Board of Supervisors - Regular Meeting

All right, folks. Let's get at it. Say the beginning our meeting. I pledge allegiance to the flag of the United States of America and to the republic for which it stands, one nation under God, indivisible, with liberty and justice for all. Well, Bruce learned to make a lot of motions today. That's all. Can I get a motion to approve today's agenda? I will move to approve today's agenda.

I will second. So, I call for a vote. See, I uh the minutes, we never got them, or at least I did not get them. Oh. Okay, I'll turn them for you. Come back to that one. We'll come back to that one. Claims and some questions. Uh, a lot of them it had a there was a minus in front of it. Did they get they have a credit? So sometimes when they have a credit on like a statement, especially if they use a visa, they still have to scan it and show it. Sure. Okay. And then uh going through who is what is Legacy Trails LLC?

I don't know. It's a vendor. We spent $7,783 and then we spent $2,11. Legacy what? Legacy trails. Let's see. What page is that? H2. I believe it's discussing conservation. Yes. Engineering services for conservation. So, I don't know if that had to do with the uh Aken possibly. Could it be for the trees?

I was going to pull it up and look at it. Yeah, cuz 2011, two of them today, right? Mhm. up the 45. Oh,

conservation board looks like machine layout design and then they get some travel time to come do it too. So be for a certain project they're doing shelby. That's 10,000. I don't know what they're looking at, but my figure that's 500 canders and it has travel for DM on that one, too. Okay, we'll have to reach out because I'd like to know what that will look for.

Consulting for alternate route around heavy eroded area. They must be mapping out something for you as we pay them to travel. Okay. Those were the only uh questions that I had on it. Okay. I didn't have any. Okay. I will make a motion to approve claims. I'll second. Call for a vote. team and I

parks area parks and recreation want to use the second courthouse lawns. way. Look for the party in the park and the Halloween carnival. They did that last year, didn't they? Yep. No problems.

I would make a motion to approve the application for the use of the courthouse grounds for parks and recreation. Okay, I'll second it. Sure go. I was waiting for the tweet on the handbook. That's why I was We can come back to that a little bit. Discuss. Let's see. 905. We got a timed item. Ellis Tomlin subdivision variance request resolution 2628. Yeah, take some.

Thank you. Thank you. Yeah. Right. Here's what you didn't last week two weeks ago. How's that possible?

So Ellison, Lisa Tomlin, uh, they're looking at adjusting the boundary line. They currently own box 10 and 11 of log estates and they would like to adjust that diameter between those two by the box um to increase the size of B 11. And so this request um has we don't have any in our ordinance for boundary line adjustments. um looking at waving the preliminary plat as well as most of the requirements associated with the final plat um to allow them to go ahead and record a final plat establishing that new boundary there. So they're looking at replatting lots 10 and 11 there lodge log states. So you can see that proposed flat for um what's being proposed there for lots 10 11 and towards the back there that's also the original flat there. So they're not looking at increasing any number of dwellings. There's still going to be the two lots. Um each of them have a dwelling there. Anything like that? 10 already has a door on home.

Yes. Yep. And you're in the process of building them lot 11 right now, correct? You're starting soon. Yeah. Yeah. I'm going through pre luminaries. Okay. Broken ground. Okay. I have no problem with it. Basically, you got 4 acres. Now, you're going to split it almost down the middle. Correct. the same square footage. Correct. Okay. I'll make a motion to approve.

I'll second. Okay. Call for a vote. See an I. I. That's on resolution 2628. take a picture of the donuts in front of

you. Thank you very much. Nope. Yeah.

9:10. Uh, timed item. Kyle Hedland. Morning. Morning.

There you go.

I don't know if you're right. Uh, so you should have an aerial in front of you. You can see Willie Crease and David Crease has a parcel just across from the golf course on uh V was that B37. Um David being uh now the the trustee, he would like to adjust the boundary line. Currently, it's described as the West 10 acres. If you see that line, it kind of cuts through the pond. And he would like to have the pond be completely on the resident property. Um, so we'd actually be running a a diagonal line that runs parallel to the northwesterly boundary of the pond. And because of the number of splits there, that's why we're here. Uh, so we has to go through the subdivision ordinance, but we're requesting a couple of variance in regards to some of those items. So no change of usage, no new building, no new structures, just adjusting the boundary lines. So what you're given on one corner, you're taking away on the other corner. Correct.

Pretty much. Okay. It might be a little bit less than 10 acres when we're all said and done, but we're trying to get the pond completely on one parcel with with the residents. Understood. I have no problem. Okay. Doesn't appear to be any I don't see anything that jumps out at me. I'm good with it. Okay. I'll make a motion to approve the variance uh for the subdivision on resolution 26-29.

Second. I will call for a vote and I She's Matt. All right. So, first one, um, I'd like to set a public hearing for approval of a non-aggricultural use for Nathaniel and Grace Hollow. Um, and that's within section two, Township A4 North, Range 12 West, and looking at 9:15 on Tuesday, May 12th. May 12.

Yep. 9:15. For that one, I would make a motion to set the public hearing for the approval of uh for Nathaniel and Grace Holl for 9:15 on May 21. Okay. I'll second call for a vote. Sam and I. Okay. Thanks, man. Got another one.

I'm not done yet. Um, so also like you said, public hearing for approval of conac agricultural use for Nick and Kaylee McQuilin. And that's within section 3, Township Basics North, Range 12 West. And for that one, we're looking at 9:30 a.m. on Tuesday, May 12th. I would make a motion to set a uh public hearing for the approval of non-aggriculture use for Nick and Kaylee McQuilin for Tuesday, May 12th at 9:30.

I will second that. Call for a vote. Team and I close. Thanks, man. We got five minutes. Uh, why don't we jump down to number 13? Discuss and approve. Well, those are numbered for resolution. Okay, then we'll have to stay in line. What about number six?

Okay, I haven't read them yet. Oh, okay. I thought you read that. You didn't read the draft number seven told me earlier you liked it. No, no, no, no. Minutes.

Oh, I was talking about that letter. Oh, okay. And where do you got that? Discuss. Okay, that's number six. Okay. Discuss and approve the draft letter of opposition to the proposed Morgan Valley Creek Valley Energy Plant. So, I read it. I was happy with it. I read it. I believe Derek read it. I don't I thought it was well put together. So, we need a motion to go ahead and proceed. Yes. Proceed. And then file the copies with those entities. Yes. Do we need to list the entities as well or? Good.

Okay. And then is it going to go to the utility? Not cuz somebody has to follow through and let I I I create an account. Okay. Then I'll let you do that part once they sign it. Okay. So, I would make a motion to proceed with the letter of opposition regarding the uh Allian Energy proposed Morgan Valley Energy Plant. Um copies will be sent to the mayor and members of the Atkin City Council, Lynn County Board of Supervisors, Alliant Energy, and the Iowa Utilities Commission. Okay. I will second down. Let's call for a vote. See IS.

Anything with Ron not being here? He won't have a signature. We want to allow him to sign it as well before we actually formally send it. I probably should. Believe we should. Okay. I'm sure you can just walk in. I think I have a step up. Yeah. You able to see the steps and everything? I don't know. Good. So, it might have to be tomorrow. We'll see.

Okay. Get back to the minutes. And there I put see the policies cuz we had to tweak that one. Come on, man. I printed one out last night. All you need, Bruce.

