County will keep leasing building for office space

The Chickasaw County Board of Supervisors will continue to lease a building that currently houses the offices for the county attorney, emergency management and sanitarian.With that timeline in mind, the board will also seek proposals from architects on designing a new county building or addition, and members suggested some last-minute adjustments to the request for proposals (RFP) before approving to send it pending the revisions.The board took both actions with voice votes on Monday.FS Growmark was willing to extend its lease of the building at 1928 N. Linn Ave. in New Hampton with the county for the office building for six months past the December expiration until June 30, 2020, at the current rate, about $700 a month.Although the county asked, the lessor declined to extend the lease for just half the building.Outlining the need to send out the RFP timely, Chairman Jacob Hackman noted the County Attorney’s Office must be located inside New Hampton limits, per Iowa law. The facilities and resources of existing government departments should be used for emergency management “to the maximum extent practicable,” Iowa Code states (29C.12).— For more on this story, see the May 2 New Hampton Tribune.