County board declines to fund sustainability study; City council will wait to decide on additional funding

The Winneshiek Energy District ran into a setback on Monday when the Winneshiek County Board declined to help fund a countywide Sustainability Plan.

The group had asked the county to pay for $3,125 of the costs of the $10,000 plan. Supervisors Bill Ibanez told the other supervisors "the investment is minimal." But Ibanez's motion to fund the study failed to get a second. Other supervisors said the county board was already working with Upper Exploreland Regional Planning Commission on planning issues.

Winneshiek Energy District officials then met with the Decorah City Council Monday night. The city council earlier agreed to a total of #3,765 in funding of sustainability planning related costs. Winneshiek Energy District representative Carolyn Corbin asked the city council to consider funding the $3,125 that the county board rejected. However, the city council voted instead to ask its Community Betterment Committee to meet March 1st to make a recommendation on the request for additional funding.

Winneshiek Energy District official Andy Johnson says his group could apply for grants from Alliant energy and from Black Hills Energy to cover some of the remaining costs of the study.