North Lee group gives another $150K to Meller Health Center

LEE COUNTY – The North Lee County Community Foundation delivered another check to Lee County Supervisors on Tuesday.
The $150,000 contribution brings their total contribution to $650,000 to help offset the costs of the Meller Family Health Center currently under construction on Fort Madison’s west side where the former Iowan Motor Lodge was located.
Supervisor Chuck Holmes made the presentation to the county on behalf of the foundation. Holmes is a member of the foundation's board of directors.
“This is the third installment. Previously there have been two other installments so this $150,000 check brings the contribution of the North Lee Foundation up to $650,000,” Holmes said.
Foundation chairman Roger Ricketts has been working to collect private donations on the building for three years, since the project was announced. 
“I asked Roger (Ricketts) if this is it, and he says he's still working on acquiring additional donations and so, hopefully, there will be a fourth installment. But he said it's probably not going to be until late in the year so don't count on another installment next month.”
Holmes said the foundation is still accepting private donations that are tax deductible and those can be made at the foundation’s website https://www.northleecf.org/community.

Last week, several county officials toured the building, including Lee County Health Department Administrator Michele Ross. The building will house LCHD and the Lee County EMS Fort Madison ambulance operations.
Ross characterized the building as amazing based on her tour and said the staff was very excited about getting into the building in the fall.
“It’s so nice. It’s going to be wonderful,” she said.
Currently the county has put about $1.3 million dollars of America Rescue Act Plan funds into the construction. A Community Development Block Grant of $600,000 has also been applied to the cost. The USDA has about $3 million in federal funds allocated to the project as last-in funding. Estimates of the cost of the building came in at about $5.5 million with some additional costs being realized in the Build America Back Again Act which requires specific construction materials be purchased from domestic suppliers.
Supervisors are conservatively estimating the building to be ready to move into in October with a price tag closer to $6 million which would leave the county $750,000 to a million short. Additional funding streams are being investigated, but the county may have to use reserve funds to finish the project depending on what other private and public funds can be secured prior to that time.
County Facilities Director Mark Klesner said construction through Carl A. Nelson is going according to schedule.
“They’re on schedule. We toured it last week and it looks pretty good,” he said.