Yep. Okay. I don't I don't have any problems. Okay. They look good to me. So,

I'll make a motion to accept the minutes. Okay. I'll second it. Call for a vote. See? And I Gosh, here's unable to attend today. So, I'll be filling in on his absence. Okay. I believe we had a couple topics on the agenda. uh the resolution for the hiring of the two deputies. We'll start there. Um we accepted applications uh performed interviews through the civil service. They made their uh certified list and the sheriff elects to hire uh Timothy Lockach and Richard D'vorski. D'Vorski I think has 32 years of experience. Lock somewhere 15 16 years of experience. Uh both we'd like to bring in 7-year mark which is the highest we can bring them in at at the hourly rate of 3759. Lock has a start date of April 29th and D'vorski has a start date of May 13th.

We don't have any expenses with these guys. They're already certified and everything. We don't have to put them to school, right? We don't have to send them to an academy, bring them right in. Um, give them some uniforms and away they go. Field training program and they're ready to go. Was one of these working for Lynn County? Uh, D'Vorski works for the Cedar Rapids Police Department. Okay. Tim Lock works for Clark County Sheriff's Office. Okay. And these are vacancies uh left by Lindamman and Mark Johnson.

Okay. I'd make a motion to accept resolution 26-30 for the hiring of Timothy Lockach and Richard D'Vorski. Starting rate of 3759. Okay, I'll second that. Call for a vote. See, I

move I was the federal inmate contract on the agenda. No, I did not. I wasn't sure if you were to for sure or not, but you could talk about it maybe.

Okay. Uh, we finalized the federal inmate contract um moving from $50 per day per inmate to 8652. Good.

This goes into effect on May 1 next week actually. So, Oh. Just to give you an idea, we were averaging about 10 federal inmates per day at $50. That's 182,500. We've moved to 20 inmates approximately. That's what we try and sustain. And at 8652 annually, we're going to bring in close to $625,26. So that's a difference of $442,526 every year.

Sounds good. And that we'll be able to vote on or there'll be a resolution next week. Okay. Okay. Okay. Well, cuz typically Yeah. since they've already approved it, but we want to formally acknowledge it for sure. Cuz I don't think they have to sign it though, do they? No. Yeah. So, can we do that now because it's not on the agenda? I would. Yeah. We have to wait till next week. Yeah. But you kind of anticipated that increase in the budget revenue, too, right?

Yeah, we did. I think it went a little low on our estimate. I think this is going to end up being much more than what we anticipated. I on the cautious side I put 312,000 and if we can like I said if we can hold 20 that's going to be 625,000. So is that gross income or net? I don't handle the billing side of it. Um I think they just cut us the full amount check. handle through our civil debate. I'm not sure.

Either way, we're still having the expenditures right now and it's just goes from where we're at to that 8652.

Out of these 20 individuals, are any of them more of a problem than a resident from the surrounding area? From my understanding, from talking to the jailers, they actually like having the federal inmates better. They're easier to deal with uh because they know the expectations. If they mess up, they get uh time added on pretty easily. So, they're pretty model inmates. Um we always have issues here and there with any type of inmate.

Okay. And then, uh how long do you usually keep them? Federal inmates. I mean they don't come here and they're here for a year are they? That I think they are here for quite a while. I I don't know the average. Okay. All right. One of my questions. All right. Thanks, Josh. Yep. Next week. Okay. Thanks.

Couldn't make it. He did kind of explain it to you. We'll see. How about reports? The only thing I add was uh last week we had uh accessory which you were there. So that was the final accessory budget. Y uh I guess I had on I believe it was Wednesday we had that navigator phone call navigator.

Yes. So they're interested in coming here using one of the rooms. Oh, good. So I don't know which way it was kind of set up that they want to come and do a lookie, but they haven't scheduled that yet. No, I haven't. So I guess that's about it on that part. Yeah, they had um we also had the uh historical preservation meeting, but it was the same night as the assessor uh just a half hour later and so I couldn't attend in any Allison's on later this morning, too.

Yeah. Yeah. I figured she probably can update us as to what transpired at that one. Couldn't be at two at once. Okay, close enough to the 9:30 I guess the notice for public hearing proposed budget for the fiscal year 27 for Bent County. I'm opening the public hearing.

Yes, I am. Go ahead. Do you want me to sit there or can I sit right here? You can sit right there.

Okay. Cuz I have a lot of voice. You'll hear me. Usually I'm in here going on about the levy rates and I still have concerns because in my opinion you look at the levy rates and not the dollars being generated by those levies when you determine how much you know do you really need the maximum levy rate or do you want the maximum dollars. I think our state legislature is going to be addressing that as they have been saying, but we'll see. So, I'm not going to harp about the levy rates. I am going to be talk a little bit about your fund balances though. And under your budget, under general basic after next year, you're telling me that you're going to have zero balance of an unassigned fund balance. I can figure out what the committed balance of 647,000 is because that takes a resolution and I found that in minutes, but you have 2.7 million restricted. Can you tell me what that is? That's where I told you we have to go back and make sure we was that was what I didn't do. Joe, sorry. She pointed that out to me yesterday and I went in and tweaked some of them. But remember when we were talking about legislative if we didn't commit if we have too much in our unassigned balance, they might take it.

So I need to probably just put what we have the committed funds in there and then we're going to have more in the un unassigned I think that's important that you properly identify your fund balances. And what really got me looking at this, and I'm not sure if you understand what the differences are between those things, but it's in your audit report defines what those different fund balances mean or those restrictions mean. I runs for tax relief put out a little paper last year and I was reading it and that's what got my curiosity going because I couldn't believe what it said. But it talks about good governance is that you should have between a 15 and 30% general fund unassigned balance. Then it goes on to say Benton County has zero reserves. So, I went and looked at your fiscal year end report that you filed with the state last year. You have zero unassigned fund balances. And if that is the case, that means if we would have a DO, another flood, a disaster of some sort, you have no money. you're spending down your reserves because they were too high, which I don't disagree with at all. But you need to be careful that you're just not using them at all up and not having anything extra. When we had that flood of 08, we had funds that we could address the issue immediately. Yes, we got reimbursed, but we had the funds that we could do it. If you don't have the funds, you're either going to have to come back to the taxpayers and say, "Hey," or you're going to have to cut expenditures. And from what I'm seeing, we're not doing a real good job at cutting expenditures. And I know last

year, and I'm going to be kind of contradictory on myself here. You asked me what I would do to cut funds and I told you it wasn't my job. But I told you to put the one of the first things I'd do is stop hiring people. I'm not telling you to fire people. Lame off, but just put a moratorum on hiring. And so I kind of looked into that. In 2020, your IP covered payroll was $6.8 million. In 2025, it was 9.5 million. That's your IP covered payroll. That's how much your payroll is increased. Your co- insurance fund, which is your health insurance fund, in fiscal year 25 lost almost $300,000. You're down to a $62,000 fund balance in that. That's what you're paying your employees co insurance out of. And I know you didn't raise their insurance rates and that's fine, but at some point the money's got to come from somewhere. Iowa law requires that the board of supervisors sets the number of employees for every elected office. I'd like to know if you have those resolutions.

I don't believe so. So then how do you know when your people are coming in here and saying I want to hire that they haven't exceeded? I guess we're basically way we've been running it is somebody resigns or retires we try to fill that position just like we did with the two deputies just a little bit ago.

