Council continues backing regional Extension center

Le Mars Mayor Dick Kirchoff said Tuesday the city is continuing its efforts for location of a regional Iowa State University Extension Center in Le Mars.

City representatives have continued to meet with members of the Plymouth County Extension Council on the possibility the center, aware that Sioux City may be moving in a similar direction to have the center housed there.

A recent downsizing of the current Extension office has resulted in planned elimination of county Extension directors and in designating Plymouth, Woodbury and Monona Counties as a three-county region.

Kirchoff indicated Monona County is not interested in being a possible regional center.

He told members of the Le Mars City Council Tuesday the city will be filing its proposal for housing the regional site locally with state Extension officials by the June 1 deadline.

Kirchoff added that more information from the Plymouth County Extension Council in regards to its possible needs from the city for a county office is anticipated after a May 26 meeting.

Consequently the mayor recommended the city council table action on an earlier agreed upon lease agreement with the Extension for office facilities on the former Westmar campus.

County Extension Director Carol Schneider, last month had said the Extension "felt uncomfortable" executing the list in the wake of the reorganization effort.