Government : Benton County Board of Supervisor Minutes 8/18/20 (Special Session)

August 18, 2020

The Benton County Board of Supervisors met in special session with Supervisors Primmer, Bierschenk and Seeman present. The meeting was called to order at 11:15 a.m. Members of the public were provided the zoom access capability to join in during open session and watch live at the county's YouTube channel. Unless otherwise noted, all actions were approved unanimously.

Scott Hansen, Emergency Management Director provided background on the weather event that hit Benton County, along with 21 other counties in Iowa, occurring on Monday, August 10. Hansen provided an overview of some of the damage, along with how after the storm, all communications were off. Most of the microwaves were turned east, so the county could barely page or talk with emergency officials. By the end of the week, they had partial communications and electricity back. Hansen commended all the organizations and numerous officials for helping their communities. The good news is for Benton County and all of the cities is that public assistance is now open in all categories. Now it's a matter of doing the formal damage assessment process. Just like 2011, we're going to recover from this, although the landscape is going to look a little different. This was a "big" one!

Hansen provided the officials with the FEMA information and links and will continue to update with all the emails that will go along with this process.

Seeman moved//Bierschenk seconded: To adjourn. Motion carried.

_______________________________

Rick Primmer, Chairman

ATTEST: _________________________________

Hayley Rippel, Benton County Auditor