~by Janice Harbaugh for GreeneCountyNewsOnline
The Greene County Temporary Redistricting Commission presented a re-drawn map of supervisor districts to the Greene County board of supervisors at the regular meeting Oct. 18. Supervisor district maps are drawn based on population and are re-drawn every 10 years, based on new census information.
Commission members who worked on the map were Chris Henning, Guy Richardson, Dale Hanaman, Jenny Wessling, and Mary Jane Fields. Jane Heun was secretary for the group.
Henning said the population of Greene County is 8,771 according to the latest census, which means each of five supervisor districts should be drawn to have 1,754 people.
Henning said the map submitted to the supervisors is within a variation of 2-3 people per district.
The commission reported it had received no written or oral comments on the redistricted map at a public hearing Oct. 11. The Commission verified the map follows the requirements of Iowa Code.
Board chair John Muir said, “It looks like there is representation for everybody,” and supervisor Dawn Rudolph said, “The boundaries have clean lines.”
After studying the map and redistricting plan submitted by the commission, the supervisors unanimously approved the Supervisor District Plan.
The Midwest Carbon Express pipeline was a topic during open forum when Sue Tronchetti spoke to the board to encourage them to “consider other options” when choosing an inspection firm for the proposed pipeline through 10 miles of Greene County. The proposed pipeline to carry carbon dioxide from the Louis Dreyfus ethanol plant in Grand Junction to be stored underground in North Dakota would cross Tronchetti’s property.
Noting that a representative from the inspection firm of ISG would be presenting their program to the board later in the meeting, Tronchetti said she knew of people who were “unhappy with ISG.”
“Our main concern is tile, our tile and county tile. I encourage you to consider other options,” Tronchetti said.
Evan Del Val, representing ISG, a pipeline inspection firm based in Des Moines, later spoke with the board about services the company can provide to the county for
inspecting the pipeline. These include the impact to agricultural land by right of way staking, clearing, topsoil stripping, trenching, temporary and permanent tile repair, backfilling, and restoration.
Del Val said the “hazardous” pipeline will go through five states including 29 counties in Iowa, traversing 760 miles in Iowa. He said, “The pipeline will pay for the inspections.”
In answer to board questions, Del Val said his understanding is the liquid carbon is “intended to be stored permanently underground (in North Dakota) and not used for other purposes such as fracking.”
Rudolph said, “We have responsibility to protect landowners.”
Del Val replied, “I know there are people whose great-grandparents farmed the land.” He said landowners’ feelings about the liquid carbon pipeline are important.
“You don’t want to just hire county employees to inspect the pipeline,” he said. “Inspectors are threatened with being run over, their heads blown off in the field.”
Del Val said inspecting the pipeline calls for special expertise and training beyond what county employees receive.
County attorney Thomas Laehn advised the board of its role in being informed about the pipeline and inspection issues.
Del Val said ISG would be “responsible to the county and the landowners” even though ISG is ultimately paid by the pipeline. He said ISG bills the county and the county bills the pipeline.
GCNO asked Del Val if his company receives funds from sources other than the county through the pipeline. He said, “The short answer is no.” He then described circumstances that could modify the payment channels.
GCNO also asked Del Val if ISG is liable if inspections miss something or the pipeline doesn’t make needed changes or repairs as required by ISG. Del Val said ISG is not liable.
Del Val was questioned by the supervisors, county engineer, drain clerk, county attorney and media during his presentation.
Chair Muir said the board would discuss the liquid carbon pipeline and need for inspection services with other companies. No action was taken.
County attorney Thomas Laehn reported he has negotiated a 28E agreement between Elderbridge Agency on Aging and Greene County for the provision of services to older Iowans and their caregivers in Greene County.
Laehn said it is the county’s decision whether to fund Elderbridge and the agreement automatically renews.
The board discussed funding of Elderbridge services from Louis Dreyfus funds as not needing a 28E agreement, but using tax dollars to fund it would require a 28E agreement. The need for 28E agreements was mentioned for other agencies funded by tax dollars.
Resolution 2021-33 finalizing this relationship was unanimously approved by the supervisors.
Previously, Laehn had objected to a 28E agreement with Elderbridge that grouped Greene County with 28 other counties. He said the final agreement fixes that and improves other language in the agreement.
Laehn also reported on the status of the opioid abatement settlement money. He said he has met with the State Attorney General’s office and learned the settlement money can be used for “15 pages of narrowly defined” activities.
Using the money for “ambulances and sheriff’s services” is not allowed, according to Laehn. He said the guidelines appeared to favor “large counties with infrastructure” and is tied to “training and programs for opioid abatement.”
Laehn said the money is to be spent over an 18-year distribution and returned to the State if not used.
The board discussed the draft of a resolution from Iowa Workforce Development having to do with the number of members necessary for a quorum. No action was taken.
Engineer Wade Weiss reported selling some county trucks to Hamilton County. He also submitted a bill from Gary Goodwin for courthouse roof repair due to crows pecking the surface.
The board unanimously approved hiring Michael Silbaugh in the secondary roads department as a fulltime Equipment III operator at $22.81 per hour effective Nov. 8.
The board also unanimously approved increasing employer and employee shares of premiums for health insurance by five per cent in calendar year 2022.
