Government : Benton County Board of Supervisor minutes 9/1/15

September 1, 2015

The Benton County Board of Supervisors met in regular session with Supervisors Frese, Hertle and Wiley present. The meeting was called to order at 9:00 a.m.

Moved by Hertle, seconded by Wiley, to approve the minutes of August 25, 2015. All members voting aye thereon. Motion carried.

Moved by Hertle, seconded by Wiley, to set September 29, 2015, at 9:15 a.m., as the time and date for a public hearing on a land use change requested by Pat and Nancy Jorgenson on a parcel located in the a Part of the SW1/4 of the SW1/4 of 32-86-10. All members voting aye thereon. Motion carried.

Moved by Wiley, seconded by Hertle, to approve check 216012 for payment of a squad car. All members voting aye thereon. Motion carried.

The board discussed the partial payment request for JJ Smith for work on the courthouse clock. Auditor Marlow explained that the county attorney informed her that the clock committee had approved payment of 80% of the invoice and that it was to paid this week and that the funds are not county funds and should not be subject to the board’s approval. Marlow advised the board that she believed the payment was subject to board approval. Supervisor Hertle stated that he was not aware that the payment needed to be made this week. Supervisor Wiley stated that he did not believe that the board should be approving payment of invoices outside of the normal payment schedule unless specific circumstances necessitated the payment. Moved by Hertle, seconded by Frese, to approve payment to JJ Smith for work on the courthouse clock. Voting aye were Frese and Hertle. Wiley voting nay. Motion carried. This matter was not on the agenda, but was acted upon due to the time requirement for payment of the invoice.

Moved by Wiley, seconded by Hertle, to approve the following employment related matters in the sheriff’s department:

Changes in employment classification status:

Whitney Stout – from full-time communications specialist to part-time communications specialist, effective August 31, 2015

Caitlin Schoenberger – from part-time communications specialist to full-time communications specialist, effective September 15, 2015, at a wage of $14.14 per hour

Dennis Eden – from part-time correctional officer to full-time correctional officer, effective September 15, 2015, at a wage of $15.24 per hour

New hire:

Gwen Vogeler – part-time communications specialist, effective September 15, 2015, at a training wage of $14.14 per hour

All members voting aye thereon. Motion carried.

Moved by Wiley, seconded by Hertle, to approve a Class B Liquor License for Blairstown Sauerkraut Days. All members voting aye thereon. Motion carried.

Moved by Hertle, seconded by Wiley, to accept the resignation of Connie Pickering from the Pioneer Cemetery Commission, effective this date. All members voting aye thereon. Motion carried.

Moved by Wiley, seconded by Hertle, to approve the appointment of Coleen Dickerson, Dan Johnson and Elana Johnson as Medical Examiner- Investigators and to acknowledge the resignation of Trey Meyers as a Medical Examiner-Investigator. All members voting aye thereon. Motion carried.

Moved by Hertle, seconded by Wiley, to approve the Benton County Annual Urban Renewal Report for Fiscal Year 2014-2015. All members voting aye thereon. Motion carried.

The time of 9:15 .m. having arrived, the board opened the public hearing on a land use change requested by Robert Edward Moore. Marc Greenlee presented the technical information in accordance with the Benton County Agricultural Land Use Preservation Ordinance. The change in use is for approximately 1 acre located in the N1/2 of the NE1/4 of 2-85-9. The request is to change the classification to a single residential use. A new septic would be needed for the residence; however an existing well will be utilized. Hearing no comment, it was moved by Hertle, seconded by Wiley, to approve the request for a land use change from agricultural to non-agricultural on approximately 1 acre for a single residential purpose on a parcel generally described as being located on a Part of the N1/2 of the NE1/4 of 2-85-9. All members voting aye thereon. Motion carried. The applicant is aware that any future housing or splitting may require the applicant to follow the county’s subdivision ordinance.