Then how did the covered payroll? Surely our payroll for existing employees didn't increase $3 million just in their wages. I'm assuming that that means there's some more people and that's an assumption. But that also brings me to the point that I know that you froze the wages on a handful of people. My biggest pet peeve when I was auditor was trying to budget or balance the budget on the backs of the employees. Your employees are your best asset and you shouldn't be freezing their wages. You shouldn't be giving them double-digit increases either. I mean, you need to be reasonable. But just like my Social Security only went up 2.8%. But my Medicare premium part B went up. You know, you you need to be balancing this out. And until you can get your expenditures under control, that counts broke. You're spending more according to this budget in general fund. I got to find a page so that I'm your general fund is spending $2 million more next year than what you're bringing in to this budget.

Worst case scenario. Okay. Worst case scenario, we're going to lose $2 million. How many times can you have that happen? But most of the time, they come in underneath their budget.

Then we're not doing good budgeting. And I went through the budget and I, you know, I know what I'm looking for when I go through the budget. And I'm not going to go to into all the detail that I did because it just comes down to you've got to reduce spending and you've got to figure out how to do that without trying to do it on your employees backs. I'm going through my notes here and I know that you talked about um raising wages, but yet when I went through a lot of the budgets, there were increases in the wage line items. Can you explain that?

On which department? Well, in the sheriff's department, the cook's wages went up. Um, I was really, one of the things I noticed in the sheriff's department budget is that you budgeted zero for part-time patrol. Well, which I'm not complaining about. Here's what I'll say about the sheriff's office budget. Salaries have gone up.

Well, you guys, our employees, our union contract employees that received a 4% wage increase. It was inevitable it was going to go up. In addition to that, a lot of names got moved around in different lines. Okay, to make more sense. So, a utility deputy that was coming out of, let's say, the patrol division salary got moved to their a different line, a different service section. So, there were jumps and decreases in different service areas because we moved names around.

And I I took that into consideration. We got rid of part-time jailers completely. We don't have part-time patrol deputies anymore. They're utility deputies. Gone are the days of us paying a part-time deputy $40 an hour. We set the standard last year with the resolution capping the rate. I think it was at the utility wage. It's at 2917 now. So, as we phase out some of these older employees that are making $40, we're now bringing them in and replacing them with people at 29.

I didn't see my I didn't have concern so much with your patrol deputies. Like I said, other than the fact that you don't have anything for part-time because they're all doing utility line. about your part-time wages for food service and custodial. You spent $14,000 last year, and next year you're budgeting almost 46,000. Probably because we were understaffed and never replaced our employees. Okay. We had two full-time custodians/cooks and and I'm not going to That's fine. Do you have a resolution that says how many you can have? No.

But the law says you do. You should. So, I'm just pointing out, you know, there are ways to keep things under control and you should have every one of your elected officials coming in with that and saying, "This is what I have." And you guys, Melinda and I both have done that. We treasurer should do it. The county attorney's office needs to do it and the sheriff's office needs to do it. And I will admit when I was auditor, they didn't do it all the time. I mean, they get old, but it's something you guys need to keep on top of. That's one way you're going to be able to control. Obviously, you have control under your own like secondary votes and things like that, but the elected officials once that money's there, they can do what they want. And I do know the resolution for the sheriff's office listed part-time folks, you know, how many you could add. So, it's an important document to have. Another thing I wanted to ask about the sheriff's office was the acute and ER. You you have a nurse.

Yes. But I remember watching the meeting and it was said that that was going to ER visits. Okay. But yet that line item increased from $163,000 last year to an estimated 192,000 next year. Okay. That line consists of not only the nurse, but also our contract with AC. I was told the nurse wasn't costing us anything. $65,000 of the nurse's wage comes from opioid funds. And is there more? I mean, I don't know what her wage is.

I don't know her exact wage because she's contracted through AC. We just signed an AC contract, but that's 65,000. And then Haley, I don't know this cuz I didn't look at the opioid fund. So the is that expense coming is that money being transferred into general fund or is that what we did because we didn't approve it out of the opioid committee until we were already in this fiscal year. So we didn't implement the full time until but where's the expense showing up? So it did in the sheriff but the last the up to the 60 I'm paying it out of the opioid fund now for the last two quarters. So next year under the general fund general basic there should not be an expense for that 65,000.

No, there still will be because we only committed up to 65 for this lump sum until we get more from the opioid. We can't guarantee to go further paying it out of the opioid. So then the general basic would have to cover it if we don't have opioid funds. So you've got it budgeted both in general basic and in opioid for this fiscal year currently. Yes. I'm talking about next fiscal year. I only have the spending authority on the opioid what that fund balance will be. I'm talking about the budget. Yes, probably because we have to cover it in the general if we don't because the opioid it's random when they settle and we get revenue. So the reimbursement fund. So then that

you have to include it and then you get reimbured by the opioid fund, right? Well, currently we're paying it directly out of opioid for this fiscal year, but for next year, yeah, because we put a halt on. So, this anymore, this nurse, and I'm don't get me wrong, I'm not saying you need it or you don't need it. But the funding for this nurse may end up being with the taxpayers and not the opioid fund because you may not get that money. Correct. Next year after the 60,000. Yes. because we only committed up to that amount for this as a lump sum at this point. How much is nurse getting paid? You'd have to ask a

We pay them quarterly. It was like 15,000 a quarter, I think, was our last invoice. Yes. So, this isn't the natural employee of the county. No. No, it's not. But yet, our ER money is still increasing. So it isn't helping to decrease that. The contract originally was 132. It went up to you said 192 something like that. Okay. So there was an increase in our contract with AC because they are now employing a full-time nurse. We're offset offsetting that increase with the opioid funds 65k.

So the 65,000 for the nurse you're you're putting under that line item not under a contract line item. probably in both though for next year. You may not know. Yeah, because you had to cover the full contract for next year regardless because like I said, Yeah. But here's here's some other cost-saving benefits of having the nurse. We are now doing region reimbursements, which we never did before July 1. Thanks to our nurse and our civil division, we've already brought in, last I checked it was 12 grand. I think it's gone up since then.

Yes. of money that we are saving by doing this, running insurance checks. When we send somebody to an ER, we're making sure insurance pays for it. If it doesn't cover it and we have to eat the bill from the ER, we are now going after the inmate to reimburse that money. These are things that never happened before. So, we're trying to offset this increase with the nurse by recouping all this money back to cover that. Okay. I'm I'm just going to keep moving on because I'm just trying to point out things that we need to be watching. You know, it sounds good that somebody else is going to pay for it, but in the end, who has paid for it?

Here's what I can say, Jill. We we foresaw the budget was going to go up in the sheriff's office. It's inevitable when you have a union contract at 4%. So, we worked hard to try and generate as much revenue as we possibly could to help offset that. And we've And I'm going to touch on that in just a second. Okay. I do want to ask though about your line item for your chief deputy. That's me. That line item went from $231,000 this year to $385,000 next year. Okay. That's not the chief deputy wage. What line is that in?

It's under administration. Okay. 106 function.

It's chief deputy and division supervisor. So what we did was we took the jail administrator and the dispatch supervisor and we moved all those employees to this admin line. now because they are admin. When I said we move names around, this is one example of that. So when you're moving these to this line item, I should see a significant decrease in those other line items. Okay. And am I? Cuz I don't know where you're moving from.

Okay. So let's say uh the dispatch supervisor came out of dispatch salaries prior to this. Okay. And you should have seen a $30,866 decrease in the communication specialists.

