Government : Benton Co. Board of Supervisor minutes, March 29

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. Motion carried.

Wiley Moved/ Hertle seconded: Enter into agreement with Mail Services, LLC to process tax statements. Motion carried.

The time of 9:15 a.m. having arrived, and this being the time and date for a hearing: Carol Offerman appeal of the sheriff’s order to remove a vicious animal under Benton County Ordinance #37, the Board took up the matter for consideration. Present for the hearing: Carol Offerman and her son and his girlfriend accompanied her, Deputy Sheriff John Lindaman, and Public Health Assistant Barbara Greenlee. The board heard comments as follows:

Offerman states that her dog has already been relocated to a friend in Cedar Rapids. She has had the dog since 4 weeks of age, it is now 7 months old. Given to her by her deceased boyfriend and states it is not a vicious animal. She owns a trailer in the Timber Ridge Trailer Court and a neighbor called in the complaint. She has a medical note stating she needs the dog for medical purposes. Deputy Lindaman said there was not a report of an attack, just a report of a pit bull at the Offerman residence. Offerman feels the neighbors are unhappy with her children in and out of her residence, and is possibly getting served with eviction papers. She has been living in Cedar Rapids since the dog was removed. Wiley feels she has a reasonably good case medically to appeal the ordinance but the way the Benton County ordinance states, her American Staffordshire Terrier, is considered a vicious animal. Hertle has mixed emotions, reminding Offerman that she gets to see her dog every day the way it stands since she travels to work in Cedar Rapids.

Hertle moved, Wiley seconded: to deny the appeal of Carol Offerman and affirm the order of the Benton County Sheriff’s Department to have the animal removed from Benton County pursuant to Benton County Ordinance #37, as the animal meets the definition of vicious under subsection 37.02(5)(d). Wiley added even if he’s in favor of denying this appeal, this is an ordinance he doesn’t typically agree 100% with. Motion carried.

The 2016 Grand Jury met with the board to discuss the current condition of county facilities and other matters.

Brad Miller, Access Systems met with the board to discuss 3rd party IT management options for Benton County.

Scott Hansen, Emergency Management Coordinator invited the Board to the EOC rehearsal drill on Tuesday April 5, 2016 at the Benton County EOC.

Moved Hertle/ Wiley seconded: to approve a request for a utility permit requested by Windstream to place copper utility lines in the county’s right-of-way in Iowa Township sections 21 and 28. Motion carried.

Hertle Moved/ Wiley seconded: to approve the Iowa Department of Transportation Bridge Replacement Project BROS-C006(100)-8J-06 in Leroy Township. Motion carried.

Wiley moved/ Hertle seconded: to accept resignation of Secondary Roads employee Daniel Higdon, affective May 27, 2016. Motion carried.

Hertle moved/Wiley seconded: To adjourn. Motion carried.

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Donald H. Frese, Chairman

ATTEST:

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Hayley Rippel, Benton County Deputy Auditor