~by Janice Harbaugh for GreeneCountyNewsOnline
A letter from the Iowa Department of Natural Resources denying the application for construction of an animal confinement operation by Stumpf Finishers, LLC was made public at the regular meeting of the Greene County board of supervisors on July 13.
The Stumpf application was denied due to 45 days without action by the applicant to repair a grassed waterway. The repair requirement was made by the DNR upon review of Stumpf’s application after the supervisors had approved it in May. The board vote was 4 to 1 with supervisor Dawn Rudolph casting the nay vote.
A letter from Dr Mark Peters, Jefferson Vet Clinic, was also made public. Peters informed the board his clinic will cease to provide quarantine for animals after January 2, 2021. He cited “owners (of quarantined animals) being generally obnoxious, disrupting the clinic, and attempting to steal from the clinic” as reasons for discontinuing the quarantine service.
The board unanimously reappointed Sandra Miner to the Region XII Regional Housing Authority board of directors from Oct. 1, 2020 through Sept. 30, 2021.
City administrator Mike Palmer reported on progress for city projects. He said work is one-third completed on Angie’s Tea Room roof. Bids are being let for the Arch Alley parking lot estimated at a cost of $38,000.00. Palmer said glass work will be completed in the former Pizza Ranch building by the end of the month.
A representative of the Union Pacific Traffic Control was present at the board meeting and spoke about a Union Pacific crew working to re-asphalt the approaches to railroad tracks in the county over the next week.
Mikki Schwarzkopf, representing a Main Street group, asked the board about purchasing large snowflakes from Home State Bank to be displayed in trees around the courthouse during winter months. The board will consider it, pending review of the Public Art policy. The board was interested in how the lights were powered and the cost. No action was taken.
Reegan Hanigan, new director for the combined Chamber and Jefferson Matters: Main Street, attended the meeting electronically to introduce herself to the board.
The board went into closed session “to discuss strategy with counsel in matters that are presently in litigation or where litigation is imminent.”
When the board returned to open session, they unanimously passed Resolution 2020-32: Resolution Approving Release and Settlement Agreement.
The Resolution provides for the county’s acceptance of the terms agreed to by its attorneys from Hopkins and Huebner, P.C. and the attorneys for Terri Jo Sutton.
The lawsuit, filed by Sutton in June 2019, involved alleged bodily injury from a slip and fall on county property. As part of the agreement, the county is not admitting fault.