I see wages for full-time communications. You spent 542 last year and you're budgeting 579,000 for next year, but you had 615 for this year, but you've only spent about 500. You're looking at 2024 2025 activity. This the 542. Yep. So you took over one of that or two that I was going to pull up that spreadsheet.

Okay. We're going back to 20 24 25 numbers now. I don't know if that's an accurate. Those are actual numbers from 2425. Total activity at the top of your sheet under 2024 is actual. Yes. Okay. But for this year, it was reestimated at 646. 615 according to what I got. Change. That was the budget that was proposed. I'm looking at the reestimated where we project ourselves to end at the end of this year is going to be 44 or 646.

According to the sheet that I have that I just got on 41 from the auditor's office, it says 615. Which line? That was the budget that was presented. Yes. for 2526 and that's what you estimated back to for some

I have to project where we're going to end up at at July 1 and I'm projecting we're going to end at 646. Okay. So when we submit the next budget for 27 it's gone down to 584. This says 579, but I'm not going to obviously there's some issues there with and that comes back to your budgeting. You need to make sure that your departments are accurately doing reestimating and estimates. Jill, we also lost staff prior to the new sheriff taking over that were never backfilled. So, in the last year, we've had to get our numbers back to where we were supposed to be.

Yeah, I would. And I'm not debating that. I'm just asking how it's I want to see that I can follow it through here is what I'm trying to do. Well, I we try and pinch the penny as tight. And we do it

and we try to generate as much revenue as possible to offset any increases there are whatsoever. I'm not debating that you're not trying to because I was concerned about what you have for fuel cost and food cost in there with the way things are going yet you guys put down or I think reduced your food which is going to come back to not having any reserves with the way fuel's going. If they need more money you don't have it to give to them because you have nothing in reserves. And I just want to touch just and I I'm just going to say it because I want to say it. I don't want to get into a debate about it.

Well, we ourselves to pardon me. I don't. It's a bottom line number. I'm not bottom lines. Obviously, I've been going mine through. When you say that you try to collect the maximum you can, I think we need to be careful that we're just not pushing our expenses onto other governmental entities because they're being funded by taxes, too.

Our contracts have been untouched for over a decade. It was time to restructure every contract possible. There was no contract that was a 280 agreement. By law, they they're supposed to be. So everything got looked at, restructured. I'm just saying I have a problem with shifting our it over to another governmental agency. I don't have a problem taking an additional close to 500,000 from the federal government to it's not taxpayer. I mean a property taxpayer. I should shows up in our revenue. Yeah, we have to account for that.

I know. But I'm talking property tax. Don't just, you know, you you need to be mindful that we're all in this together. Whether we're rural, city, whatever, we're all in it together. Which brings me to another question. The governor wanted to know, or I shouldn't say wanted to know. It wants governments to start sharing services to reduce costs. What have you as a board done to look at sharing services? I'm totally against it. Same lady who made the other stuff. You're totally against sharing services. Yes. With another county. So you think that the governor is wrong in that? Yes.

You want to expound on that? Probably for a smaller county they can handle that. They don't have near the funds to take care of all the services. I know that in southern Iowa they did it with the AS office. They combined ASAS office federal governments together because they were small. I get that. Benton County. We I mean I can go on and on. We got uh almost 40 people a day coming up for a driver's license. You know, we can't handle anymore.

Okay. But what about other services? I know at one point, and I'm glad Myron's here, there was a law that required that you look at before you bought big piece of equipment, sharing it with another county. Is that still I don't think that's in existence anymore cuz that I didn't think it was that resolution action that we used to do with that equipment I haven't done or seen for 15 years now. But

but I think the idea is is that maybe there's other ways than what you're just thinking about with an office. You know, equipments, landfills, things where you're spending money and they're spending money. It which is another budget that I wanted to ask about was your IT. I know last year when I was in here, you said that it was up because they were buying equipment for or taking over the sheriff's office. Has that been done yet? Yes. But his budget didn't go down. It increased. Couldn't you explain why?

There again, that's his department. I can't explain what all everything's got to be updated. I mean, it's like a the TV, you buy the TV, it's going to do what it does right now. It don't change with the updates of things, the safety concerns. Sheriff's IT money got shifted over to it last, but I'm just saying that the IT budget should have gone down because that expense has been realized. I don't know if the I don't know if it should have gone down by them picking up the entire sheriff's office.

I don't know if there should be a fair assessment there. Well, if they had to buy equipment, they're not buying that equipment every year, right? They're updating it every year. Okay. So, last year they spent $760,000. Next year they budgeted one over a million dollar. And I'm just curious as to why an update isn't a full replacement like I assume they had to do the way you guys talk. We're also going to to the cloud for storage which has a cost as well. I think that was hundred some thousand to to put everything in the cloud. I I can't speak for Ben on his budget. I mean I

but that way you can go to any computer there is. You don't have to have that hard drive in front of you. So that's I mean the whole world's doing this stuff. So but I still question going from $760,000 last year to over a million dollars next year. That's quite an increase. We have a timed item here.

I just about that. And your budget hearing should not have a hiding item. I think I've covered pretty much everything other than you need to start looking at your dollars being collected instead of what your levy will generate and reduce your expenditures and not on the backs of your employees. Okay.

But I'm not hearing that you even intend to do that. I Is it going to take the state coming in and saying we're regionalizing county government? I don't believe they'll ever do that. Well, they've talked about it a lot over the last few decades. A lot. That's why I was in here and said Ben County will lose if it happens. Well, they did have stuff on in De Moines where they were going to do away with the TR township trustees and that fell through the cracks. Yeah, they've talked about that before, too. That's stupid. But

Well, your township trustees aren't costing millions of dollars. No, they're not. But things have to change and the board of supervisors have to be the ones that drive the change. Okay, I'm done.

Okay, it's you guys's turn. discussion. Nothing. I just want to say thanks. Okay, I'm going to close the public hearing now. and

you have to adopt that resolution. Yes. Can I get a motion to approve adopt the resolution 2631 27 county budget? So moved. All right. I'll second them. Oh, okay. Call for a vote. Sean I most want to jump to my resolution numbers.

Okay. But otherwise what I had for the election officials just to be more transparent. So we list them all out in the resolution. That'll only take a second one. Yeah. All right. Resolution 26-32. Precinct elected officials would get 275 a day. Precinct election chairman gets 350 a day. Absentee election officials $15 an hour. Healthcare facility election official $15 an hour. Election delivery team $2060. Training required by law $25. Period.

Yeah, because we are now required to give training for every election. So, okay. I'd make a motion to uh adopt resolution 26-32 establishing the Benton County precinct collection official compensation. Okay, I'll second that and call for a vote. same and I rules I bang them now every year try to so since we do all the other wages every year I thought they should be too

my morning uh was fall. We started a bridge replacement project on 69th Street North back ends between 29th and 30th Avenue. That bridge got poured just before the weather changed or has been cold. Uh we weren't able to get the grading work done until this spring. Um actually about 2 weeks ago that bridge actually got opened up to the tra traveling uh traffic users. Uh, it had a weight limit on it previously. This one no longer needs that weight limit. So, I need to officially get that embargo removed. So, this resolution just identifies that location. Okay. I'll make a motion to approve resolution 2633 removing the bridge embargo.

