the Heart of Iowa Regional Housing Trust.

The Heart of Iowa Regional Housing fund was established in 2018, and provides crucial home repair assistance to low and moderate income homeowners. Their service area includes Hamilton and Webster Counties, and since 2023, has expanded to include Calhoun, Humboldt, Pocahontas and Wright counties.

The Housing Trust fund received $452,745 from the Iowa Finance Authority for F/Y 2026, raising $113,187 in matching funds through local financial institutions and communities within these participating counties.

In Hamilton County, they have spent $45,366 from the Iowa Finance Authority and have $18,308 in matching funds. They still have $20,620 for additional funds available for Hamilton County residents, noting there are several applications pending.

To date, the trust has assisted 45 low and moderate income homeowners in Hamilton County with critical repairs, including roof replacements, water heater installations, plumbing and electrical work, energy efficiency improvements and modifications for handicap access to private homes.

This fund, which serves residents in both the City of Webster City and rural residents in the county, helps keep people safely in their homes, and reduces further deterioration of their property. Individuals and organizations can donate to this fund to further assist in repairing homes for families and individuals who qualify.

In other action, the county supervisors designated the voting representatives for the Iowa State Association of Counties. These individuals attend meetings specifically for the areas they serve and have voting rights at these meetings. Those representatives are as follows:

Iowa State Association of County Supervisors: April Ely, Mary Clausen, Rick Young

Iowa State Sheriffs' and deputies association: Alex Pruismann

Iowa County Attorneys Association: Patrick Chambers

Iowa State Association of County Auditors: Kim Schaa

Iowa State County Treasurers Association: Matt Matteson

Iowa County Recorders Association: Kim Anderson

Iowa County Engineers Association: Ryan Weidemann

Iowa State Association of ASsessors: Brenda Loftus

Iowa Emergency Management Association: Tim Zahn

County Conservation Directors Association of Iowa: Brian Lammers

Iowa Environmental Health Association: Brad Berg

Iowa Counties Public Health Association: Pam Harklau

Iowa Counties Information Technology Organization: Patrick Coons

Iowa Association of County Commissioners and Veterans Service officers: Amanda Kalkwarf.

In county reports, County Engineer Ryan Wiedemann reminded them that 370th Street between Ziegler Avenue and Zublin Avenue will be closed until September 16. Tim Zahn explained that the month of September is Emergency Preparedness month and encouraged everyone to develop a personal emergency plan. He also explained that there is an emergency fund being organized, and more information will be coming in the future.