DAKOTA CITY — The Humboldt County Board of Supervisors passed a resolution on Monday pledging full faith and credit for the Kiddie Cats Daycare Center project.

However, the vote was not unanimous. Supervisor Erik Underberg cast the sole opposing vote.

Humboldt County Economic Development Director Alissa Reinholdt, who is also chairperson of the day care board, spoke on behalf of the group. The group is in the process of financing $500,000 and fundraising the remaining $900,000 for the $1.4 million project. However, board members want to get the project off the ground quickly.

“What we intend to do is essentially borrow the funds to be able to construct the facility theoretically today,” Reinholdt said.

Reinholdt believes the support is there for the facility, but to kickstart the project the group is asking the Humboldt County Memorial Hospital, the city and the county to guarantee the payment so it can move forward. The group cannot get a loan without collateral. It is a nonprofit group with no credit history and no assets. The group needs cosigners for the loan. The hospital has already approved.

Two weeks ago the matter came before the Humboldt City Council, which passed a similar resolution. Councilmen John Sleiter, Jim Vermeer and Bret Davis voted in favor. Councilman Joel Goodell voted against and Councilman Kirk Whittlesey was absent.

The day care will also be a learning center and has a capacity of 110 children, but Reinholdt estimates the center could break even with at least 65 children.

Humboldt Community School District Superintendent Greg Darling said the school district has lost a few students because families have decided not to locate in Humboldt because of the lack of adequate child day care.

Underberg said the Board of Supervisors represents generally rural residents.

“My constituency is concerned with this whole project,” he said “What does it mean to them? As a member of the Board of Supervisors, I want to know what the benefit to the county is. We are putting our name on the line potentially to guarantee funds to get things up and running.”

No one wants to pay more taxes for day care, he said.

“It is not going to be an issue with the people in the county that are not using it unless they get levied more taxes and they end up paying for something they are not using,” he said. “The whole theory of the ‘Field of Dreams’ if you build it they will come concerns me just a little bit.”

No one will complain if it is a success but “there will be a ferocious uproar if it gets signed, the money is defaulted on, it gets passed and the citizens of the county end up paying money for something they don’t use and some of them really don’t want,” he said.

Reinholdt said she understand the concerns, but added that the group would not be pushing for a day care if it was not needed. Having a day care will help economic development, will attract new people and new industries and keep existing industries from leaving, she said. The county would only be responsible for the $200,000 portion of the loan it is backing, Reinholdt said.

Underberg pointed out that the facility will be in Dakota City and people in other communities may not be benefited much.

However, Darling said the majority of the jobs in the county are in the Humboldt/Dakota City area and that is where people will be driving to work.

Darling is also superintendent of Twin Rivers School District and there is a shortage of day care providers there as well. The principal there gets calls from parents looking for day care.

“This is going to increase the assessed valuation,” Supervisor Carl Mattes said. ”It is going to help everybody throughout the county whether they have day care needs or not they are going to get their taxes benefited by economic growth.”