County board splits votes on funding day care center

On a split vote, Rock County Commissioners decided on Feb. 7 to assist the city of Luverne with a day care facility.
The commissioners voted 3-2 to give $250,000 toward the estimated $6.3 million remodel of the former Total Card Inc. office building on Roundwind Road.
The county will provide an additional $200,000, contingent on if the project’s construction goal is met.
Minutes prior to the split vote, commissioners declined to grant the city the entire $450,000 in another split vote.
While commissioners Greg Burger and Stan Williamson recognized the need for more local day care, they voted twice not to allocate money toward the city of Luverne project.
Burger said it’s about the money and who is responsible paying for it.
“I keep hearing this is somehow becoming an essential service, and I don’t agree with it,” Burger said.
“I don’t think the taxpayers in Luverne and Rock County should be held responsible for providing day care. It is not law enforcement. It is not public assistance. It just should not be categorized as an essential service.”
Luverne officials purchased the 30,000-square-foot building in 2021 and will lease the space to a third party to operate the day care.
Once renovations are complete, the facility will be able to care for 168 newborn- through school-aged children.
Various applications have been made for state and federal financial assistance in order to complete the project.
In December the city received a $2.6 million federal grant. A $3.4 million request with the state may be reconsidered as legislators look to pass a bonding bill this spring.
City officials asked county commissioners to support a portion of the remodeling costs.
“I don’t see very many communities in this state or any other state under 5,000 people willing to spend that kind of money on a day care facility,” Burger said.
“Especially when you can look around in other communities in our area and see they spend about half of that building new construction and they are providing the service for the same amount of kids.”
Chairman Sherri Thompson voted in favor of the county funding the day care project.
“I feel like, along with housing and other things, day care is something that we need,” she said.
“I feel it is borderline essential for that need and for what we want to do to grow our county.”
She pointed to the recently organized county economic development committee and its focus to bring more businesses into the county.
New businesses could bring more families interested in living in Rock County.
Williamson, whose District 2 encompasses the western half of Rock County, said he is also concerned about the high price tag for the day care project while seeing no need for the service among his constituents.
He pointed to the city of Hills project where a former business suite is being remodeled into three separate family day cares.
Once finished, the Hills facility appears to cover the needs of families in the southern areas of his district.
His northern constituents near Beaver Creek and Jasper indicate Luverne is not near their work areas.
“They just don’t think they will use it,” Williamson said. “They are just too far away (15 and 25 miles) and they work in the opposite direction.”
Commissioner Jody Reisch supported allocating a portion of the federal funds the county received for covid relief toward the building remodel, but not to operational costs.
“We just don’t know what the future brings. I think an investment in a facility like that, that there’s a value there,” he said.
“We can disagree on the cost and everything — it is the city’s responsibility to figure out how to fund the rest of it. I just want to show a little goodwill and help them out a bit.”
Commissioner Gary Overgaard suggested the compromise, switching his vote to support the day care allocation to the city of Luverne.
“I have more questions than answers about money,” he said. “That’s my issue. I’m not saying we don’t need day care. I think the case is that we do.”
 
Uses portion of $1.8 million for day care
Rock County received more than $1.8 million in 2021 and 2022 as part of the federal American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA).
Prior to the Feb. 7 commissioners meeting, a balance of $474,000 remained.
When commissioners received notification about the federal funds in 2021, they agreed to focus on infrastructure needs around the county.
They set aside $700,000, indicating there was $100,000 available for each of the seven cities located in the county.
Luverne indicated they would use their $100,000 toward the day care project.
Other cities used the funds to improve streets, sewer systems and other infrastructure improvements.
Other allocations were as follows:
•The rural water systems of Rock County and Lincoln-Pipestone received $100,000 each for system improvements.
•The city of Hills received a second $100,000 allocation toward its day care project.
•Rock County Agricultural Society ($122,000) for sanitary supplies and a mobile stage.
•Alliance Communications ($31,600) for internet services at the Land Management Office.
•Servicemaster ($62,563) for duct cleaning at the courthouse and health and human services building.
• Sanford Luverne ($42,400) for a power cot.
•Generations ($325) for an EDA event.
•Rock County EDA ($75,000) for operational expenses.