The Greene County board of supervisors opened 2017 with the swearing in of newly elected officials by magistrate David Morain. Auditor Jane Heun, sheriff Jack Williams and supervisors John Muir, Mick Burkett and Peter Bardole took an oath of office at the Jan. 3 organizational meeting.
The board then re-elected John Muir as chairman and Dawn Rudolph as vice chair for 2017.
The county will continue to conduct business as it has for many years. The supervisors will hold their regular meetings Mondays beginning at 8:30 am, with an open forum early in the meeting. They will meet on Tuesdays following Monday holidays. Other regular meetings, if needed, will be held Thursdays at 8:30 am. The board will also meet Thursdays at 8:30 am from January until the budget process is complete.
Courthouse hours will remain 8 am to 4:30 pm, Monday through Friday. County offices will be closed for the following holidays: President’s Day, Monday, Feb. 20; Memorial Day, Monday, May 29; Independence Day, Tuesday, July 4; Labor Day, Monday, Sept. 4; Veterans Day, Friday, Nov. 10; Thanksgiving, Thursday and Friday, Nov. 23-24; Christmas, Monday and Tuesday, Dec. 25-26; and New Year’s Day, Monday, Jan. 1, 2018.
The Scranton Journal and The Jefferson Herald were selected as official newspapers.
Committee appointments were juggled a bit with the retirement of Guy Richardson and the addition of Bardole. Appointments for 2017 are:
Mick Burkett: Investments, Insurance and Finance; Greene County Pioneer Cemetery Commission; Second Judicial District, Dept. of Corrections; Central Iowa Juvenile Detention Center – alternate; and veterans affairs liaison.
Thomas Contner: Entity Board; Greene County Recycling Agency; New Opportunities; Region V Hazardous Materials Response Commission – alternate; Airport Commission – alternate; and Drainage districts – vice chair.
Dawn Rudolph: Entity Board; Greene-Guthrie-Audubon Counties Mental Health Services Committee; Heart of Iowa Community Services governing board; Decat; Partnerships 4 Families; New Opportunities – alternate; Region XII Policy Council – alternate; and public information officer.
John Muir: Drainage districts – chair; Heart of Iowa Community Services governing board -alternate; Investments, Insurance and Finance, chair; Region XII Council of Governments executive board and Policy Council; Region XII Chief Elected Officials Board (IWD Region 8 28E); and Second Judicial District, Dept. of Corrections- alternate.
Peter Bardole: Airport Commission; Greene County Development Corporation; Mahanay Bell Tower Foundation; Region XII Policy Council; public information officer.
Click here for a complete list of appointments to the various boards and committees, as well as appointees in various county offices.
Nearly all appointments are unchanged from 2016, except that Nathaniel Chapman was appointed as chief sheriff’s deputy. Williams was chief deputy until taking office as the elected sheriff. Williams explained Chapman’s appointment: “He’s always answered the phone when I’ve called. He’s always come out when I’ve asked. When we’re having trouble, he always does the job. That makes it simple,” Williams said.
Later in the meeting retired sheriff Steve Haupert said, “I’m sure there were some hurt feelings, probably some hurt a lot,” about the appointment. Burkett called Chapman “an intelligent young man.”
