County hears
child-care update
Staff writer
County commissioners got an update Monday on a child care center being developed in Hillsboro.
Extension agent Tristen Cope, Safe Kids coordinator Erin Hein, and city administrator Matt Stiles, all of whom are board members for the project, which started in 2019, talked about the center at Trinity Mennonite Church.
Hein told commissioners the building had sufficient space to be used for other community purposes.
The group’s goal is to serve 99 children with eight lead teachers, nine assistant teachers, a director, a receptionist, and staff of 20 to 25.
Estimated start-up cost is $2 million, including renovation.
Annual expenses are estimated at $60,000 a year in excess of whatever the center would make from fees.
If businesses want to recruit employees, but child care is not available, employees won’t come, Hein said.
Hillsboro city council hired a proposal writer to apply for a community development block grant. Grants will be announced in March.
“If everything goes as planned, we could probably start taking kids in early 2024,” Stiles said.
Trinity Mennonite has said it would deed over the church.
In other business Monday, commissioners:
- Agreed to purchase for the county attorney’s office $30,000 in software that would allow law enforcement officers to enter information on criminal cases. The software also has a yearly $2,700 fee.
- Agreed to purchase for the road and bridge department a $17,245 PubWorks phone app that would allow residents to submit work requests and get reports. Also to be bought are tablets at $199 each and a $4,000 annual fee.