Supervisors Table SEIDA Contract

Oskaloosa, Iowa – The Mahaska County Board of Supervisors were in regular session on Monday morning, September 16th, 2019.

On the agenda was the consideration of hiring SEIDA to handle the office of Mahaska County Relief for the County.

Mahaska County Supervisors Steve Parker says he’s been attending the SEIDA board meetings, “and to me, it looked like we was duplicating the services with our GA.”

Parker explained that he began to question if SEIDA could perform the task that current GA or general assistance employee Kim Newendorp. “I just can’t see us spending $50,000 to administer $100,000 worth of services. There’s got to be a cheaper way I felt.”

Parker believes the County should contract with SEIDA to administer the general assistance for Mahaska County.

Parker says that SEIDA would administer the program for $547.00 a month, versus the current administrator, who Parker says makes nearly $50,000 a year between salary and benefits. “To me it’s a no brainer.”

Newendorp was allowed to address the Supervisors during the meeting.

“Clearly I’m not in favor of this,” said Newendorp to the Board. “The information presented by Mr. Parker is not completely accurate.”

“We do not help all of the same clients, because they [SEIDA] only help with one utility with MidAmerica.”

“They currently don’t help with water, and they don’t help with rent,” explained Newendorp.

Newendorp explained that the information on SEIDA being a part of the process in Wapello County, and explained that the County still has a GA. “I discovered this week that they’ve [SEIDA] been sending people to me for the last six weeks, telling me they are out of money.”

Newendorp, who raised concerns about potential HIPAA violations by Mahaska County employees approximately a year ago, says that she’s been contacted by the Federal Department of Health and Human Services Office of Civil Rights on the complaint she filed.

“I’ve received notice that my complaint is moving forward.”

Newendorp then explained what a “Whistleblower” is.

“I consider this to be retaliation on the Board’s part because I have an active investigation going on against the County,” said Newendorp.”

“And it appears I’m the only one being fired today,” added Newendorp.

Newendorp then quoted Iowa Law in regards to whistleblower laws.

“I just find this timing suspicious,” added Newendorp.

Parker said he didn’t know anything about Newendorp’s HIPAA complaint. “I don’t think you can call this retaliation because I didn’t know anything about it.”

“It’s nothing against you personally,” said Parker to Newendorp.

Mahaska County Supervisors Board Chairman Mark Groenendyk said that during the budget process at the beginning of the year, they noticed that not all of the money from County Relief was being used every year. “I cannot justify taxing them $30,000 if we’re not going to use it.”

Those excess funds would have then returned to the Mahaska County General Fund for the next fiscal year.

Groenendyk argued that the County is paying an employee $50,000 a year with benefits when SEIDA says they can do the job for $6,500 a year.

Groenendyk said that they’d had a work session with SEIDA in regards to them taking over the General Relief for Mahaska County.

An initial search by Oskaloosa News into our emailed agenda’s doesn’t indicate that a public work session was held.

Groenendyk said that SEIDA said they would do the same process as the current GA, Kim Newendorp.

“I don’t believe that whole issue has any relevancy to what we are trying to do here,” said Groenendyk to Newendorp.

“It does because I have an active investigation going on against Mahaska County,” said Newendorp in response to Groenendyk. “And now you want to terminate me.”

“But you use the word retaliation. This has nothing to do with retaliation,” said Groenendyk to Newendorp.

The Supervisors then asked Mahaska County Attorney Andrew Riteland for advice on the current situation. He said legal advice would best be given in a more confidential setting.

The item was tabled until a later date by the Board.

The Supervisors also heard a report from the Oskaloosa Area Chamber and Development Group, as well as MCARD.

They also heard from Mahaska County Conservation Director Dave Sedivec. Sedivec highlighted some of the programs they recently held and looked forward to upcoming events including the annual youth outdoor field day.

In regards to a request from the City of Pella to include a small portion of Mahaska County to be included in the Lely Urban Renewal Plan, the Supervisors approved the resolution.

The Supervisors approved a preliminary Scott subdivision plat for three one-acre lots in East Des Moines Township.

A 28E between Mahaska County and the City of Fremont was approved.

The Board approved Employee Assistance Program contract with Southern Iowa Mental Center for county employees.

The Supervisors canvassed the North Mahaska Community School District on September 10th for Measure A, which had 525 votes. Of those, 454 voted Yes for the bond measure, while 71 voted No on the measure.

The next scheduled meeting of the Mahaska County Board of Supervisors is October 7th, 2019, at 9 am at the Mahaska County Courthouse.