Upper Explorerland board approves buying building in Decorah

The on-again, off-again move some employees of Upper Explorerland Regional Planning Commission is on-again.

The UERPC Board has voted 16-2 to purchase the former Bruening Rock Products building in Decorah.  The move means slightly over half of the agency's 26 employees at its Postville office will move to Decorah.

Upper Explorerland hopes to share space in the Decorah building with employees of the Decorah office of Iowa Workforce Development.  The agency currently has its offices in the Hawkeye Plaza.

The UERPC Board voted in September to purchase Decorah building.  But the Postville City council filed an injunction request, alleging that board's decision was made in violation of the Iowa's Open Meetings Law.  A judge ruled in favor of the Postville City Council, but did not prevent the Upper Explorerland Regional Planning Commission Board from taking a second vote on the issue at a later date.