Okay. I'll second that. Call for a vote. Same and I do not. Yeah, sir. Okay. Uh, utility permit received from the city of Polartown where I built the new convenience store. that west corner needs to drain north past the old um gas station that they need to get an outlet that way. That's all in the county. They had considered annexing that end of town, but that uh Marty Long

Kim Kim property continues north of the creek. much more than that they think they need or want type of deal. So, they're just asking permission to do the work in the road right away there from that corner. They got to replace the culvert underneath our street, I think, and then be able to just take that little bit of storm water that'll be generated there north to pray. Okay. easier handled probably with just allowing to use the road right away to do that which wouldn't cause us any trouble. So

and the city's going to flip the bill for that. The city is all paying for all so it's no cost to the county. All right. So it would meet all of the utility department requirements. Okay. I'll make a motion to approve the utility permit for the city of town.

Okay. I'll second that. Call for a vote. See him and I close eye. Thank you. uh Quest Corporation doing business as Century Link QC. You now even called Lumen uh Communications I think. But uh just north of Bitten along 58th Street, there is a tower out there. They are going to they're requesting to run a new short fiber line about 500 ft uh to to that tower from an existing pedestal they have just west of there. But it's a completely new line. Um and I requested them fill out a utility permit, but I'm looking to propose to put it in the pack slope there on the north side. It'll be fine and meet all of the requirements on the permit. So recommend approving that utility permit and knife and in or

they'll probably bore it for that short distance. All right. I'll make a motion to approve the utility permit for central.

All right, I'll second it and call for a vote. team and I was I and USA Communications is working on developing their uh fiber a big fiber project uh east of Benton north of 61st Street Lane or County Home Road as I call it uh north of the river uh in Taylor and Benton Townships. Uh they're still in the process of putting their finalizing their construction plans to get out to the contractors, but um they will need to follow our specifications and guidelines when they put it in. Um I don't anticipate a problem, but they do need to file for a permit. So I'm recommending approval.

Okay. Will they have pedestals or will they have them drop boxes? I haven't heard. It might be a combination of both. Okay. I'll make a motion to approve the utility permit for USA communications in Taylor and Benton Townships. I will second it and call for a vote. See, I I might as well stay there for a second. Yeah,

Alison this time. He didn't even set it there. So I am here representing Benton County Historic Preservation Commission. This year the national National Alliance of Preservation Commission's national conference called forum is in Minneapolis. It's been in Portland. It's been in West Palm Beach. This is the closest it's been since 2018. Um, there are three of us that would like to go. And I understand since it's out of state, we need to ask about going.

They're not part of the employees. Well, that the handbook read because you guys are going to reimburse them for the travel and so they have to get higher approval. Got it. Got it. Okay. I assume you're get reimburseed mileage and stuff like that. We'd like to. Okay. I think before you guys went to De Mo, wasn't there? But they don't have county credit cards because county employees, right? They just need the approval to go to attend. And they'll turn in claims for reimbursement after the fact. Right. But you've budgeted for this. So yeah. Yeah.

I would make a motion to approve the travel for the uh the dates when July 22nd through July 20 6. And what I pass out to you is all of the lovely classes that we get to go to while we're there. maybe list the three individuals too. Um, myself, Jimmy Wheeler, and Phil Burleski.

Okay, I'll second it then. Call for a vote. same and I bullseye. Okay, thank you.

I should mention also our art contest is going pretty well. Um, judging day will be May 19th. May 19th after your Well, that would if we get 500 of them, we're obviously not judging all 500 in one day, right? That would be fine. But they're due the 15th of May. And then that next Tuesday, I should have them all sorted and ready to go for you.

Okay, yep. Thank you much. Thank you, Alison.

Terry Reeks, discuss condition, secondary roads, regular maintenance, and for the record, it's Reichkes. Sorry. It's okay. It happens all the time. Um, I've been a resident of Benton County for almost 7 years now and I travel all over Benton County and surrounding counties for my job. I've been doing that for the last 14. and I just want to know if certain territories in the county provide reactive maintenance or proactive maintenance because I hit all the roads all over the place and from what I see the roads within the Urbana territory have been neglected and that's pretty bad cuz I know that they go to trainings and they have this and they had that but nothing never changes. So I I want to know why the money is being hemorrhaged and now it takes um me getting on the agenda to actually have work being done on these roads to get them prepped for the season. I know we have inclement weather that you have to work around. I get that my job I have to work around the weather too. But um to me it seems like it's reactive maintenance throughout the entire secondary roads department because you have people call and complain and I'm not even talking about exactly where I live. I hit every road in the county and surrounding counties. And I'll tell you right now, northeastern Benton County or the area around Urbana is pitiful and it has been. And I'm not the only one that's tired of it. If the weather would have stayed inclement, there'd be 20 people in here talking about the same thing. We're tired of it. Two of them decided to make it. That's great. But the weather finally turned and they can get out into the fields and they're going to do it because weather doesn't

cooperate in the spring. So, what I want to know is why we're allowing the same thing to happen over and over and over expecting a different result. Isn't that the definition of insanity?

You send you send your maintainer operators to trainings, right? Yes. Okay. Does the guy that uh that is primarily responsible you told me he was on medical leave when I tried to get some information for you a couple weeks ago and then I got rescheduled as you were gone at a conference last week. Um, does the guy that run the that's supposed to be running the urban territory, does he go to these trainings? All of the a county employees that run a motor grader on a regular basis have had

some type of training or multiple training. Okay. A couple years ago, I actually brought in a professional uh and worked with I think six or eight of my operators uh that attended that training for 3 days. Um and certainly um as you mentioned, mother nature plays a part into certain things. Um the Cedar River corridor does have some different soil types. makes maintenance uh different than probably big share of the rest of Ben County.

Well, I wouldn't just say maintenance. I would say effective maintenance because I've witnessed numerous times this guy sitting on the side of the road on his phone not doing his job. And then how fast are you supposed to be driving when you're maintaining roads when you actually have the blade down and you're doing an effective job? Cuz it seems to me like he just puts it in float and runs 13 14 mph. I don't think you can effectively maintain your roads at that kind of speed. So, he's been to these trainings and you told me he was on medical leave. So, we just going to bandaid it and then Okay, now you know where I live, right? And I've seen a few hundred tons of rock put on my road, but that's not why I'm here. To me, that's a giant waste of money because it's you're just going to let it fall to shambles again. We don't have a regular maintainer in that area. There's another gentleman up here that I mean he's got to fix his own road so he can get into his driveway. I lived at a different spot uh even closer to Benton and there's multiple times where there's a 3-ft rut on the side of the road. I talk with farmers. I work for farmers. You know how many of them tell me that it's not safe to drive their equipment on these roads when those wash outs are there? And I totally agree. So, I don't know why if we're sending this all these guys to trainings, is there some do they have to pass get a certification through this training or do they just go and slough off? Cuz I know in my job like I'm responsible for billing out my hours. If I don't do my job effectively, I don't have a job. And that's a problem for me. My tax dollars are going to these roads and it's okay. Yeah, they've dumped a bunch of rock dump, but like I said, I don't want it in my area just because I called and complained. I'm not not here trying to get somebody fired. I want somebody to take some accountability for their job, take some pride in what they do.

