Linn Co. Supervisors Debate Future of Youth Shelter

by Nicole Agee, Anchor/Reporter

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By Nicole Agee

Story Created: Jun 16, 2009 at 5:37 PM CST

Story Updated: Jun 16, 2009 at 5:37 PM CST

CEDAR RAPIDS - Last year's flood wiped out the Linn County Youth Shelter. Now the building in northwest Cedar Rapids could be demolished.

Since last July, the youth shelter has operated out of the Juvenile Detention Center near the Eastern Iowa Airport. FEMA funding could pay for a new building in Cedar Rapids, but shelter administrators need the support from the Linn County Supervisors.

the shelter wants to rebuild in town to move kids closer to their families and schools. But county supervisors are debating the future of the shelter as a whole and if it's even needed. "We're re-examining our youth shelter program from top to bottom," Supervisor Brent Oleson said.

That re-examination could be the beginning of the end for the Linn County Youth Shelter, a program that's hoping to rebuild and grow in Cedar Rapids. "There is an evolution of shelter care services and there's also some development of emergency services and we also believe we could facilitate that development better from a location in the Cedar Rapids area," says Jeff Werning, Coordinator of the Linn County Youth Shelter.

But some county supervisors say non-profit groups could provide youth services, a need they say is decreasing. "Some of us are asking questions on whether or not the county should be in this business anymore when we have perfectly qualified non-profits providing these services," says Oleson.

FEMA designated $964,000 to rebuild the shelter, but youth shelter administrators know the county can use it elsewhere. "The county has discretion to use 81% of those funds toward the rebuilding or repair of any other flood-affected building," says Werning.

The board faces a FEMA deadline at the end of this month to decide what to do. If they don't use the money for the shelter, Oleson says it will go to alternate projects that will be determined. But he says the board wants to make sure non-profits can absorb all the services the shelter provides.

The board will likely decide on this issue at its meeting on Tuesday.

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