~by Janice Harbaugh for GreeneCountyNewsOnline
Issues involving the proposed carbon dioxide pipeline through 12 miles of Greene County continued to be discussed at March 21 meeting of the Greene County board of supervisors.
The county is responsible for contracting with carbon dioxide inspection services that will monitor the construction of the pipeline by Summit Carbon Solutions.
Chuck Wenthold, environmental department, reported attending a meeting last week at which inspections issues were discussed. Also at the meeting were Kristina Paradise of Snyder and Associates, representatives of Bolton and Menk, county drainage clerk Michelle Fields, county engineer Wade Weiss, and supervisor John Muir.
“The meeting was to make sure everyone knows their responsibilities.” Muir said. “Bolton and Menk are responsible for the drainage district.”
Both Muir and Wenthold said Paradise “is well-respected in the pipeline industry.” She reportedly has experience in the construction of petroleum, gas, and other pipelines in Oklahoma and outside of the U.S.
With supervisor approval, Snyder and Associates could be hired as the primary inspectors with authority to shut the pipeline construction down if standards are not met. Bolton and Menk could be hired for drainage district inspections.
Dan and Sue Tronchetti, who farm in Paton Township, presented what they called “the rest of the story” to the board. The Summit Carbon Solutions pipeline is mapped to run through their property.
“The pattern of Summit is to not get back to you if you call with questions,” Dan Tronchetti said.
Tronchetti described his attempts to get insurance information from his carrier in the event of a leak in the pipeline. “They told me it would be on a case-by-case basis,” he said. “If the pipeline determines I’m at fault for the leak, there is no liability insurance.”
“The Iowa Utilities Board grants eminent domain to private companies,” Tronchetti said. “It’s based on (the idea of) aggregate economic benefit.”
“Twenty-four counties including Pocahontas County have filed with the IUB,” he said, objecting to the IUB granting eminent domain to private business and to the protection of drainage and tiling.
Tronchetti called for the supervisors to enact a resolution to protect farmland in Greene County. He referred them to a YouTube presentation about the Navigator pipeline and the county’s role in permits and inspections.
“We have made our concerns plain over drainage,” Muir said. “There are questions we have to have answers to. We will follow up with the county attorney.”
In other business, the board unanimously approved an agreement between the Greene County sheriff’s department and AFSCME/Iowa Council 61/Local 3949 for wage increases. Fulltime employees will receive increases on July 1. Deputies will receive 11 percent; jail officers will receive 8 percent; and dispatchers will receive 7 percent.
Part-time employee wages will also increase on July 1 by 7 percent.
Dispatchers and jail officers currently start at $15 per hour for certified employees and $14 per hour for uncertified.
The board also unanimously approved a proposal to purchase and install a security camera for the outside absentee ballot box. Cost is $1,553.07 from SCI Communications.
Auditor and election official Jane Heun said election rules require camera monitoring of outdoor absentee ballot boxes.
The county’s 2003 ambulance was transferred to the city of Grand Junction by unanimous consent of the board. This ambulance was recently replaced with a 2022 Ford F-550 Type 1 ambulance.
County attorney Thomas Laehn reported four jury trials of the 10 allowed per year in the county were held during 2021 and all resulted in convictions.
Other cases were resolved through plea agreements.
“There is still a victim,” Laehn said, “but these were plea agreements I could live with.”
“You’re doing a good job,” supervisor Tom Contner said.
The board entered closed session from 9:10 am until 10 am citing Iowa Code Section 21.5(1)(c) “to discuss strategy with counsel in matters that are presently in litigation or where litigation is imminent where its disclosure would be likely to prejudice or disadvantage the position of the governmental body in that litigation.”
Upon returning to open session, the board unanimously directed the county attorney to offer to pay $75 per hour for a guardian ad litem in a pending juvenile action. The board stated it was in “no way admitting it is legally obligated to pay the attorney fees.”