And it's not just the maintainer operators either. There's I have eyewitness accounts of some of these guys that work for Secondary Roads Department. I get it. They have brakes. Some of them are union, some of them aren't. break shouldn't be taking 45 minutes to an hour sitting on the side of the road. I witnessed six of your employees within the last two years sitting just down the hill from my house playing on their phones, smoking cigarettes, whatever they're doing. So, we had Jill here talking about, you know, keeping an eye on your budget when we have county employees that it's okay. Everybody wants a county a great county job. If you talk to anybody outside, oh yeah, it's got a gravy job working at the county because they're not held accountable and they're not doing an effective job. Are you responsible for driving roads and making sure that the conditions are great or that progress is being made?

I do that also. I say there are others in my staff that are out um on a very daily regular basis all around the county. evaluating things and when they encounter areas that need attention, uh adjust personnel and materials in those directions if need be. Um and having a large county, it's difficult to do sometimes. I guess say when you come particularly in the springtime coming out of winter into spring um that's we um we you know have a need for adding rock and all roads across the county which you it takes time right 7 years I mean it's it's ridiculous that's how long I've never been on such terrible gravel roads in a 5 mile radius or even a little bit larger all the way up to mechanic county and probably 5 mi south of Urbana and west. It's that specific territory. I've lived in that area for 7 years. They're the worst gravel roads in the county. So, nothing has been done like it's all been reactive maintenance. Now, in my line of work, I try to perform a lot of proactive maintenance so I don't have to worry about it when a farmer needs his equipment. it can perform. He doesn't have to worry about me showing up to fix it when he needs it. These roads are needed daily. I mean, there some of the busiest roads are in between Urbana and Venton. So, I don't know what what are we doing cuz you told me you the maintainer operator is on medical leave. Do we have somebody that is filling in for that or

I I I don't I'm confused. when when there's the dedicated operator isn't available, we will utilize other people within the department to operate that equipment as needed. And yes, we've been utilizing multiple people in the northeast area um here right now because the dedicated operator is unavailable. Okay. Um, so when he does become available, um, the training that he has, is he actually going to put that to use or is it just going to be more the same old same old? I guess what I'm looking for is like accountability and pride in your job, I guess. And it stems from you guys also, right? you got somebody in here, you know, making sure that your budgets are balanced the way they should be, and that's great. I think it's an awesome idea, but it doesn't seem like a lot of your uh county employees have pride in what they do.

I would argue heavily against that. I think every one of those employees takes pride in what they do. um then maybe their standards are a little bit lower than mine because when you have roads that haven't been improved in the length of time that I've lived in this county, they do for a short time, just enough to get everybody off their backs and then all of a sudden it's back to the same old same old. So, I'm not saying that they don't have pride, but the work that they I just I don't I it doesn't compare to what mine is, I guess. I'm I'm a professional. I'm supposed to knock it out of the park every day, you know, and I do my best to do that. I understand everybody has off days and sometimes you just can't get things done. I get it. And you're never going to make everybody happy. Mhm. You know, and I'm not saying I want focus on these specific roads cuz it's as a whole, guys. I tell you what, I put probably a few thousand miles out on these secondary roads every year and without a doubt the busiest ones in that area need the most attention, but it's it's all over the place. I know that some roads well in that area. I know that some roads um shaping them the way you want. Tim, uh, that soil type just reverts the crown in the road back to a flat surface. Uh, that holds water very quickly.

And so that would require more timely maintenance. Right. So if you know that those soil types are like that, cuz soil types don't change. Mhm.

Right. If you know that those roads are intended to do that, should you not allocate more time for maintenance on those roads? I mean, it's no surprise it's been like that for years. Even before I lived in the area, I drove those roads and it really hasn't changed. And even before the m the regular maintainer operator that is in there now, it was like that before he was there. And I'm sure he had training. So, we know those roads and those soil types tend to flatten out and get rid of the grounds. And it takes me getting on the agenda for you guys to dump down a few hundred tons of rock to get things straightened out. I don't want to I don't want to have to take time out of my day, you know, half a day burned up now. I don't have to take time out of my day to come and talk to you guys to get effective results. So, I want to know what what we're going to change. We can talk about it and I want to know what can change, what can get better. I've called in multiple times over the years. I've lived on them by air for 30 years now. Tractors up and down the road, farm equipment. Uh it's dangerous. Multiple cars on our road have been in the ditch and it's because of the worst word in the pothole. Kids generally. But when the roads are that rough and they bounce off in a ditch and nobody that I know has got killed yet, but it's going to happen. It will happen. Uh north of the same way, drove semi up there for a farmer. And like Terry said, there have been 20 people

here today, but now they're in the field. I mean, you guys do traffic studies, right? What roads are traveled the most, right? Been a while. Been a while, right? I would I would assume that, you know, the highway from the Oak Grove Church all the way over to Lewis Access, cross county line, that was probably one of your busiest roads. Yes.

Okay. It's paved now. I get that. So, I would assume a lot of the area around Urbana is pretty busy. Like I said, I lived on 29th Avenue Drive on the north side of the river and now I live on the other side of um 32nd Avenue that runs to Shellsburg. And those roads, they are extremely busy, especially, you know, the trails that follow either side of the river. They have been. But it's it's insane to me to think that the only time I can get something done or get results out of these guys is when I have to call and complain I shouldn't have to. And I'm not even I wouldn't even call it a complaint. I would just like either somebody's not aware of it or somebody's not doing their job. Right. Like the the amount of money that's hemorrhaged like and from what I've noticed, you know, late in the in the season, I get it. if you don't have the chance to get to some of these roads. Um, but late in the season, right before it freezes, now we're going to dump down a bunch of rock and the first snowfall that comes, we have a guy come in and just blade it all right into the ditch. Now, the roads are twice as wide as what they should be, which also is going to hold more water, right? And it makes it harder to maintain. So then you come to the winter time and now your roads are so wide your maintainers having to make three passes up and down these roads to get them cleared off or they leave a wind row. And you guys can see you can see this all the mailboxes on that high road from uh where it changes on 56th Street Trail and 29th Avenue Drive that run, you know, all the way across. All the mailboxes are on one side of the road, right? From here all the way to center point. Your maintainer operators are faced with a decision on where to leave the rest of the snow on the road because they can only make two passes up and down cuz

they got a lot of work to do. So it it doesn't make sense to me there either. So now you got a 3ft window row of snow on the mailbox side typically because the mailboxes are all on the south side or the east side of the road. And I get it. You don't want them on the north or west side because that's where the prevailing wind is when the weather's not cooperating. But now I can't believe that none of the postal workers that deliver all that haven't called and complained about those roads not being cleared off all the way cuz they can't get to the mailboxes. So I want to know what we can do use our use our budget a little bit more effectively for one. I mean, I can tell you there's probably a couple pickup loads of rock in the ditch of the place that I used to live at because it just gets bladed right off and then when it gets bladed off now, the water doesn't drain. We have a severe water drainage problem on a lot of those roads, too. I don't know if you've seen it in the few last few inches that we've had here in the last couple of weeks. Standing water for days that I I mean, that's part of the roadway, right? Mhm. They should drain effectively. And I'm not talking the bottomlands where all the water's going to. I'm talking I mean that trail road especially, but it's everywhere. So, I'm sure you guys have pride in their job and I'm not taking that away from them. But a lot of people that don't work for the county think that these county workers aren't held accountable. And if they if the people that aren't county workers see that a visible improvement is being made or at least an attempt, then it's just going to be more of this. And I guess if you guys want to do this all the time, I I that's fine. But I I'm sure you guys feel like I'm chewing on you

pretty hard, but I'm not the only one that's upset about it. I It's like I can't take it anymore. Add some comments here. First thing I got a question. Was this agenda on the or this item on the agenda when it was initially published yesterday? Okay. It was on it last week, but the the engineer was gone. Okay. That's where to a conference. I asked about it before and then somebody called me this morning and said that appeared later on in the day yesterday. No, it was originally there.

