March 28, 2024

HIRTA numbers picking up with new services

The Jasper County Board of Supervisors approved the funding allocation of $32,785 to Heart of Iowa Regional Transit Agency Tuesday. The board stopped short of approving an additional $18,113 that was requested for a local match to replace one bus.

“The problem with that (the matching funds) is we should have been hearing about this in January when budgets are set for next year,” Supervisor Dennis Stevenson said. “We didn’t put any money in next year’s budget (to match funds). We’ll have to figure that out but we just absolutely need to hear from you guys by the first of January.”

Executive Director Julia Castillo said she understood the timeline for budgeting and will work to have requests in to be considered by the board. She also described the work that HIRTA has been doing in Jasper County and why they have not asked for any additional money, besides for matching funds which is required to receive federal funds.

“Our ridership is so good here is Jasper County, our expenses haven’t gone up, we just keep adding people to the services that we already have. The actual cost of the trip is staying relatively the same even though our ridership is going up,” Castillo said.

HIRTA has also started several new services including trips to Des Moines, expanded night and weekend services and a collaboration with the Newton Convention and Visitors Bureau and the Iowa Speedway for race day shuttles.

“We partnered with the speedway to provide shuttle services which has been going really well,” Castillo said.

She said the first weekend for the shuttle was a little slow but now that word has been getting out, the numbers grew at the second Speedway event last weekend.

Although the board did not more forward with matching funds for the new bus, it said that after receiving paperwork from the company it would begin to look further into the second request.

The board also approved a proclamation to support the Stepping Up Initiative brought before the supervisors by Jody Eaton of Central Iowa Community Services. The nationwide initiative recognizes the critical role local and state officials play in supporting change and hope to help advance counties’ efforts to reduce the number of adults with mental and co-occurring substance use disorders in jails.

“The initiative is about creating a long-term, a national movement, not a moment in time, to raise awareness of the factors contributing to the over-representation of people with mental illnesses in jail and then using practices and strategies that work to drive those numbers down,” Eaton said.

All three supervisors voiced their support for the initiative.

“I think this a move in the right direction and I highly support this,” Stevenson said.

Contact Jamee A. Pierson at 641-792-3121 ext. 6534 or jpierson@newtondailynews.com