Government : Benton County Board of Supervisor Minutes February 4, 2025

February 4, 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

Volz moved/Tippett seconded: To approve agenda minus the claims, those were put on in error. All members voting aye. Motion carried.

Grace Schmidt representing Benton County Wellness Committee shared what was discussed at a recent Wellness Committee meeting. Currently only employees on the County's insurance are eligible for Wellness incentives, including a wellness day. The committee would like for those employees not on county's insurance who get a yearly physical and provide receipt of such, that they could also earn a wellness day off.

Tippett moved/Volz seconded: To allow employees that are not covered by the county's insurance to provide proof of a physical and obtain a wellness day off. Tippett, Seeman and Volz voting aye. Motion carried.

Various departments throughout the meeting today presented their Budgets and had open discussions in regards.

Barb Greenlee presented the Land Use and Environmental Health's FY 26 Request.

The time of 9:15 a.m. having arrived, and this being the time and date set for a land use hearing for Paige and Brandon Dullia in part of the NE ¼ of the NW ¼ Section 32-83-9. Dullia's were present along with the land owner Barb Sonka. Matt Even presented the technical information with the Benton County Agricultural Land Use Preservation Ordinance. Even stated the applicants would like to purchase 5 acres to allow for a single-family dwelling. This site is currently in production with a low CSR of 62. Dullia's intend to utilize one of the existing field accesses off of HWY 30. The DOT has completed an initial evaluation and reported that one of the two existing field accesses can be utilized as a residential access. The applicants will need to apply for an entrance permit. A private sewage disposal system and private water well will need to be installed. There are single family dwellings along with a shop and outdoor storage area located north of the site, to the west and south there is row crops. Four notices were sent out to adjacent property owners and legal notices were published. No comments were heard regarding this request prior to today's hearing. This proposal should not have any negative impacts on surrounding farm operations. Hearing no other further comments, the public hearing was closed.

Tippett moved/Volz seconded: To approve the land use change for Paige and Brandon Dullia, a part of the NE ¼ of the NW ¼ of Section 32-83-9. Tippett, Seeman and Volz voting aye. Motion carried.

Volz moved/Tippett seconded: To approve both sets of minutes from January 27, 2025 and January 31, 2025. Tippett, Seeman and Volz voting aye. Motion carried.

Volz moved/Tippett seconded: To approve Class C Retail Alcohol License for Tara Hills Country Club. Tippett, Seeman and Volz voting aye. Motion carried.

Tippett moved/Volz seconded: To give Belle Plaine Ambulance prior approval for the Local Option Sales and Service (LOSST) 10% gift match from the county. Tippett, Seeman and Volz voting aye thereon. Motion carried.

Once they purchase the ambulance and provide invoices, this will come back to the Board as a Resolution.

Tippett moved/Volz seconded: To appoint Matt Garbers to the Van Horne Benefitted Fire District. Tippett, Seeman and Volz voting aye. Motion carried.

Tippett moved/Volz seconded: To appoint Larry Hlas as Union Township Clerk. Tippett, Seeman and Volz voting aye. Motion carried.

Volz moved//Tippett seconded: To appoint Don Tiedemann as Union Township trustee. Tippett, Seeman and Volz voting aye thereon. Motion carried.

Tippett moved/Volz seconded: To appoint Tim Kapucian and Todd Hennings as Kane Township trustees. Tippett, Seeman and Volz voting aye. Motion carried.

Volz moved/Tippett seconded: To appoint Roni Frye as Monroe Township trustee. Tippett, Seeman and Volz voting aye. Motion carried.

The time of 9:30 a.m. having arrived, and this being the time and date set for a public hearing for a budget amendment on current FY 25 Budget. Auditor Rippel explained the different service areas and what those amounts consisted of. The need for more spending authority for outside legal fees for the attorney, Sheriff departments needs for salary's, IT software/hardware and vehicles, some grants for Public Health and Conservation, juvenile detention, and transfers along with changing spending authority between the Auditor department and elections. There were no comments in regards, the public hearing was closed.

Tippett moved/Volz seconded: To approve Resolution #25-6, FY 25 Budget Amendment #2. Tippett, Seeman and Volz voting aye. Motion carried.

BE IT REMEMBERED on this, the 4th day of February, 2025, the Board of Supervisors of Benton County, Iowa, met in session for the purpose of hearing on an amendment to the current operating budget adopted on April 23, 2024. There was a quorum present as required by law. Thereupon, the Board found that the notice of time and place of the hearing had been published. Thereafter, and on said date the amendment was taken up and considered. Thereafter, the Board took up the amendment to the budget for final consideration and determined that said budget be amended as follows:

Expenditures Amendment

Public Safety $ 317,000

Physical Health & Social Services $ 126,682

Mental Health $ 0

County Environment & Education $ 23,750

Roads & Transportation $ 0

Government Services to Residents $ 12,000

Administration $ 100,000

Non-Program $ -600,000

Debt Service $ 0

Capital Projects $ 0

Operating Transfers Out $ 265,000

REVENUES Amount

Intergovernmental $ 387,143

Licenses & Permits $ 0

Charges for Services $ 0

Use of Money & Property $ 0

Miscellaneous $ 115,155

General Long-Term Debt Proceeds $ 0

Operating Transfers - In $ 0

Proceeds of Fixed Assets $ 0

Operating Transfers In $265,000

Dated this 4th day of February, 2025.

