Government

The next regular meeting of the Benton Soil and Water Conservation District Commissioners will be held on Wednesday, April 20, 2016, at the District Office, located at 1705 West D Street, Vinton, IA.  The meeting will begin at 8:00 a.m.   Agenda items include:  review of minutes, review of treasurer’s report and payment of bills, review of conservation plans, review of activities and bills for the Benton/Tama Nutrient Reduction Strategy Watershed Project, discussion of the District’s Annual Plan, an update on NRCS activities, state cost share business, correspondence, and other routine business.

BOARD OF SUPERVISORS MEETING April 12, 2016 at 9:00 a.m. Benton County Board of Supervisors Room 1. 9:00 A.M. Call to Order 2. 9:15 a.m. Marc Greenlee Re: Land use hearing for Coots Materials Company S ½ NW ¼ Sec 28-T86N-R10W 3. Approve Sheriff’s Quarterly Report 4. Approve Relief’s Quarterly Report 5.

VINTON—The 1st District Democratic Committee is hosting a Congressional Forum with Democratic candidates Monica Vernon and Pat Murphy in Vinton on April 29. The Old Main Auditorium on the campus of the Iowa Braille School, 1002 G Ave, Vinton will be the site of the forum. Doors open at 6:30 pm; the forum begins at 7:00 pm. Vernon and Murphy are seeking to unseat first-term Congressman Rod Blum of Dubuque.

The Benton County Republicans monthly meeting will be held Tuesday, April 12th, at the Van Horne Community Center beginning at 7:00 p.m. We will be discussing the district and state conventions as well as upcoming county events.

The regular monthly meeting of the Benton County Democrats will be held on April 19, 2016 at LaReyna Mexican Restaurant in Vinton on 4th Street West.  Our meeting will be at 7:00pm and plan to come early  if you want to eat.  We will be planning the District convention that will be held at Benton Community School on April 30, 2016.

March 29, 2016 The Benton County Board of Supervisors met in regular session with all members present.  The chair called the meeting to order at 9:00 a.m. Unless otherwise noted, all actions were approved unanimously. Wiley moved/Hertle seconded:  Approve minutes of March 22, 2016.  Motion Carried. Hertle moved/Wiley seconded: Approve Chairman to sign Wellmark’s health insurance renewal documents for FY 17.

Congressman Rod Blum's staff will be hosting local office hours in Vinton on Tuesday, April 12. Staff will be on hand at the Vinton Public Library from 10:00 AM to 11:30 AM to hear the concerns of Benton County residents.    This is a great opportunity to have your voice heard in person, especially for those who cannot make it to our permanent offices, or for those who would rather interact face-to-face with congressional staff.

BOARD OF SUPERVISORS MEETING April 5, 2016 at 9:00 a.m. Benton County Board of Supervisors Room   1. 9:00 A.M. Call to Order 2. Approve minutes 3. Reports – committee meetings, liaison, Etc. 4. 9:05 a.m. Daniel Stramer and Mineard Smith Re: Variance to Subdivision on a parcel in the NE¼ NE ¼ of 27-82-10 5.

I don’t often like to talk about myself. I prefer to focus on the things we are doing for Iowa in our work at the Capitol. However, on Wednesday, I was honored to receive the annual Herbert Hoover Uncommon Public Service Award.   The award is given each year by the Hoover Presidential Foundation to a member of the Senate and a member of the House who have dedicated their time to public service and humanitarian projects.

The deadline for filing for the June 7 Primary Election for county, state and federal offices has passed.  Several people filed papers for county supervisor in the past few days. Incumbent Terry Hertle is the only Democratic candidate for the District 2 seat. Republicans who filed papers in District 2 include Kevin Halstead, Richard Primmer and Thomas Wiese.