Supes assert power over other county officials
~by Janice Harbaugh for GreeneCountyNewsOnline
At their regular Nov. 23 meeting, the Greene County supervisors decided to “play ball” with the Friends of Rippey and granted them $4,500 in Dreyfus funding for their sesquicentennial baseball field project.
The county is also providing an in-kind contribution of assistance with the removal of sod at the existing baseball field. Engineer Wade Weiss offered help from his department and “work with a roto-tiller.”
The in-kind work assistance from the county was valued at $500.
Mary Weaver and Mel Murken, representatives of the Friends of Rippey, spoke at the meeting. They said Rippey will be celebrating its 151st anniversary in 2021 and the Friends group has been doing various commemorative and fundraising projects. The celebrations were postponed in 2020 because of the pandemic.
Murken said, “It’s important to complete the baseball field with a safety track by May 1. The commissioner of the Mid-Iowa Baseball League has committed up to 10 games to be played at the Rippey baseball park during the summer of 2021.”
Nancy Hanaman, resident of Rippey and member of the Friends of Rippey, said, “You can literally walk into the grass field from the cornfields.”
“It’s nice to hear from Rippey,” said supervisor Dawn Rudolph. Supervisor Pete Bardole commented on the community’s “pride in the baseball field” and “teams coming to play.”
Weaver mentioned the publication of “I Remember Rippey,” a collection of essays written by Rippeyites, in September. The book has a section of memories about baseball in Rippey during by-gone days.
Rudolph said, “Show (Rippey) off. Each community has something unique.”
In other business, the supervisors asserted their oversight responsibility in the hiring process by questioning new county recorder Deb McDonald about the recent hire of Maralie Ruth as deputy recorder.
Supervisor Rudolph spoke candidly about concerns the board was not being properly informed and included in decisions by the county recorder and the county treasurer.
“It appears the decision (to hire Ruth) was made a long time ago. The ad for the position was just a way to make people think rules were being followed (as to opportunity for the position),” said Rudolph.
“More than once, we’ve (the board) have been treated like puppets on strings,” Rudolph said. “We’ve been taken advantage of. I don’t appreciate hearing things on the street.”
Rudolph was referring to advertisements posted by department heads for job openings without permission of the board of supervisors. Rudolph questioned whether the ads were just formalities and the person preferred by the hiring department had already been chosen.
“If you want the supervisors’ blessing (on hires), we should be involved in the interviews,” Rudolph said to county recorder McDonald.
Rudolph asked how many applications were received for the deputy recorder’s position and if they were “thoroughly reviewed.”
McDonald reported receiving 27 applications. One of those, from Maralie Ruth, was an internal application since Ruth is currently employed in the treasurer’s office.
McDonald said she had chosen Ruth for the deputy recorder position because of Ruth’s experience in courthouse business.
“I don’t want it portrayed to the public that the public won’t get a chance if they apply,” said McDonald. “I followed steps.”
The steps McDonald followed apparently left out the board of supervisors.
The movement of Ruth from treasurer’s office to recorder’s office leaves no one to cover driver’s license applications and renewals.
Treasurer Katlynn Mechaelsen was asked about an ad she had posted to fill that position. The board had not been consulted about that advertisement, either.
Mechaelsen, speaking electronically from quarantine, reported there are no driving license related appointments until Dec. 15. Mechaelsen said it takes three months for a new driver’s license examiner to be certified by the state.
Mechaelsen was directed by the board to consult them first before posting future ads.
The board unanimously approved hiring Maralie Ruth as fulltime deputy recorder, effective Dec. 7 at $47,123.82 per year.
Engineer Wade Weiss reported snowflake decorations will be hung in courthouse trees this week and lights for the front of the courthouse are “up and running but need a different electrical source.” Salt and sand are being mixed for winter roads and bridge and shoulder maintenance continues.
The board unanimously adjusted rates paid to sheriff Jack Williams and ambulance director Michele Madsen for off-duty medical examiner investigations from $100 each per investigation to $200 each per investigation. The rates were made retroactive to Jan. 1, 2020.
