Could be self-sustaining in a year or two
~by Janice Harbaugh for GreeneCountyNewsOnline
The Greene County board of supervisors heard progress reports and requests for funding from two programs at the regular meeting on Dec 23.
Philip Heisterkamp reported the 40th Bell Tower Festival held in June was a financial success and he predicted the event “could be self-sustaining in a year or two.” He said the reunion party was a success and the open concept of allowing adult beverages in a large area of the celebration worked well. Heisterkamp requested $3,000, compared to the current year funding of $4,000. “We’re going in the right direction,” he said. No action was taken by the board.
Josh Hedges, Greene County Fair Association vice-president, reported being “done for now” on animal buildings, with the hog building in 2015, sheep building in 2016, and cattle building in 2018. Fairground events included the Red Barn craft show and the county fair. Events planned for the 2020 county fair include puppets, fireworks, monster trucks, tough truck challenge, rodeo, and tractor pull. Hedges requested $25,000. Current year funding is $24,000. No action was taken by the board.
In other business, the board again discussed the public art policy and sculptures on the courthouse grounds. Supervisor Pete Bardole, board liaison to Tower View Team which is responsible for the current sculptures, said the sculptures will be moved out in January. The board had previously set Nov. 1 as the deadline for moving the sculptures.
The board discussed the possibility of four new sculptures in the Ring Out for Art competition for the 2020 Bell Tower Festival. County attorney Thomas Laehn reminded the board of its responsibility to set the message for the art work as being “promotion of the bell tower.” He said the board has final say on whether any submissions of sculptures would be accepted for display.
The issue of damage to the sculptures while on display and possible theft of art was discussed. Laehn said there probably should be an indemnity provision in the guidelines that go out to artists holding the county not responsible for damage or theft.
Bardole said the Tower View Team wants the sculptures to be displayed May through April each year. Chair John Muir said, “We don’t want permanent sculptures,” and supervisor Dawn Rudolph said, “Maybe the winner (of the Bell Tower sculpture contest) could stay here and the others be displayed elsewhere.”
The board seemed in agreement that sculptures should be limited to four on the plaza and be displayed May through October with removal Nov. 1.
There was discussion of other entities in addition to Tower View Team who could enter sculptures. “Everybody has a right to ask,” Muir said.
The board discussed and unanimously approved Resolution 2019-56: Construction Evaluation Resolution for the master matrix scoring. This refers to the construction of buildings for confinement feeding operations.
In summary, the resolution had to be adopted if the board wanted to retain authority to “approve or disapprove a construction permit application regarding a proposed confinement feeding operation structure.”
Additionally, the resolution states “the board of supervisors must conduct an evaluation of every construction permit application using the master matrix created by Iowa Code section 459.305, but the board’s recommendation to the DNR may be based on the final score on the master matrix or may be based on reasons other than the final score on the master matrix.”
The complete resolution is available in the auditor’s office.
The board has approved a resolution every year of its intent to use the master matrix. The board was lobbied earlier this year by local environmentalists to ask the Iowa legislature to direct the Department of Natural Resources to revise the master matrix, raising the standards for approval of a construction permit. After hours of discussion over the course of a month, the supervisors sent a letter to the governor, Sen. Jerry Behn and Rep Phil Thompson on the subject.
Although county boards can recommend denial of a construction permit for reasons other than failing to score at least 440 of the total 880 points possible on the matrix, the DNR will not consider a recommendation to deny if the matrix scored 440 points or more.
The board also unanimously approved a new employment contract with Laura Snider, part-time assistant county attorney, for an increase in weekly hours from 15 to 25 with a salary of $55,000 per year, beginning Jan. 1.
