Government : Benton County Board of Supervisor Notes 10/1/24

A relatively short agenda was given for Tuesday's Benton County Board of Supervisors. Gary Bierschenk and Tracy Seeman were present with Rick Primmer attending remotely.

The meeting began promptly at 9:00 a.m. with the Pledge of Allegiance and call to order. With the agenda and minutes approved the board moved quickly into the business at hand.

Discussion and action was taken on the tax abatement for Parcel #240-88575. This was concerning the taxes on the Independent Baptist Church property taxes on the building bought from ACT I. The taxes are already paid. The request was denied.

Discussion moved on to the tabled action of Vinton Unlimited's application for use of courthouse grounds/facility for the Holiday Parade on November 21, with the parade at 6:00 p.m and a time to meet Santa in the Courthouse following.

Approval was granted for the Law Enforcement contract between the Benton County Sheriff's office and the City of Blairstown for 10 hours a week at $32.50 per hour.

Benton County Engineer. Myron Parizek requested approval of a resolution for wage and classification change for Ron Ragen to $28.23 per hour and labor grade classification would go from a 5A to a 5B. Approval was granted.

Wayne Gibney discussed road treatment on 74th St., Atkins they would like to move forward with road treatment. Parizek explained that there is a 1200 ft. section that Gibney and the neighbors currently treat for dust control, but they would like to have it seal coated at a cost of $58,500. The group of residents will pay for half of it and the county pays the other half broken into a single one-time payment or broken into five equal payments with interest due in September at tax time. The three neighbors would like to just pay it up front. A contract will be drawn up for approval at a later date. The group would like it to be taken care of this year. Parizek said that costs continue to rise. The question was asked that if costs rise, would residents have to make up the difference or would the county eat the costs. The county would agree to cover any increase.

Matt Even conducted a Land Use hearing for Chad Albert, to install a mobile home on approximately one acre of ground. The legal description is as follows: part of Parcel A, in the NE 1⁄4, of the NE1/4, and part of parcel B, in the SE 1⁄4, of the NE 1⁄4, of Sec 27, T84N, R10W or six miles south/southeast of Vinton in Section 27 in Eden Township. It is located on a 5.42 acre. parcel with a land production rate of 87 but it has not been in agricultural production since the 1930s.

An existing driveway will be used to access the property. 26th Ave. only has approximately 15 vehicles on it a day, a private sewage system will need to be installed. A well drilled in 1970 will be used. The property is surrounded on all sides by row crops. Notices were sent out to neighboring property owners with no response. Approval was granted for the land use change.

Rick Grimm and Tim Meyer came before the board to discuss the speed limit on 64th Street coming into Shellsburg, They said that when people leave town the speed limit is 25 mph and then when drivers pass the railroad tracks, people take off. The two would like to get the traffic slowed down because of the multiple driveway entrances in that stretch of road. Grimm would like to add a no-passing zone from the railroad tracks to past the bridge as well as dropping the speed limit to 35 mph past the bridge. The two were concerned about possible accidents in that stretch of road.

Parizek explained that in order to change the speed limit on the road an engineering and traffic study would have to be done according to Iowa State Law. He also thought that there had been a 35 mph. sign there before the derecho. He went on to explain that the IDOT (Iowa Department of Transportation) had been used before to do traffic studies and Parizek said that it could be reviewed. He said that he could add no passing lines approaching the railroad but will check into that section of the road.

Under reports - committee meetings, liaison, etc...

Primmer - Last week he had two meetings Iowa Workforce Development and Central Iowa Detention that overlapped. There are old invoices out there with Central Iowa Detention around $48,000 that we owe, Hayley Rippel, Benton County Auditor said that they are looking at those to verify that they are indeed the county's before paying them. Primmer said that with the Iowa Workforce Development, there was a resignation of the director so they are reorganizing there.

Bierschenk - Had a retreat with the board, no business.

Seeman - Had an AARPA meeting and East Central Housing, in Cedar Rapids, ECICOG, sat in on a Conservation meeting in Atkins where they talked with about 30 residents concerning the tree canopy over the roundhouse and what they are going to do. Because of this meeting he missed the EMA meeting. Sheriff Ron Tippett said that the budget was the largest discussion at the EMA meeting.

Hayley Rippel, Benton County Auditor shared a spreadsheet with the ARPA (American Rescue Plan) funds for a presentation at a future meeting.

Doug Cook inquired about the hours that the county had put into patrolling Urbana. Primmer suggested that Tippett reach out to the Urbana Mayor concerning the issue.

Cook also inquired about the clock tower. He said that discussion happened toward the end of last year and he wondered where it stands. Seeman said that there is a small amount of electrical work that needs to be done. The clock repairmen will be working with Elwick Electric toward the repair. Rippel said that so far $19,500 when they came to take it for repair and will pay the same amount when they return with it. Bierschenck said that part of the clock was made in steel but should have been made out of brass. Rippel said that some of the parts had to be handcreated.

Blairstown/VanHorne intersection lights: Parizek said that they are checking into the pole placement and cost with REC.

Seeman told Parizek that poles are still in the ground east of the Luzerne corner where the switch over used to be. He wondered if the poles could be reused in the new location.

Bierschenk said that he would like to see flashing lights at every approach to Highway 30.

The meeting was adjourned.