~by Janice Harbaugh for GreeneCountyNewsOnline
Communities not having sewers could receive help in repairing or replacing septic systems, according to Chuck Wenthold, county environmental health director.
At the Jan. 17 meeting of the Greene County board of supervisors, Wenthold said the Iowa Finance Authority is administering a $10 million program for “unsewered communities” on a first-come, first-served basis.
County reasurer Katlynn Mechaelsen reported new guidelines for the disabled and senior citizens property tax credit effective Jan. 1, 2022.
“The guideline used to require an income of under $24,000 at age 65 to be eligible for the property tax credit,” Mechaelsen said. “Now, at age 70, the limit is $32,000.”
More information is available by calling the treasurer’s office. Applications for the tax credit can be made from Jan.1 to June 1.
County attorney Thomas Laehn reported the US Supreme Court has reimposed the stay on the vaccine mandate for businesses of 100 or more employees. Laehn said the case now returns to the 6th Circuit Court of Appeals.
Laehn said the ruling removes the county’s obligation to have a vaccine policy in place for employees.
Engineer Wade Weiss reported the Highway 30 Coalition would like to discuss the costs and economic impact of the Highway 30 corridor through Greene County with the board of supervisors at a future meeting.
Conservation director Tanner Scheuermann reported Spring Lake Park has re-opened with assistance from the secondary roads crew for debris clean-up.
The supervisors tabled consideration of a resolution to approve a 28E agreement with Central Iowa Community Services Region. According to attorney Laehn, the agreement was inconsistent in describing procedures for adding new counties to the region.
“I’m concerned there might be multiple versions of this agreement,” Laehn said.
The supervisors heard reports and budget requests from county departments: conservation, county attorney’s office, treasurer’s office, environmental health, emergency management, medical examiner, and the elections and auditor’s office.
Tanner Scheuermann, conservation, requested a 6.2 percent increase in non-salary operating expenses for FY2023, from about $235,000 to $250,000. Camping receipts were estimated at $200,000. Scheuermann requested $50,000 of that money be used for a new vault toilet at Seven Hills Park and upgraded signage at all parks.
Scheuermann discussed the idea of multi-family cabins at Spring Lake and a possible need for emergency alert sirens there with the board.
Chair John Muir said there should be some follow-up on those ideas.
Laehn reviewed the proposed county attorney budget. Laehn requested $3,500 for legal and court-related expenditures, an increase of $500 from the current fiscal year. Other expenditures remained the same, according to Laehn.
Laehn said revenues include copy fees and recovery fees collected by Boone County, with half the recovery fees repaid to Boone County.
He estimated recovery fee revenues to total $35,000.
Salary increases were listed at the 15 percent recommended by the compensation board for Laehn and smaller increases for the assistant county attorney and office manager.
The salary part of budgets for each department are determined by the supervisors at a later date.
Treasurer Mechaelsen told the board the non-salary expenditures in the treasurer’s office totaled $29,200 and were unchanged from the current fiscal year. She estimated receipts at $155,000, a $400 increase.
Mechaelsen said the part-time driver license examiner position will be dropped for the next fiscal year. The fulltime drive examiner continues to do testing and driving exams.
Wenthold estimated revenues in the environmental health budget at $52,000, including grant money. He said expenditures are unchanged at $67,500 which includes a decrease in postage and water costs and a 5 percent pay increase for Wenthold.
Wenthold said revenues for his department come from septic and well permits, zoning petitions and grants to counties for well and cistern closings, water testing, and well reconstruction.
County emergency management costs were available to the board. These included $4,000 for the second year of a five-year plan to update the county’s hazard mitigation plan through Region XII Council Of Governments. The county will be contributing $35,000 toward the emergency management commission’s budget for FY2023, an increase of $2,000 over the current fiscal year.
The medical examiner budget was estimated to remain at $25,000 for FY2023. This includes costs for autopsies, medical examiner and medical examiner investigator fees, supplies, and education.
Deputy auditor Billie Jo Hoskins estimated the auditor budget at $144,500, including the compensation board’s recommendations for salaries. She said an additional position is planned for FY2023 and that expense has not been included.
Hoskins said the election budget for FY2023 is nearly $128,500 for election personnel and election-related costs, with no election-related revenue expected.
Hoskins asked the board to raise the precinct election officials (poll workers) rate from $10 per hour to $11 per hour for FY2023.