_____________________________________

Tracy Seeman, Chairman

_____________________________________

Ronald Tippett

______________________________________

Bruce Volz

ATTEST:

_____________________________________

Hayley Rippel, Benton County Auditor

Sheriff Upah and Deputy Josh Karsten were present for the public hearing on the budget amendment. They wanted to follow up and be sure it was good to move forward with some of their previous requests. Upah also clarified the original amount thrown out at an earlier meeting, and that has been reduced. They still have some future amendment needs and wanted the Board's guidance on how to proceed. The board agreed with getting the current new vehicles equipped was needed along with ordering the camera system. The Sheriff's department will be back next week to open vehicle bids obtained, along with presenting their FY 26 budget so they can discuss this further then.

Mindy Druschel presented the FY 26 DHS Budget. It was pretty consistent with prior years.

Volz moved/Tippett seconded: To approve Resolution #25-7, Wage and classification change for Jakob Long in Secondary Roads, who's hourly wage will be $27.53 effective February 7, 2025. Tippett, Seeman and Volz voting aye. Motion carried.

Volz moved/Tippett seconded: To approve Utility permit for ITC Midwest across southern Benton County. Tippett, Seeman and Volz voting aye thereon. Motion carried.

Engineer presented a quote sheet for 2025 Motor graders as follows:

Martin Equipment-John Deere 770G-$395,500

Altorfer Caterpillar 150-15A -$399,891

Martin Equipment John Deere-772G $429,500

Altorfer Caterpillar 150AWD -$441,795

Tippett moved/Volz seconded: To accept the Engineer's recommendation and approve the quote for Altorfer Caterpillar 150-15A with the add-ons in the amount of $399,891. Tippett, Seeman and Volz voting aye Motion carried.

Melinda Schoettmer, County Treasurer presented her Budget. Schoettmer did reduce her temporary and part-time wages amount from $30,000 to $10,000.

Lexa Speidel, County Recorder presented her Budget Request. Speidel also went over areas where the revenue could increase in the next fiscal year for the recording fees, depending on what legislation does.

Mark Erickson presented the Transportation Department Budget. Erickson also provided an overview of services they provide. Transportation's overall budget asking has decreased from FY 25.

Shelby Williams and Cecilia Dirks presented the Conservation Budget and were answering questions and explaining the differences compared to last FY.

Eric Schares presented the Weed department's budget. They were going to look into a possible grant we were approved for and make sure that gets submitted for reimbursement if it is not too late.

Tippett moved/Volz seconded: To recess for lunch at 11:48 a.m. Tippett, Seeman and Volz voting aye. Motion carried.

The Board went back into open session at 12:30 p.m.

Courtney Long wasn't able to be there for the Veterans Affairs Budget and General Assistance. The Board did go ahead and discuss it.

Hayley Rippel presented her Auditor and Election Budgets. Rippel explained the need for spending authority within the Election side of things. They are required to do some training and continue ed and along with being prepared if a city/school/county need to have a special for example, there has to be spending authority there. It doesn't get spent unless it needs to be, and some of that is reimbursable by the other entities.

The County Attorney presented his budget, along with updating the Board on the Collections department. They increased the amount in judgements, damages, settlements and fines in the County Attorney Forfeiture Fund from $500 to $5000.

Bruce Volz reported on the recent Wellness Committee he attended. Tracy Seeman had the Eastern Iowa Housing Trust Fund and ECICOG meeting and he also visited with Next Era Energy last week. Ron Tippett reported that he along with Auditor Rippel and Mona Onken are having a zoom call with Deb Guard, Mental Health Region's fiscal agent to help us discuss the need for a FY 25 amendment and what FY 26 asking should look like with the upcoming transitions.

The Board verified the outside entities who asked for allocations included in the FY 26 Budgets as follows; HACAP-total of $78,776, they will be here next week to recap the services they provide.

Eastern Iowa Housing Trust Fund-$5,986

Benton County Volunteers-United Way-$20,000

Riverview Center -$1,000

Middle Cedar Watershed-$5,000

Kirkwood Workplace Learning Connection-$2,575.50

Belle Plaine Community Center-$5,000

Tippett moved/Volz seconded: To adjourn at 1:40 p.m. Tippett, Seeman and Volz voting aye. Motion carried.

_____________________________

Tracy Seeman, Chairman

ATTEST: _________________________________

Hayley Rippel, Benton County Auditor