The shine is barely off the new bells atop the Mahanay Memorial Carillon Tower but the next major expense is already in sight.
County engineer Wade Weiss and supervisor Pete Bardole, who is on the Bell Tower Community Foundation, have reported to the supervisors the need for a new elevator with a price tag of $100,000.
The current elevator, which is now 51 years old, has electrical issues, Weiss has said, and upcoming changes in Iowa Code will make it non-compliant. He suggests that a new elevator be installed rather than repairing the existing elevator.
The bell tower foundation has agreed to pay $25,000 of the cost. Weiss said the elevator is maintenance, not enhancement, and is the responsibility of the county. He would like to apply for funds from Grow Greene County for the project.
However, the supervisors are already looking at Grow Greene for funding to digitize county records; cost of that project is $90,000. Supervisor Dawn Rudolph said she would prefer the county not apply for two different grants.
The Grow Greene grant applications are due in February.
In other business, the supervisors held a public hearing on a confined animal feeding operation proposed to be built by brothers Jonathan and Austin Minnehan in Section 24, Cedar Township. The CAFO scored 465 on the master matrix. No one spoke in opposition to the site. The supervisors received two letters from the public but they weren’t read aloud during the hearing.
The supervisors approved recommending the Iowa Department of Natural Resources approve the construction permit.
The supervisors heard budget requests from RSVP of Boone and Greene Counties for $2,500 for FY19, the same as in FY18; from New Opportunities for $5,304 for the Family Development Center, $6,979 for substance abuse treatment, and $7,608 for substance abuse prevention; and from the Greene County Historical Society for $7,500, an increase of $2,500 compared to FY18.
