~by Janice Harbaugh for GreeneCountyNewsOnline
The Greene County board of supervisors unanimously approved the FY2022 Iowa Department of Transportation secondary roads budget and 5-year construction program as presented by county engineer Wade Weiss at the regular meeting on April 12.
Weiss had previously described projects involving county bridge repair on County Roads P-46, P-57, P-14, the bridge east of Farlin on E-33, and Snake Creek at the April 5 board meeting. The Jackson Hill bridge on Grimmell Rd south of Westwood Drive was also included as needing repair.
Board chair John Muir asked Weiss for a breakdown of funding sources. Weiss said 22 percent of the budget would come from the county and 73 percent would come from outside sources.
“Assessments going up adds to problems for us,” said Weiss. “We’re not getting farm-to-market funds (for the Jackson Hill bridge.)”
The Jackson Hill bridge is technically inside the city of Jefferson but is on a designated farm-to-market road.
“It’s inspected every other year,” said Weiss. “We need to start looking at it. We’re trying to be a conduit for funding to help the city out.”
In a later report to the board from Jefferson city administrator Mike Palmer, Palmer and Weiss said previous work to Jackson Hill bridge had been done with the county’s help and they wanted to continue working together.
“It’s important to the county,” said Muir.
Supervisor Dawn Rudolph said, “We need to prioritize projects according to need.”
In other business, the board heard from county assessor Adam Smith concerning recent assessment notices sent to county property owners. Smith explained assessments are based on location of properties, improvements to the properties, and sales figures when properties sell.
“Rural properties went up the most (in assessed value) because they are selling well,” said Smith.
Smith said his staff cannot look at every property in the county, so sales figures and construction permits for improvements to properties are often used to determine value.
“There’s also a map we use of eight areas in Jefferson,” Smith said.
Palmer updated the board on city projects. He said several city buildings are for sale and will be turned over to buyers, including Angie’s Tea Garden at the corner of State St and Wilson Ave.
“We’re tearing houses down,” said Palmer, “and Jack (Williams) and the fire department did a controlled burn of one house.”
Palmer said the city plans to re-do a section of road on Lincoln Way from Elm St to Grimmell Rd. “We’d like public feedback on the width of sidewalks,” he said, noting that to be ADA-compliant, the sidewalks need to be a foot wider than they are now.
The city is letting contracts for alley reconstruction, he noted, and volunteers will be filling baskets and planters with plants and flowers next month.
Palmer also spoke about replacing and upgrading the audio system downtown. He suggested sharing the $20,000 cost between the county and the city.
The board discussed whether special music could be requested for events such as Hot August Night.
County attorney Thomas Laehn said the bell tower policies apply only to the bell tower but could also apply to music on the square.
Muir said, “The message we want to send is time-appropriate music,” referring to the 1950s atmosphere of Hot August Night and the public art policy requirement of identifying a message the county would like to send through an art event.
It is unknown at this time whether the bell tower music policies now in draft form will require a message statement from the supervisors as a guide for music chosen by the Mahanay Maestros. Supervisor Bardole has previously said the public will have a chance to read the draft of the policies before the board of supervisors vote on it.
Phil Heisterkamp updated the board on plans for this year’s Bell Tower Festival June 11-13. Heisterkamp suggested an open model with alcohol available in certain areas.
“That worked well last time,” Muir said.
Heisterkamp said Reunion Rendezvous is planned for the north side of the courthouse with tables and chairs for school alumni to meet and visit from noon to 4 pm on the Saturday of the Festival.
“There will be no alcohol sales on county grounds,” said Heisterkamp.
The board briefly discussed lighting for the event and having a stage on the south side of the courthouse.
Heisterkamp asked board members for their thoughts on allowing a person to rappel from the top of the Mahanay Memorial Carillon Tower to the ground to demonstrate the Bell Tower Festival theme this year of Mission: Impossible. The suggested person would be a window-washer.
Supervisor Burkett immediately asked about insurance for the demonstration.
Muir said, “We don’t want the Bell Tower to turn into a carnival appearance. We’re not comfortable with that.”
In speaking about the Festival returning after a year of pandemic, Muir said, “We’re glad to have some normalcy back.”
County attorney Thomas Laehn reported the final draft of the Bell Tower music policy has been prepared in collaboration with Bob Schwarzkopf, attorney for the Bell Tower Community Foundation, and will be presented to the board at the next meeting on April 19.
Laehn criticized the Des Moines Register for an article containing mention of a Greene County case and mis-characterizing the decisions made by the county attorney’s office.
“The Des Moines Register cherry-picked facts to fit their story,” Laehn said. “Our local media let the narrative fit the facts.”
The board unanimously approved two new hires: Amanda Clouse as fulltime dispatcher in the county sheriff’s office and Bret Kersey as part-time ambulance driver.
Clouse will be paid $35,000 a year starting April 24. Kersey will be paid $10 per hour when driving the ambulance and $4 when on call.
The board also unanimously approved a memo to county employees extending COVID-19 paid leave to June 30, 2021.
Supervisors Bardole, Rudolph, and Muir reported attending the Grow Greene grant award ceremony. The county was awarded $128,000 toward the purchase of a new ambulance.
Bardole spoke of local businesses having expanded online sales due to the pandemic and of a collaboration of local retailers with high school students who will assist them in developing websites.
“This is a nice program to bring the two together,” Bardole said.
A veteran’s incentives discussion agenda item was rescheduled to the April 19 meeting. The presenter will be Ken Paxton.
