Chronicle Editorial

By: 
Chronicle Staff

Planning for progress

 

Unless you’ve been living underneath a rock for the past two weeks, you’ve probably heard about the new $4 million housing development planned for downtown Hampton. The project, dubbed “The 101,” is scheduled for completion in December 2015 and will feature 26 quality apartment units. You can read all about it in this week’s newspaper.

                A $3.1 million state-funded housing grant played a huge role in making the project possible. KL Holdings owners Kyle Pralle and Landon Plagge secured the grant with the help of the Franklin County Development Association and other agencies, and it’s certainly no small feat. The project beat out competition from larger communities to receive the grant. The 101 is worthwhile development, and the state’s $3.1 investment proves that quite succinctly.

                Hampton and greater Franklin County has needed a large housing development for a while. Quality housing can be difficult to find sometimes, and The 101 will help alleviate some of those problems down the road. Many mid-sized businesses have expanded in our area and ensuring quality housing for a growing workforce is a vital investment in the future.

                Though some residents hold reservations about the building, Plagge and Pralle’s openness with the community has been commendable. They realize this is a community project and they’ve communicated their intentions quite clearly. Ground has yet to be broken, but The 101 is an exciting development that will help Hampton and Franklin County build towards future success.

 

Mental health care cuts need more consideration

 

Of the many legislative ideas tossed around last week in Des Moines, one plan in particular stood out and raised more than a few eyebrows. Gov. Terry Branstad suggested closing two of Iowa’s four state-funded mental health institutions in his 2015-16 budget proposal. The plan would save the state millions of dollars each year, but the lawmakers must proceed with caution before going all-in on the governor’s suggestion.

     Officials have discussed closing portions of the inpatient mental health institutions at Clarinda and Mount Pleasant for years. Critics say the facilities are outdated, sparsely populated and extremely expensive to operate. Patient numbers have declined significantly over the past few decades, and it’s also becoming more difficult to recruit high-quality mental health physicians to rural areas. The institutions’ ship has sailed, they say, and it’s time to start the process of reform.

     Portions of these criticisms hold merit. Mental health care has seen marked advancement over the years, and gone are the times of overcrowded state institutions and poor treatment. Many patients are able to cope with their illness with medication and other therapy closer to home. They don’t need to get shipped off to inpatient facilities at Clarinda, Mount Pleasant, Cherokee or Independence anymore, which is a step in the right direction.

     However, the governor’s plan seems quite hasty. He claims current patients at Clarinda and Mount Pleasant could transfer to the remaining two state-funded facilities, but that proposal is certainly questionable. It could strain care staff and resources at Cherokee and Independence while distancing patients from their families. Closing Clarinda and Mount Pleasant would also cut the number inpatient psychiatric beds in southern Iowa by half, according to the Des Moines Register, which is an alarming number by anyone’s standards.

     It’s clear Branstad’s proposal needs more fine-tuning. If facilities in Clarinda and Mount Pleasant are as outdated and unused as he and his administration claim, then it’s time to reform the system and start implementing new policies. However, abruptly cutting funds isn’t the way to do that, and developing more thorough alternative care options is a vital step moving forward. Closing the Clarinda and Mount Pleasant care facilities isn’t a new idea by any means, but it shouldn’t happen at the drop of a hat.

     Many lawmakers and health officials were taken aback by the governor’s proposal. It’s clear this issue will get its due diligence during the 2015 General Assembly, which is important. Mental health care is a critical issue that deserves our legislators’ utmost attention and thorough analysis.

Hampton Chronicle

9 Second Street NW
Hampton, IA 50441
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