News : Benton County Board of Supervisor Notes for 9/10/24

The Benton County Board of Supervisors met on Tuesday with a relatively short agenda. Present were Rick Primmer, Tracy Seeman and Gary Bierschenk.

Following a call to order, the board approved the agenda, minutes, claims. The ARPA claims were then approved as follows:

Wirtanen Concrete (Transportation Concrete Work) - $5,490

True North Consulting (County 911 Radio Project) - $4,428

Tracy Seeman (Transportation Concrete Work) - $8,663.70

Trevor Seeman (Transportation Concrete Work) *- $575

Total: $19,156.70

A Budget Amendment Hearing Date was set for the Fiscal Year 2025. The meeting was set for Tuesday, October 15, 2024 at 9:30 a.m.

Under reports/committee meetings, Bierschenk had no meetings. Seeman reported that he had a meeting with ECICOG, ARPA, and a Conservation meeting and reported that the WIldcat shower house is being started today.

Licenses and Permits:

Approval was granted for a temporary Class C Retail Alcohol License for Apres Bar Company for October 1-5, 2024, followed by the approval of a Fireworks permit for Daniel Marovets for October 26, 2024.

Benton County's 2024 Urban Renewal Report was presented and approved.

A discussion was held concerning the credit card for the HR Department. Hayley Rippel, Auditor discussed creating a policy for the handling of credit cards that are in use by department heads. She said that in the Handbook Committee Meeting, it was discussed that even though a credit card can physically be turned in, it still lives on computer devices and could continue to be used. The committee would like to put a policy in place to automatically cancel the cards upon the removal/resignation/or changing of positions of anyone in control of a credit card.

Approval was granted to cancel the previous HR credit card with the lower limit of $1,500.

Jill Marlow asked a question about the County Handbook. A section concerning vacation days reads that upon hiring employees are given five vacation days and may receive an additional days not to exceed 25 days. She asked if that meant 30 days total. The intention was to cap it at 25 days.

She also discussed the three weeks of Parental Leave for employees for the birth or adoption of a child. According to the Family Medical Leave Act the county is required to allow 12 weeks. With the county's "Parental Leave" she asked if that brought the total time off to 15 weeks. And that is the case.

She asked for a copy of the financial analysis and impact that this would have on the county budget. It appears that only the Sheriff's Department might have such a report. Rippel said that she didn't have anything and was unsure if that had been something shared with the Supervisors but she had no knowledge of such a report.

Rippel explained that the department heads plan to meet regularly to get other details worked out before January 1, 2025 because things like mileage and meals will also affect budgets across the board. Marlow pointed out that a lot of things adopted by the county will affect the county budgets.

The status of part-time HR employee Julia Biery was discussed and it was decided that she would be working with the Auditor's office through May. Lough believes that her wages should be adjusted for increased duties. Biery also requested changing her title from "intern" to something that conveys that she is in charge of the department. The financial aspects have been returned to the Auditor's office. Rippel said that her duties and job description have also been adjusted.

Biery will now be in charge of wellness, recruiting and retention, interviewing, assisting with workman's compensation claims and things of that nature. She will be holding annual employee reviews in October as well.

Sheriff Tippett suggested that she be put under the Auditor so that she can move swiftly should action need to be taken rather than having to wait for the scheduled Supervisor meetings.

As a part-time employee, her wage is $15 with up to 20 hours per week. Her wages will increase to $21 and not to exceed 28 hours per week. A new job description will be created.

Ms. Mae Hingtgen gave an HHS Behavioral Health Districts update concerning the Behavioral Health Realignment passed by the governor. At the time there were 13 Mental Health and Disabilities Services Districts, 19 areas for substance use services districts through the Iowa Provider Network, and now they are combined into seven Behavioral Health Districts which combine the policy and funding for Mental Health and Substance Use.

She explained that the boundaries are really administrative only. Benton County residents can still go to Cedar Rapids if they need to or other areas outside our district. The map is only administrative. (Map is in the photos.)

Ray Lough, Benton County Attorney, discussed a quit claim deed for a one-acre parcel in Eden township. Lough explained that there are about four of these such properties across the county the former locations of one room schoolhouse. The section of land he described today is near the intersection of 23rd Ave. and 65th St. northwest of Vinton. It was deeded to the county in 1948. Approval was given to grant a quit claim deed transferring the property to Heitshusen Farm LLC.

Lough also presented Derek Marsh for a full-time assistant county attorney position upon passing his bar exam. The position was granted. He will be paid $85,000 effective September 16, 2024. Lough plans to have a representative from the county attorney's office each week now that the office is fully staffed.

There was no unfinished business or public comments before adjournment.