The Johnson County Board of Supervisors amended a loan agreement totaling $1.2 million that will go to supporting peace officer equipment at their meeting Thursday. The board also declared September “Recovery Month” to spread awareness about substance abuse.
Finance Director Dana Aschenbrenner presented the amendment and provided background, stating that the funds in the agreement were originally going to be used on a building project for a county farm property during December 2023.
Aschenbrenner said that the county soon discovered that the loan exceeded the statutory amount they were allowed to finance a project with bonds.
The amendment called for the funds to be directed to another need of the county: emergency service equipment. The new loan agreement will use the $1.2 million to finance the acquisition of peace officer communication equipment and other emergency services communication equipment and systems.
Board Chair Rod Sullivan said they were going to need to use the $1.2 million for expanding peace officer equipment anyway, so this was a suitable solution.
Aschenbrenner described the bizarre nature of the amendment process, stating he believed it to be the first time in the county a loan agreement was amended through a public hearing process.
The board invited public comment, to which there was none, and passed the loan amendment with unanimous approval.
Although the month has passed, the board also designated September as “Recovery Month” in the hopes of raising awareness and advertising support for recovery from substance use and mental health disorders.
Speaking on behalf of Johnson County’s Community and Family Resources was Rachel Fry.
Fry illustrated the importance of raising awareness for mental health and substance use treatment, stating that statistics from 2022 show nearly one in four adults experience mental illness, and one in six Americans aged 12 and above suffer from substance use disorder.
Another goal of the proclamation was to erase the difficult stigma surrounding those who struggle with mental health and substance use and their efforts to overcome them.
“September may be over, but together, we make every month a month of recovery. And with your help and support and we continue to raise all of our voices, each reaching out to help each other dismantle the stigma, recovery is possible for even more people,” Fry said.
Fry particularly pointed to Iowa’s communal needs, stating that an alarming 48 hospital beds are all that are designated for extended care, including mental health and substance abuse, for the entire state.
She elaborated further, stating that Iowa has only two standing community-based withdrawal management, or detox, units as “everything else has been shut down.” This lack of extended care options causes mass migrations of struggling substance users to hospitals.
“Hospitals are overrun with substance use disorder issues,” she said. “They have nowhere to go.”
Fry thanked the Board for their attention and support in passing the proclamation.
Written in the proclamation was the statement that Johnson County “is committed to raising awareness of mental health and substance use disorders, providing access to support services, and eliminating the stigma associated with seeking treatment, ensuring that individuals can live full and healthy lives.”
The proclamation also “urges residents to learn more about addiction.”