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Someone recently asked me how many stories I've written about the new Iowa County Health & Human Services building. A quick count last week shows that in the six years since the county started the process of developing a plan for a building it has been mentioned 109 times in this newspaper. The actual discussion on the need for a new space for the social service offices started in 1998.

After the county board voted 11-10 last October to move ahead with the actual building, the fun really started. What ensued was a reporters dream. An organized public outrage, a petition drive to force a referendum, two lawsuits and 11 new county board members all in the matter of six months. Meanwhile the building is going ahead as planned.

Now there is a move going on by some county board members to try to suspend the project. Next Wednesday night the county board will hold a special meeting, which will hopefully bring a lot of issues to a head. The board will be able to have their questions answered regarding all aspects of the building by the professionals who not only are building it, but also designed it. Legal counsel will be attending to deal with any questions on process and contracts.

The meeting is needed not only to clear up a lot of misinformation but will also allow all 21 members of the board to get everything out on the table regarding the building. I'm a firm believer in dissention and debate, but it needs to be in the open.

In a matter of two weeks since this board has been sworn into office there has been a lot of activity behind the scenes which isn't healthy for any board. My advice to new members is they need to remember they aren't the candidate anymore, but an elected official. You are under an entire different set of laws and rules. For full disclosure I should note that I've been trained very well by the Wisconsin Newspaper Association on open meeting laws, walking quorums, illegal business by email and government ethics.

There is a lot of history on this building and it should be researched by new board members. While you might not agree with the project, it might help to understand how it came about. An example of this is a move by some to change the parking lot design. The planned parking lot will have islands and trees to blend in with the residential area. This came about because at one point the neighbors were asked what kind of building and area they would like to see. The parking lot design was a result of their input. However, not knowing the history, some supervisors want to turn the parking lot into a "Wal-Mart" plaza. This proposed change is already not sitting well with the neighborhood.

Regardless of how you feel about this building, the fact remains that the project is proceeding. The county has borrowed $5.3 million for it, which the taxpayers will need to pay back. What needs to be weighed in this equation is if any suspension/stoppage of this building will actually save money or cost the taxpayers more.

From what I'm hearing on the streets around the county is people are paying attention. The outrage over the building itself could easily turn to outrage over additional costs. The taxpayer pendulum swings and supervisors that got elected over this building issue need to make sure it doesn't swing back and knock them out of their seat.

As one new supervisor told me last week, "Things look a little different on this side of the table."