Representatives of the Benton County Conservation department, Benton County Soil and Water, City of Vinton, and IIHR Hydroscience & Engineering/Iowa Flood Center met with the Board regarding the creation of a Middle Cedar River Watershed Management Authority (WMA). Larry Weber presented information on the requirements and need for creating a WMA. The WMA is created through a 28E Agreement with the interested cities, counties, and Water and Soil Conservation Districts, lying within the watershed. Funding for the WMA is initially provided through federal Community Development Block Grants (CDBG) and if fully funded would provide $15,700,000 for administration and projects. The WMA’s purpose is to improve water quality, reduce soil loss, reduce the impact of flooding in the watershed, and provide environmental benefits in the watershed. The WMA has not condemnation authority and participation in projects is voluntary. Weber stated that one governmental entity must be willing to serve as the sub-recipient of the CDBG funds and recommended Benton County as the entire county lies within the Middle Cedar River watershed and approximately 80% of unmet recovery needs from Presidential Disaster Declarations of 2011, 2012, and 2013, were in Benton County. The board of supervisors expressed an interest in the WMA but took no action.

Conservation Board Member Dan Hill and Director Matt Purdy met with the board to request that Benton County grant management authority to conservation for property owned by the county in the SE1/4 of the SE1/4 of 18-82-10. The county owns approximately 19 acres east of Blairstown. Supervisor Wiley asked if the conservation board would be willing to designate their property commonly known as the Atkins Roundhouse Property as “no hunting” in exchange for management authority. Purdy responded that they would not be interested that designation. Supervisor Hertle added that the conservation board should reconsider allowing hunting that close to a city and with walking trails in the area. Supervisor Hertle stated that he wanted to speak with adjacent landowners prior to making any decision. Auditor Marlow added that the county could also sell the property. No action was taken.

Matt Purdy and Ben Bonar updated the board on the development of the county’s website. The site will go live in approximately four weeks with training and page development occurring during that four-week period. Auditor Marlow stated that “global administrators” needed to be designated by the supervisors. The global administrator will have full access to all pages on the website. Marlow stated that she was initially told that Purdy had designated 4 persons to serve as administrators and was seeking two more from her office. Marlow stated that she was not interested in being and administrator and questioned why so

many were needed – adding that when something goes wrong it will be difficult to narrow down with so many people having full access. Bonar stated that he would not have time to develop and maintain all of the webpages. The initial design of the website is to have pages that are developed and maintained by each individual department. The board advised that the global administrators are to train individual offices on matters relating to the website but are not to develop or access the offices’ website pages without authorization from that office. Moved by Wiley, seconded by Hertle, to designation Ben Bonar, Matt Purdy, Sheriff Forsyth, and Danelle Fowler as global administrators for the county’s website. All members voting aye thereon. Motion carried.

Moved by Wiley, seconded by Hertle, to approve an application for a utility permit submitted by Mediacom to place utility lines in the county’s right-of-way in sections 14 and 23 of Canton Township. All members voting aye thereon. Motion carried.

Moved by Hertle, seconded by Wiley, to adopt Resolution #15-69. Voting aye were Frese, Hertle, and Wiley. Nays none. Motion carried.

RESOLUTION #15-69

WHEREAS, the structure at this location has been replaced by a new structure and

WHEREAS, the new structure will no longer need a weight restriction,

BE IT THEREFORE RESOLVED by the Benton County Board of Supervisors that the weight restriction previously imposed on this structure be removed. The structure is located as follows:

MO-4450 0.4 mile east of the NW corner of section 35-85N-12W (Monroe Township) on 61st Street/E22

Signed this 1st day of September 2015.

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Chair, Board of Supervisors

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ATTEST: ____________________________________

Auditor

The board reviewed a draft of an ordinance allowing ATVs and UTVs to be used on the county’s secondary roads. Discussion included penalties and registration requirements as well as the illegal operations stated in the ordinance. No action was taken.

Moved by Hertle, seconded by Wiley, to recess until 1:00 p.m. All members voting aye thereon. Motion carried at 11:50 a.m.

The chair reconvened the meeting at 1:00 p.m. with all members present.

The board continued to work on the employee handbook by reviewing various policies.

Moved by Wiley, seconded by Hertle, to adjourn. All members voting aye thereon. Motion carried.

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Donald H. Frese, Chairman

ATTEST:

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Jill Marlow, Benton County Auditor