Okay. Uh, and on the county roads, I've talked to a couple people, had some phone calls, same general area, Urbana area, issues with gravel roads. Uh, they say there's a night and day difference when they drive from Benton County to Lyn County.

Okay. But this is just information's been passed on to me. Uh, the other concern they had was, and I haven't validated this or drove out there and looked at it, but they say that there's a pile of gravel on the side of the road. And I don't know, your procedures are maintained, but they say last fall there was a pile of gravel all along, you know, they pushed all one side when they come through with snow bomb pushed down an inch this winter. So, you know, there's there there, like I said, there's probably some room for improvement and uh and I'm just passing on these comments that I've heard. Uh and as far as being proactive, uh the new road from the old growth church to Lewis Bottoms, which I call the Shellsburg bypass, uh that does need some maintenance. You know, I I got to say thank you for getting that road done. I use that road all the time. 90% of my tra maybe 99% of my travels I use that when I leave my house, but there is some more shelves along there that can be fixed right now. And they were there last year. I I haven't drove and documented them or anything, but I know yesterday I seen another one and I don't know if they were fixed last fall or not, but they could be done because after waiting 30 some years for that road to get done, I don't want to see it go to hell. So, that's something that can be

That's proactive maintenance. Exactly. Exactly. Let's take care of the problem before it's an actual problem. And as far as other issues, I was at the Rock Corey at Center Point yesterday. one of the county trucks come flying in there and I was in the scale house at the time and the guy operator commented about the speed and the way that guy's driving was excessive. So that's something that may I will look into that and I

and I only seen one county truck come in when I was there. So and I don't who it was and document nothing but he didn't make the comment. I wasn't paying attention. So, but he said something to the effect that he always comes flying in here like that. So, I you know, as far as other comments, I guess I don't have any. So, on 56 Street Trail, I know you started working on the roads pretty heavy about two weeks ago, maybe a little longer. weeks ago and earlier we were attacking pretty much just bad spots but after the rain that we've gotten here in the last two

rocks and potholes never stayed up three cars and it's all gone and everybody knows Sack Mhm. and Chris and his daughter where Keith Fler used to live. Driving over here this morning, I'm like, maybe I should stop and take a picture of them holes. I didn't You guys know they're there. That's a terrible road. They've been there for years. Yeah.

Yep. But the work being done two or three weeks for the last two or three weeks, come and work from the quarry to the highway, throw gravel down, they did try to get crown in there, worked it, of course, put dirt on the road, trying to pull it back on. Then you got people calling in bitching when you're trying to upgrade the road. Then you turn around and you haul all the gravel from not all of it, gravel in that area down 56th Street Trail after you put new gravel on there. When isn't there something stated that you're supposed to go to the nearest highway from a quarry or not? No.

No. Would it not make sense to use a highway rather than beating up the gravel roads? you just tried to fix depending on where you're going, I guess, in the travel distance.

It might take it might take a few more minutes, maybe even five or 10, but you're not beating up the roads that you just tried to fix. You know, we're coming out of the I call it Sweden quarry, but coming out of there and you come out of on a high road and if you're hung out of there, you know, that road's both directions, east and west to get either south or north of Urbana rather than taking a highway out of them, taking a long way around few more minutes. But I don't know, it's kind of common sense, you know. But I know them road when you pull them back in and try to get ground in, they need packed down before you can get them smooth again.

What do you cut the potholes out before you dump the rock in? Yeah. Yeah. And I'm not claiming that I know how to run a maintainer cuz I I don't. I'd probably have it more screwed up than what they are now. But I would jump at the chance to do a better job, you know, and get that effective training and put that training to use. Doesn't seem like it's been happening around that area.

Guys, that's on constant medical leave only hurts the rest of the guys working there. Period. It makes them look bad and makes them work harder. Makes them do more work. If you have a roving clearing, I run a business of my own for 40 years. They didn't stick around very long. Some of them a day, some of them 3 days. You get a good one, you hang on to them. It's hard to unrest the people that you have as employees that working for the county if you have a few bad aids. You know that. We all know that. We all have worked all of our lives. We know that. I've been in other jobs where there's 40 guys and we got three lazy ones. That don't work out very well. I would see if there's any way to do something about that is being in charge here in this room. What's your opinion on it?

What does the guy do when they're When medical issues are involved, it's all on the medical profession that's dictated in in their line of business. And so, um,

anyone that's, you know, when you have medical restrictions on what employees can do, you have that task to accommodate that and limit the type of work people do based on those restrictions. Um and so in cases where it involves specialized equipment, you utilize other people within your department too. Does the county have a light work duty policy or no county does? Yes. For if you have to show up even if you're on

Yes. You can't do your job. You got to show up at least and be on light duty. Yes. Okay. Because if I am anyways my we could get somebody that

in your department that they could maybe count on every day near the Mana area. Um, possibly. Um, I know that this morning the main submer and I were talking about it briefly and um, we put someone over there today that could stay over there on a more regular basis because the other ones that have been filling in at this point have another primary duty. I mean the individual over there would be utilized elsewhere and doing other things too. Um but um wouldn't be getting moved around on a daily basis or every few days type of deal. Um and so that's the plan today. um moving forward. Not that those that haven't been over there in the last 3 4 weeks particularly um have been needed elsewhere during that time frame too. So they're only over there for

a couple days and then they need to go back. Yep. No, I get it. It's it's a big it's a very big county. Again, that jeopardize his area. Yep. You know,

if you got a guy that can't regularly run in the area that he's supposed to, you got to have the next man up mentality, you know, and if he shows that he's improving or doing a better job, then what do you do with the guy that, you know, isn't effectively doing his job and now he's on light duty, right? But I mean, I'm sure nobody likes I'm sure maintainers probably catch the most flack out of everybody, right? And um any chance that I've had to thank them for doing a great job, I do. And that's in any line of work, I do. But uh because it's thankless. It's a lot it's like a lot of jobs that are, you know, bluecollar. But I want to know is if you if that if a certain individual isn't able to perform his duties, what at what expense does the citizens or that people in that area suffer?

All depends on the circumstances. When it comes to like an engine or injury, right? Right. No, I get it. You're basically untouchable, especially if it happens at work. I get that. That's some of the problems we're dealing with right now. So, so what do we have for a plan as far as um keeping up being uh more proactive than versus reactive? I feel like when when I called to get on the agenda, all they did was make them focus on the area that I live close to. And I'd like to say that was a coincidence, Jerry. I I think

Hey, um when the maintenance superintendent seen the condition of that roadway,

in his reaction was doing what we're doing right now, but we're not fully aware. Well, and I I hope I hope that it was a coincidence, but I I tend to not believe in coincidences. Everything happens for a reason. Um it I don't want it to just be, okay, now we got that we, you know, we'll put a band-aid on that. And I get it. The amount of rock that's been dumped on those roads is a tremendous amount. It's more than what I've seen in a long time. But it comes back to not having a guy that's regularly there and doing an effective job. Yeah. you can go around and touch these roads and do this and diddle here and diddle there, but it's about being effective at what you're doing. And from what I've witnessed, cuz that area has had the same regular maintainer for a number of years, right? It's been the same guy that's supposed to be doing it. If he's been to the trainings that you say he's been to, he's not putting that training to use. So, I guess that's where I'll leave it. and and residents are fed up with it. And it's also supposed to be any maintainer's uh ability that hey they call up to Myron or Dan either one of them say hey I got a trouble spot it's popping up here on the road I need a load of rock right

now a lot of times when the guys are all busy doing another project uh they'll actually that maintainer guy will stop and bit and actually get the truck and actually take it to his area that he maintains and hauls his own rock. Don't Don't take them. Yes.

