At Monday’s Stuart City Council meeting, Economic Development Director Kristen Renslow presented on two grant opportunities for the Council’s consideration.

The first addresses dentistry options in Stuart. As of now, Stuart Dental is the only dentistry office in town. Fulfilling Iowa’s Need for Dentists (FIND) works with underserved or rural communities in Iowa to fill gaps in dental coverage. The program offers a $50,000 reward on an annual basis for the repayment of dental education debt, to be used over a three-year grant program. The Stuart community would be asked to contribute $100,000 over a five-year period to help with the debt reduction. In return, the dentist would be required to stay in the community for at least five years and allocate 35% of patient services to underserved populations. The Council took no formal action on the proposal.

Renslow also presented on the Iowa Department of Natural Resources’ Resource Enhancement and Protection (REAP) grant. Renslow did not disclose during the meeting what the funds would be used for, however she says the City applied for the full $75,000 award. The program allocates funds for parkland expansion and multi-purpose recreation developments.