The head of the state’s Department of Human Services says he’ll work with local officials…when the Mt. Pleasant Mental Health Institute closes…to find a way to use the complex for something else.
Chuck Palmer was the invited guest of local lawmakers Dave Heaton and Rich Taylor, at a weekend forum to discuss Governor Branstad’s decision to not fund the Mt. Pleasant or Clarinda mental health centers after June 30th. Heaton…a Republican like Branstad…has pledged to find a way to keep the Mt. Pleasant center open…..but the battle, he says, is not over.
Lee County Sheriff Jim Sholl voiced a common complaint among local officials — unfunded state mandates. And he says this qualifies. Lee and Des Moines Counties are currently sharing a jail diversion program coordinated by Kirstin Kramer, but the state doesn’t provide funding for effort.
