~by Janice Harbaugh for GreeneCountyNewsOnline
Landus Cooperative plans to augment its harvest staff in Churdan and Paton with inmates from the Rockwell City prison this fall. Dan Clark, Iowa Prison Industries director, and Adam Yetmar, Rockwell City deputy warden, briefed the county supervisors about the program at the board’s Aug. 16 meeting.
A representative from Landus was also present.
Clark said the inmate work program has been in existence about 30 years and Landus has been a partner since 2018, though the program was shut down for a time due to the pandemic.
“The program allows men and women inmates identified as low risk to work for employers who can’t find enough workers,” Clark said. “Inmates placed in jobs in communities earn $11 an hour. They keep 20 percent of the earnings and the other 80 percent are returned to the state for victim compensation, fines, court-ordered restitution, and other reimbursements.”
Clark said five seasonal workers currently at the North Central Correctional Facility in Rockwell City would be eligible for employment by Landus. The proposed plan would be for two men to work at the Churdan site and three men at the Paton site.
Warden Yetmar said eligible inmates are chosen carefully and understand expectations for job and behavior performance.
“About the only problem is someone rarely just walking off,” said Clark.
No permission or action was required by the board.
Ryan Berven of Group Benefit Partners presented an update of the county’s health insurance costs for 2020 and the first seven months of 2021. According to Bervyn, claims to the county’s carrier, Wellmark, have increased dramatically.
“The years 2019 and 2020 were good years,” he said, “but 2021 is up $200,000 because of claims requiring specialty drugs which are typically very expensive.”
Upon Bervyn’s recommendation prior to 2020, the county changed carriers to Wellmark and Bervyn reported “significant savings” to the county on premiums as a result. The county has been self-funded since 2010.
However, Bervyn now told the board, “Wellmark is losing money on prescription claims. Our goal is for Wellmark not to lose money.”
Bervyn said premiums will be increasing and he recommended eventually joining a fully insured Iowa State Association of Counties (ISAC) Wellmark group health program. He recommended the county’s insurance committee be included in future discussions.
Bervyn recommended keeping the county’s insurance reserve “as close to a million dollars as possible.”
In other business, conservation director Dan Towers, who is retiring at the end of August, introduced Tanner Scheuermann as the new director. The board briefly discussed options for a change of location for the conservation office. The Milwaukee Road depot is a likely location.
Engineer Wade Weiss reported discussing possible plans for HVAC installation in the courthouse with Holly Elbert of Brooks Borg Skiles. Weiss said a meeting is planned at the end of August for further discussion.
Weiss said more information about the use of American Rescue Plan funds for HVAC in the courthouse will be available after an ISAC meeting next week.
During open forum, Grand Junction resident Lora Olerich described “an ongoing battle” with the city of Grand Junction over the maintenance of a “ditch full of thistles.”
Olerich said she has a four acre, in-town, acreage with a ditch she believes the city is required to maintain.
“How do I get proper maintenance? I pay $4,000 in taxes. I pay for city sewer but don’t have access to it,” Olerich said.
Olerich said she attends city council meetings but has been harassed by a council member over the thistle issue.
“Grand Junction is not taking responsibility,” she said.
Weiss, who is also the county weed commissioner, said he will take a look at the property to see what the issues are and if there is anything his department might be able to do.
