Government : Benton County Supervisor Notes March 4, 2025

On Tuesday morning, March 4, 2025, the Benton County Board of Supervisors met. All members were present, Tracy Seeman, Ron Tippett and Bruce Volz. The meeting began at 9:00 a.m.To watch the meeting click here: https://www.youtube.com/bentoncountyiowa

The meeting was quickly underway after a few corrections to the minutes and approval of the agenda.

The supervisors approved the canvass of the special election in Urbana held last week.

Wages for elected and non-elected employees will be on the March 18th agenda.

A date was set for the FY25 Budget Amendment #3 for April 1, 2025, at 9:30 a.m.

For Fiscal Year 2026 budget work, County Auditor Hayley Rippel, discussed the need for spending authority concerning retention pay and needing the spending authority for Regional Mental Health.

Volz reported that he had Zoom meetings with Iowa Workforce and the audio made it unable for attendees to hear the meeting, along with all of the other attendees so he had nothing to report. ECICOG was his second meeting.

Tippett met with the Mental Health Region, he spoke with one of the representatives who thought that one of our four representatives would be moving on with the department under the state's restructuring but that funding for the hub would not continue. His second meeting was a Zoom meeting with HACAP. The leadership is retiring this year. He said HACAP serves a large amount of people in the area, and felt it was a very informative meeting. He said they operate the Headstart program, meals program in Vinton and Belle Plaine as well as early start program for young children, and the housing programs for repairs.

Seeman had a safety meeting, Eastern Iowa Housing Trust Fund who has received a lot of applications for funds, they will be going through those. He also attended the ECICOG meeting. He said that ECICOG loans money to businesses as part of their program.

Bob Cue asked if the supervisors had a comment on Iowa SF376, Seeman said that he was told that it didn't look like it would get off the ground. This is a bill relating to the siting and operation of renewable electric power generating facilities. Tippett suggested that a letter be sent from the supervisors to representatives.

He also mentioned the signage in his area that is unclear for drivers and get lost near Winegar Lake and Tobin's Wildlife Area where he lives. Seeman said that Benton County Conservation would look into it.

Larry Ford, asked about the signage and lighting at the Blairstown corner. Seeman said that the signage is completed. He'd like to see a flashing red light on the stop sign. Lighting is still undecided. The state gave permission for one light but they would like to add more.

FY26 Budget Work - Discussion began about an hour into the meeting. Go to the YouTube link for the discussion. https://www.youtube.com/bentoncountyiowa

Under unfinished business a variety of topics.

Rippel also talked to the supervisors about the bond held for county officials including township officials. Coverage is $100,000 but each individual needs to be named on the bonds.

Volz asked Seeman if the work on the towers was complete because he had a question about a road in the area.

Tippett said that he had been questioned about when the courthouse clock would be repaired. Rippel said that they last response was January 23, she said from pictures it looks like it's just about put together. He feels that pressure might need to be applied to get the project completed.

Tippett discussed a section of road/ditch on the "county home road" that needs to be repaired where the road drops off over a culver. The debate is whether it's a city or county responsibility. It is in city limits, but the county repaired the road...

Wrapping up the meeting, a question was asked about the old animal shelter property. The county is trying to get a clear deed for the land and all of the legal documents on the property need to be compiled into one document and reconciled.