County Board rejects extension of Caretakers House

The Caretaker House at Winneshiek County's Wellington Place nursing home will be demolished.

Oneota Historic Future Alliance board member Jim Burns on Monday asked Winneshiek County supervisors for a two year extension on the group's contract with the county to allow it time to renovate the building and find a tenant for it.

But Burns admitted the group did not receive a grant to pay for the costs of preparing an application to the National Register of Historic Places for historic status for the building.  He also said he "could not with any certainty" promise that the group would find a renter for the building.

Supervisor John Logsdon noted that the projected cost of renovating the building to bring it up to code was $100,000.  Even if the OHFA received a grant, such a grant would probably require a local match of $50,000 in contributions, said Logsdon.

Supervisor Les Askelson made a motion to end the county's contract with OHFA, except to give it an additional five months to get the building moved or torn down.  That means the building must be gone by April 30th of next year, or OHFA will face financial penalties.  If the building isn't removed by June 15th, the county will remove the building itself and charge the costs to OHFA.

Supervisor Bill Ibanez said, "I don't understand the rush to tear it down," but he was the only dissenter as Askelson's motion passed 4-1.