City of Decorah wins $1 million CAC grant; county and city discuss recycling site and curbside options

Travis, representing the City of Decorah, told the board that a committee recommended and the full board approved a $1,000,000 CAC grant for the Decorah Athletic Complex. “The full board approved a $1,000,000 CAC grant to the city of Decorah for the Decorah Athletic Complex,” he said, and added that the city still needs about $128,000 to complete the full build-out of diamonds, lighting, concessions, pickleball courts and related amenities.

Travis credited the county’s contribution with helping secure eligibility for the larger award, noting the grant’s tourism threshold required the project to be viewed as drawing regional visitors from neighboring states. Board members congratulated the city and asked questions about site details and project phasing.

The discussion then turned to recycling: Decorah must relocate several recycling bins after the school reclaimed a lot used for collection. Travis said the county’s released portion of the Army Reserve lot and several temporary options have been examined but permanent fencing, pavement and ongoing illegal dumping complicate siting. “We’ve received that land released from the army reserve lease,” he said, describing a possible short‑term location, and noted the county has only limited interim options.

Board members and the city discussed alternatives, including contracting a curbside service with private haulers. Participants flagged two operational limits: the local processing facility is not currently configured for single‑stream recycling, and some curbside programs mix materials in ways the county facility cannot accept without reconfiguration. Several members suggested exploring a curbside sort contract, which could increase participation while preserving the county facility’s sorting requirements.

No formal vote occurred on recycling siting or contracts; staff were asked to continue exploring options and report back so the city can meet the school’s timing requirements.