~by Janice Harbaugh for GreeneCountyNewsOnline
At the meeting on Dec. 12, the Greene County board of supervisors unanimously approved county attorney Thomas Laehn’s request to make the assistant county attorney position fulltime.
Laehn told the board workload in the county attorney’s office has increased and there will be several jury trials in 2023 in addition to seven Class A or Class B felonies to process.
“It will impossible to do these without help,” Laehn said.
Laehn said he could request assistance from the State Attorney General’s office, but he does not want to do that.
“I don’t want to pass off the responsibility to the AG’s office,” Laehn said. “They don’t live in our community.”
Laehn said current assistant county attorney Laura Snider has been “a real asset to the office and the people of Greene County” for three and a half years and has worked “more than she was obligated to work in her (part-time) contract.”
“Laura has a background in juvenile law,” Laehn said.
He suggested a yearly salary of $92,500 with benefits and a six-month probationary period.
“We don’t want to create a deputy position, just a fulltime assistant with benefits,” Laehn said.
Snider was present at the meeting and chair John Muir said her “knowledge of how the system works is impressive.”
The board approved a resolution to terminate Snider’s part-time contract and immediately begin a fulltime position at $92,500 per year with 15 days of vacation per year. Snider will be on probation until July 1, 2023.
“This is a win-win for everybody,” Muir said.
Laehn further told the board he will need to hire a second expert witness for an upcoming trial and he will need to table the development of a revised courthouse building and grounds policy.
“My focus will be on criminal cases for several months,” he said.
Muir said the board will table discussion of animal control issues due to Laehn’s schedule.
In other business, the board unanimously approved a resolution to meet standards recommended by the Auditor of State and Governmental Accounting Standards Board in having a right-to-use lease asset policy.
This policy relates to the use of leased equipment such as copiers and printers.
The board also unanimously approved a resolution to appropriate funds necessary for county officers and departments to operate for the rest of FY23. The board had previously appropriated 85 percent of the funds and this resolution appropriated the other 15 percent.
Mike Palmer, Jefferson city administrator updated the board on the new animal shelter, telling them about a Jan. 4 moving date.
“This is a very well-thought-out shelter, impressive. It will last a long, long time,” Palmer said.
Palmer spoke of setting up a board and committee for the running of the shelter and having an open house.
An issue of “conflict of interest” with the sheriff’s office in regard to animals was mentioned but was not explored by the board, possibly related to Muir’s tabling of animal control discussion during open forum.
Palmer spoke briefly about plans for the public library in Jefferson and an architect commenting it is unusual to have buildings “qualify for (being in) an historical district.”
Palmer reported rebuilding the sewer plant will need a bond issuance of $20 M.
Four agencies presented information to the board in support of funding requests for FY24: Elderbridge Agency, Retired Senior Volunteer Program, Greene County Historical Society, and Central Iowa Tourism.
Auditor Jane Heun presented budget information from Elderbridge. According to the report, $233,210 in services were provided to Greene County seniors in FY22. The FY24 funding request is for $8,320. The board took no action on the request.
Attorney Laehn noted the County has a 28E agreement in place with Elderbridge, “as is needed with all non-profit partners for funding.”
RSVP director Michelle Hull and Greene County coordinator Sheilah Pound reported RSVP volunteers provided a savings of $19,390 in fiscal years 2021 and 2022 to people in Greene County.
Services included in-home visitation, peer assistance, grocery assistance shopping, adult caregiver respite, and pen-pal letters between adults and students.
“There were 61 active volunteers in Greene County doing 700 hours of work,” Hull said.
Muir told Hull and Pound their work was often quietly done, but “we realize what your services are doing.”
RSVP’s funding request for FY24 was $2,500, the same amount as last year. No action was taken by the board.
Roger Aegerter, director of the Greene County Historical Society, reported on funding received in 2022 and expenses of the Society in maintaining the museum and other projects.
Aegerter reported the Society was “just short of breaking even.”
He presented a list of programs provided by the Society with Margaret Hamilton as program chair.
Aegerter requested $6,000 funding from the County, the same as FY23. No action was taken by the board.
Auditor Heun told the board she had advised Central Iowa Tourism director Ann Vogelbacher it was not necessary for her to appear at the board meeting to request $400, the same amount as last year. Heun presented the funding request in an email from Vogelbacher.
No action was taken by the board.
The board approved the 2022 Weed Commissioner Report and the 2023 County Weed Commissioner Certification form.
The board also approved Homestead credit and military exemption disallowances.
