~by Janice Harbaugh for GreeneCountyNewsOnline
The Greene County supervisors met twice in three days, having delayed the regular Monday meeting from Feb. 21 to Feb. 22, due to the Presidents Day holiday, and then meeting again Thurday, Feb. 24.
During open forum at the Feb. 22 meeting, John Beltz, who lives and farms west of Jefferson on Highway 30, addressed the board concerning possible future improvements to the Highway 30 corridor. Two plans being considered by the Iowa DOT involve either a “super two” road or a divided 4-lane road.
Beltz provided information from a March 2020 study done by Cedar and Clinton counties titled U.S. 30 Planning and Environmental Linkages Study.
That study recommended the super-2 model for improvements to Highway 30 between Lisbon and DeWitt in eastern Iowa. Beltz said the study cited less environmental and farmland impact of a super-2 design and a lower cost of construction.
Beltz spoke about personal concerns for preserving his family’s Century Farm for historical reasons. He said construction of a divided four lane highway could impact historical preservation of his and others’ property due to larger amounts of land needed.
Three weeks earlier at the Feb. 3 supervisor meeting, U.S. Highway 30 Coalition president Adam Schweers asked the supervisors to contribute $5,000 toward the cost of an impact study to analyze which model should be chosen. The Coalition supports the 4-lane model based on safety.
“We want to be informed of all sides and considerations, especially safety,” board chair John Muir told Beltz.
The board is still considering whether to contribute money to the Coalition impact study.
Also during the Feb. 22 meeting, the board unanimously approved a master agreement with Axon Enterprises for a Taser Certification Bundle requested by the Greene County sheriff’s office. County attorney Thomas Laehn told the board he has reviewed the agreement and has “no concerns about it, legally.”
Sheriff Jack Williams asked the board to include annual licensing and support fees for in-car and body camera operation to the sheriff’s FY23 budget.
Chuck Wenthold, environmental department, reported Webster County has hired Snyder and Associates engineering firm to do inspection services on the Summit Carbon Solutions proposed CO2 pipeline through that county.
Wade Greiman, an engineer with Snyder and Associations, attended the supervisors’ Feb. 24 meeting to present an extensive proposal to the supervisors, describing inspection services the firm hopes to provide to Greene County.
Greiman assured the board his firm would ensure inspectors would be present during the entire construction and would halt construction if standards were not met by the pipeline.
“We will represent you, not the pipeline,” Greiman said. “Inspectors will be on site every day. We will not over-extend staff.”
Greiman said pre-existing conditions of the soil and property would be documented and photographed “so they will be returned to pre-existing condition.”
Muir said, “We already have heavy concerns from property owners which we’ll pass on to the inspectors.”
Greiman said Snyder and Associates billing goes to the county and is then reimbursed by the pipeline.“We don’t expect to be paid until you are paid,” he said.
Auditor Jane Heun told the board that expense would need to be in the 2022-23 budget, which is nearly finished.
“We will make a decision (on hiring inspectors for the pipeline) in the next month,” Muir said.
The board noted Snyder and Associates is known to the county and has worked on other projects such as the overpass on Highway 4 in Jefferson.
Also at the Feb. 24 meeting, attorney Laehn advised the board a public hearing should be held on a proposed ordinance to establish a temporary moratorium on “utility-scale solar energy projects.” Laehn said there should be three readings of the proposed ordinance.
Laehn cited three issues to be considered in an ordinance and moratorium: preservation of available agricultural land, the health and welfare of county residents, and the public’s reasonable access to solar energy.
The board discussed “utility-scale solar projects” in comparison to energy being generated for personal use which is also sometimes sold to energy companies. The board seemed to agree a temporary moratorium would not apply to property owners using solar panels.
The board discussed setting the upper amount of energy produced at 10 mega-watts to be exempt from the proposed moratorium. The creation of a permitting process was also discussed.
The board set the public hearing date for Monday, March 7, at 9 am. The public will have an opportunity to present opinions in favor or against the proposed moratorium.
Supervisor Bardole recused himself from an actual future vote on a proposed moratorium, citing his ownership of land in the area of the proposed solar farm south of Grand Junction.
A request from the Greene County Relay for Life event leadership team to use the courthouse grounds July 26 for a Relay event prompted Bardole to ask about whether the courthouse would then need to be open and about the resulting costs. Supervisor Dawn Rudolph suggested a policy is needed “to cover every group.”
Attorney Laehn recommended the policy about the use of the courthouse and grounds written in 2007 needs to be updated. He asked the supervisors to read it and give input to update the policy.
“There are a lot of decisions that go into a policy, such as (the question of) deposits,” Laehn said.
Farmers market was also discussed and possible parking problems if the market is held during a trial.
“It’s wise to have a policy,” Laehn said. “The courthouse grounds are a public space, like a park.”
The board unanimously approved use of the courthouse grounds for the Relay for Life event on July 26.
Recorder Deb McDonald reported attending a Department of Natural Resources Townhall discussing chronic wasting disease in Iowa deer. McDonald said there has been one known case in Greene County but “it’s hard for hunters to tell (if a deer is diseased.)” McDonald spoke of a “two-fold test.”