So, there's a lot of guys, not to break in, but you can try and try. There's guys that cannot run heavy equipment. I consider a rug grader heavy equipment. I've run dozers and back hoes all my life. And there's guys, they're just not cut up for it. They don't have the finesse to run out these equipment. Yep. It's there's an act to it. I mean, it it's a fact. You see it not all the time. Usually it's like you get do something else.

Yeah. I mean, it's okay for it's okay for you guys to find something else for him to do. Don't eliminate his job. That's not why I'm not trying to get somebody fired out of this whole thing. But if you can't do the one that he's doing, you got to find something else for him to do. But I do know that Urbana area in that area around there, the roads, the conditions, the soils and all that is totally different from where I'm from. New Hall, we got black dirt. The roads stay up pretty good. We got to be careful about where this conversation. Okay. We can't be I I agree to that. Not any individual. We can't We're not talking about any one individual. It's just talking about a territory. Exactly. Yeah,

we just got to make sure that we leave individuals out of the conversation. I have not named a single name.

This really isn't I don't think this is an individual. This is why roads. So that's what we need to address. And then the only question I got is if the public out there has an issue with this. What's the best way to get that communicated to you guys so you can repair it? Because I know a couple years ago I was up in Buchanan County on a Sunday in a motorcycle. I seen a spot in the highway that was bad. I took a picture of it, sent an email to the engineer in Buchanan County. He called me within two hours on a Sunday wanting to know where it's at. And they was out there, went back on Monday and it was fixed. So I What's the best way for the the public to to get without coming in here and getting on the agenda, calling you saying, "We got a pothole or we got a war out along the block." What's the best way to do it?

Call my office. Call your office. Yep. Okay. Now, if they have a picture of it, you know, you can email email to you. Yeah. And if you go to the web web page, there's email addresses for all of the staff people. Okay. In the secretary road. Okay. Um I mean, if you send anything to Barb, the office manager, that'll get forwarded to myself or whoever within my staff would need it to do. Okay. All right. Okay, we're going to try to work with you.

Well, I just I I don't want to have to come back in here and do this. I I it it pains me to be able to do this cuz now I've given up, you know, over half of my workday and nobody wants to have to do that. But if you guys don't hear about this stuff, you don't know about it. Right. That's right. And you know, I talked to Ron two weeks ago and he said the best thing you can do is get on the agenda. Now I wish he was here today and but he's not. Doesn't matter. But bottom line is you got to do better. You know, don't be afraid to call me, Mike. Yeah. Cell phone numbers on the web page. I probably get three to five calls a day.

Yep. I'm sure it's not fun, you know, but like I, you know, and I talked to you a couple weeks ago, not not here to chew on somebody. If you're not aware of the issue, all of a sudden there is no issue. But it's it's been there and and nothing's improving. So, do better is all I have to say cuz residents in the rural areas are watching. There's a lot that should be here that couldn't make it. So, okay. Thank you. As far as cell type goes, I'm a liber spot. We used to be the ending of Lynn County and began it. Not anymore. We just aren't. I mean, it's been the soil type has changed over the years.

Okay. I'm 70 years old now cuz it's and I don't like the place and you haven't seen me here. You haven't heard me call every other week. But you know we go through I got a neighbor North between him and I we clear off the road so we can get the milk truck up there the hog trucks and the corn you know what he said they're important market farm to market roads. That's right. Okay. Well, thank you for your time. Thanks for coming in. Don't be afraid to call me. Okay. I won't. All right. Thank you.

Okay. We did the reports. Unfinished business. I got nothing public comment.

Hello, my name is Jane Sher 338873rd Street here in Benton County. Um, wanted to just follow up and thank you for proceeding with that letter of opposition and getting that filed to the IU. Um, I also wanted to encourage you once this is done to also forward copies or contact the other towns who are in that impact area. You got Newh Hall, Walford, Norway, Shellsburg. We're reaching out to all those towns, too. And that might also not only create awareness but also um help when we go in to educate and for them to also take some kind of action. Right now Atkins is the only one that is um signed a letter of opposition but to date they have not put it on the docket yet. My other um thought and what was brought to my attention too is maybe I know last week the attorney spoke um and wondering if you're considering um hiring an outside council to maybe explore some other options or ordinance that you may use to mitigate this proposed power plant and maybe either future things like the creep of data centers. Fairfax just um passed an ornament or I'm sorry ordinance um about high water usage and like monitoring that as related to the data centers and such and that has you know just some safeguards like that and I know that's been communicated to you as well by other people. So, thanks for your time and just keep on plugging away and you know, however we can help you get the word out and on this power plant especially and even uh incranging things from the other counties around us. Thank you.

Thank you. I got one question uh as far as power plants, wind generators, solar, all this stuff. Is that property able to be taxed? Somebody told me that there's a state law that you can't tax them for what they're worth. As far as property tax, usually utilities are taxed by the mileage. I'm talking like if you put up a wind generator, you increase the value of that land by a million and a half dollars. That's centrally assessed. So then it has to go through like the assessor's board. So they would get taxed. Okay. cuz I was under the understanding none of them in Iowa getting taxed that way.

But I don't think it'll be like our assessor doesn't assess it himself. It comes from like a like you said the state. But then different kinds of utilities like for the pipeline, some of the gas fiber, we tax by the mileage and then we get the rates from the state to apply to it and it has so the state sets the amount you can tax on it. Okay. So it wouldn't necessarily a wind generator wouldn't be tax uh taxed at a value of a million and a half. Correct. And they don't have the same roll backs as commercial and other ones do. Okay. All right. That answers my question. So then I think it's 10 or 15 years before it actually hits.

See that's that's there's a grace period in there. Okay. When it first goes up that some of the stuff like she's talking this power plant. I don't know much about it, but some of this stuff could be beneficial if it gets taxed like we're getting taxed. But if it's not getting taxed, then I agree. Go out to the Department of Revenue. They have a whole thing on just utilities central assessment and all that and might be able to help you or I can email you a link. Okay. All right. Okay.

Nothing. Okay. I just have a quick Good morning. I'm John Zassic and I actually live in Lyn County, southeast side of Cedar Rapids. I just wanted to thank you for the work you're doing to support the community as they are concerned about this power plant. And um I also wanted you to know that I'm working with Lynn County and the city of Cedar Rapids because I see this as a significant issue that needs to be addressed. And then with respect to your question about taxation, it's the production of power that gets taxed and it's a state level tax, but it can flow back to the counties. So that you're aware of that. Thank you.

This would flow back to Benton County though because it's sitting on county. Correct. Correct. Correct. I was thinking more about the wind solar was talking about. Okay. Motion to adjurnn. I'll make a motion to adjurnn. I'll second that. Call for a vote. See I rules I

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