Government : Benton County Board of Supervisor Minutes February 25, 2025

February 25, 2025

The Benton County Board of Supervisors met in regular session with Supervisors Seeman, Tippett and Volz present. Chairman Seeman called the meeting 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. Full Resolutions will be available in the Auditor's office and at: www.bentoncountyia.gov

Tippett moved/Volz seconded: To approve the minutes of February 18, 2025. Tippett, Seeman and Volz voting aye. Motion carried.

Volz moved/Tippett seconded: To approve agenda. All members voting aye. Motion carried.

Tippett moved/Volz seconded: To approve the Special Class C Retail alcohol License for Bloomsbury Farms effective April 30, 2025 through April 29, 2026. Tippett, Seeman and Volz voting aye. Motion carried.

Tippett moved/Volz seconded: To approve payroll checks numbered 143693 through 143712, ACH Deposits 60247 through 60397, claims numbered 252839 through 252958 and vendor checks 252959 through 252965. Seeman, Tippett and Volz voting aye. Motion carried.

Seeman, Tippett and Volz voting aye. Motion carried.

Volz moved/Seeman seconded: To approve paying the claim to Hawkeye Communication in the amount of $30,590.58 using the ARPA fund. Tippett, Seeman and Volz voting aye. Motion carried.

Tippett moved/Volz seconded: To approve Resolution #25-9, Hiring Five(5) Deputy Sheriff's with individual start dates and hourly rates. Tippett, Seeman and Volz voting aye. Motion carried.

Tippett moved/Seeman seconded: To approve Resolution #25-10, Classification change for Russell Denison to be promoted from a Jail Supervisor to Jail Administrator in the Sheriff's Office effective February 24, 2025 with an annual salary of $74,960.60 and after July 1, 2025 it will increase to $77,159.67. Tippett, Seeman and Volz voting aye. Motion carried.

Sheriff Upah reported that notice has been given to those cities that contract for law enforcement, that the rate increased. So far, he felt everyone has been receptive of it. Upah also reported the front steps that are broken in front of the law enforcement center and will need to be looked at and fixed for safety concerns.

Auditor Rippel reported that there has been numerous counties recently adjusting their budgets to pay one or more of their sheriff deputies salary out of the Rural Services fund instead of General Basic. The Board agreed to have the Auditor adjust things using the amounts of 2 deputies salary and provide them reports before they make a final decision on this. Rippel would get them some revised reports in regards.

Courtney Long, Veterans Affairs Director discussed care of graves and how Benton County pays $5 per grave each year. Long also provided a list of veterans buried in Benton County along with invoices paid. Code section 35B.17 has been repealed, so nothing in the law that would require to continue said payments. The Board agreed to leave it the same. Long also answered some questions in regards to the Veterans Affairs and General Assistance Budget. The board suggested increasing the care of graves from the $1500 asking to $3000 as it was in the past years. Supervisor Seeman also suggested creating a possible form to keep log of the care provided to the graves.

Engineer Myron Parizek came to discuss some details for the 32nd Ave. Sealcoat project. He is planning to put this expense in his FY26 Budget. The last sealcoat project the county did had a 3% interest rate. With 41 participants, this would be one of the largest for this type of project the county has done. Typically the overall cost is split 50/50 between the county and property owners. They also discussed how many years to spread this out, Iowa Code says it can be spread for 10 years, but previous projects have been only five.

Volz moved/Tippett seconded: To set the interest rate at 3% for a 7 year period for the seal coating project on 32nd Ave. Seeman, Tippet and Volz voting aye. Motion carried.

Allison Hicks and Phil Borleski from Historical Preservation Commission presented the board with their CLG Annual Report and explained some of the activities and upcoming events the Board has planned. Along with reporting that they were approved $1,206 from a certified local government grant that will be used to host a one-day class on the restorations of historic windows.

Tippett moved/Volz seconded: To approve and authorize signature on the Historic Preservations 2024 CLG Annual Report. Tippett, Seeman and Volz voting aye. Motion carried.

Bob Cue, rural resident provided handouts on wind turbines and information on the Bill SF267 in regards. He pointed out that Iowa Code 352.1 states: "It is the intent of the general assembly to provide local citizens and local governments the means by which agricultural land may be protected from

nonagricultural development pressures." This proposed bill would strip away all the local control and he was present to encourage everyone to reach out to legislators and advocate in opposition to this.

Volz moved/Tippett seconded: To enter closed session pursuant to Iowa Code Section 21.5(1)(k)To discuss information contained in records in the custody of a governmental body that are confidential records pursuant to Section 22.7, subsection 50. Tippett, Seeman and Volz voting aye. Motion carried at 10:43 a.m.

Volz moved/Tippett seconded: To exit closed session at 12:12 p.m. Tippett, Seeman and Volz voting aye. Motion carried.

Tippett moved/Volz seconded: To acknowledge receipt of the ICIT Tech Team's preliminary report that was shared during closed session and thanked their time and work involved. Tippett, Seeman and Volz voting aye. Motion carried.

Tippett moved/Volz seconded: To adjourn at 12:13 p.m. Tippett, Seeman and Volz voting aye. Motion carried.

_____________________________

Tracy Seeman, Chairman

ATTEST: _________________________________

Hayley Rippel, Benton County Auditor