Government : Benton County Board of Supervisor Minutes 12/26/23

December 26, 2023

The Benton County Board of Supervisors met in special session with Supervisors Seeman, Primmer and Bierschenk present. The meeting was called to order at 9:00 a.m. at the Benton County Service Center. Members of the public are invited to join in during open session or watch the livestream at https://www.youtube.com/bentoncountyiowa.

Unless otherwise noted, all actions were approved unanimously.

Summarized Resolutions will be available in the Auditor's office and at: www.bentoncountyia.gov

Bierschenk moved/Primmer seconded: To approve the minutes of Tuesday, December 19, 2023. Motion carried.

Primmer moved/Bierschenk seconded: To approve payroll checks numbered 143089 through 143095, ACH Deposits 55425 through 55569, vendor checks numbered 248434 through 24841 and claims numbered 248442 through 248566. Motion carried.

Primmer moved/Bierschenk seconded: To approve ARPA Fund Claims as follows: Racom-$410,125.25, Edwards Plumbing and Heating-$6,995.00 and Iowa Natural Heritage Foundation from Local Tribal-$90,000. Motion carried.

Auditor Hayley Rippel discussed a few quotes received for a budget mailing which is required to send out critical information to taxpayers regarding the new property tax laws outlined in House File 718. This mailer has to inform taxpayers of their local school, city and county budget hearings and asking tax rates and there will be a short window from getting the information downloaded into our software from the state and uploaded to the mailing services. This could require a budget amendment for postage also. Masters Touch is the company currently used by Treasurer for the tax statements and are familiar with our software, they came in lower per mail piece than did Mail Services.

Mail Services statement pricing-$.074 per printed statement and Masters Touch was $.045. Primmer moved/Bierschenk seconded: To authorize Auditor Rippel to pursue and sign the agreement with Masters Touch Services to do the budget mailing to taxpayers due to House File 718. Motion carried.

Tracy Achenbach, Executive Director for East Central Iowa Housing Trust Fund presented their FY 25 Budget Request. The amount of asking stayed the same as last year-$5,387.00. These funds are used toward the Trust Fund's application for state housing trust fund dollars, which requires the 25% match. In FY 24 $272,447 was awarded in Benton County to help 29 households.

Committee reports:

Tracy Seeman gave a report on the landfill and how the demolition of the old Herring Hotel added about 652 tons of debris.

Supervisor Primmer reported on the Central Iowa Juvenile Detention.

Doug Cook asked the board about the dogs and progress on the gravel road that was discussed last week.

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

_____________________________ Tracy Seeman, Chairman ATTEST: _________________________________ Hayley Rippel, Benton County Auditor