Supervisors Reject Funding and Grant Support for Decorah Athletic Complex

Be the reason your community stays informed—give to local journalism now! The Winneshiek County Board of Supervisors on Monday rejected a request to provide funding for Decorah's proposed athletic complex and voted against assisting the city in applying for a state Community Attraction and Tourism (CAT) grant. Supervisor Shirley Vermace asked the board to consider committing $5,000 in county support for the project, which city officials said was necessary to show local buy-in for the CAT grant. The grant could have potentially brought up to $500,000 in state funding for the multi-million-dollar complex. The motion failed on a 3-2 vote, with Vermace and Supervisor Mark Faldet in favor, and Supervisors Mark Vick, Steve Kelsay and Chair Dan Langreck against. Supervisors who opposed the request cited concerns about fiscal responsibility. Langreck said, "This whole thing was done wrong from the start. We don't have the funding. Sure, you can say 'take it out of next year's budget or budget for three years,' We don't know what that budget's going to be the next three years… it'd be fiscal irresponsibility on this board's part if we pledge money we do not have." Kelsay said county funds should be reserved for existing obligations, noting the need to pay for HR-related costs. Vick said he "didn't care if it was a dollar or a hundred thousand," adding, "It's the principle of the whole deal… this should have been started three, four, or five years ago planning to do this. They could have come to us and done something." Vermace said the small contribution would have been a good investment and called the decision "shortsighted." After the motion failed, she added, "Sorry, Winneshiek County." With the county declining to participate, Decorah officials said the city cannot apply for the CAT grant. "The county will not be contributing any funds to the project and we are ineligible for the CAT grant… so we will not be submitting that as a result," City Manager Travis Goedken told the council Monday evening. City council members voiced disappointment over the supervisors' decision. Council Member Steve Zittergruen said, "I'm pretty disappointed… with the decision that the Winneshiek County Supervisors made today… but I also don't think that good governance means a quick or big reaction or a counter." Council Member Emily Neal was more blunt: "I'm not disappointed, I'm angry. I think it's unfair… the county has essentially taken a hand we extended and said 'Partner with us,' and literally spit on it. That's what it feels like to me." Neal also pointed to unnecessary feelings of division between Decorah residents and rural Winneshiek County residents. "We're not even an urban town… we are all living in rural America. I do think at some point we need to recognize in Winneshiek County that Decorah is as much a part of the county as the county is a part of us," she said. Become a part of the exclusive circle! Subscribe to the newsletter for free and gain access to special offers, bonus content and insider perks.