~by Janice Harbaugh for GreeneCountyNewsOnline
County officials elected or re-elected in the November election were given the oath of office prior to the Greene County board of supervisors meeting on Dec. 27.
Deputy auditor and notary public Billie Jo Hoskins administered the oath to supervisors Dan Benitz and Dawn Rudolph, county recorder Deborah McDonald, county treasurer Katlynn Mechaelsen, and county attorney Thomas Laehn.
All officials agreed to support the Constitution of the United States and the Constitution of the State of Iowa and faithfully and impartially discharge the duties of their offices.
Pam Olerich, real estate and tax coordinator, reported the county’s Jan. 1, 2022 taxable valuations to the board.
She said rural valuations had increased 3.58 percent and urban valuations had declined 1.92 percent. Taxable valuation is the first figure used in determining the county’s budget.
Assessor Adam Smith reported on changes made for FY24 to commercial/industrial and railroad properties.
Smith said business property tax credits will be eliminated next year. He said the first $150,000 of value on those properties will have the residential rollback applied. Amounts higher than $150,000 will then have a 90 percent rollback applied.
Chuck Wenthold, environmental department, presented a construction evaluation resolution to the supervisors to consider if they choose to participate in the master matrix process for confinement feeding operations above a defined size.
Wenthold said this construction evaluation resolution is an annual decision to be made by the board. He said the value of adopting the resolution is that it allows the county to approve or disapprove a construction permit application for a proposed confinement operation and submit this decision to the Iowa Department of Natural Resources.
The resolution states “only counties that have adopted a construction evaluation resolution and submitted an adopted recommendation (approve/disapprove) may contest the DNR’s decision regarding a specific application.”
The resolution states the supervisors “must conduct an evaluation of every construction permit application and use the master matrix created in Iowa Code.”
The resolution also states, “the board’s recommendation to the DNR (approve/disapprove a construction permit application) may be based on the final score on the master matrix or may be based on reasons other than the final score on the master matrix.”
The board adopted the construction evaluation resolution with Mick Burkett, Tom Contner, John Muir, and Dawn Rudolph voting in favor of it. Supervisor Pete Bardole was absent.
The supervisors had a written request from the Grand Junction library for funding from the Louis Dreyfus fund in order to update lighting at the library to LED.
Library director Diane Kafer wrote current library lighting is from 1990 and the lighting project is estimated to cost $7,564.
She wrote the library is requesting $5,673 from Greene County Community Foundation and $1,891 from the county.
The board discussed funding sources and noted the city of Grand Junction was not contributing to the lighting project. It appeared to the board the library was not attempting fundraisers in the community, either.
After discussion, the board unanimously approved $1,200 Dreyfus funding to the Grand Junction library if the library does also receive a grant from GCCF for the lights.
The board heard funding requests for FY24 from three non-profits: New Opportunities and the Family Development Center; Habitat for Humanity; and Jefferson Matters: A Main Street and Chamber Community.
Chad Jensen, CEO of New Opportunities, and Teresa Lansman of the local Family Development Center reported 1,469 individuals in 617 families in Greene County received assistance from various programs last year.
Jensen told the board New Opportunities could present a proposal on effectively spending funds the county receives from the settlement of a federal opioid case against pharmaceutical companies.
The board discussed an idea previously supported by attorney Laehn for several counties forming a drug court by combining opioid settlement money.
Jensen also supported that idea saying it has been successful in other places.
Lansman described a one-stop model for services to address several problems at the same time and said they would like to increase the mentoring program.
Chair John Muir said there will be “lots of conversations” over funding.
Jensen and Lansman requested $5,304 for the Greene County Family Development Center, $6,679 for the Substance Abuse Treatment Program, and $7,608 for the Substance Abuse Prevention Program. They said these figures are the same as the current funding.
Ron Christensen, director of Habitat for Humanity, reported the Helping Hands organization has done several projects in the county involving home repairs for people in need. He said a new director of Helping Hands is becoming familiar with the program.
“We want to re-energize Habitat in Greene County, and we can start now to accept applications (for projects,) he said.
Christensen asked for $5,000 in funding, the same as previous years.
Jamie Daubendiek, board president of Jefferson Matters: A Main Street and Chamber Community, and Matt Wetrich, director, reported on activities and promotions done to promote Jefferson and Greene County.
Wetrich and Daubendiek said focus has been on getting people to move back to Greene County through $5,000 grants to start new businesses, providing the opportunity to work remotely through the Gravitate facility, and “leveraging grants based on the recent designation of Jefferson as an Iowa Great Place.”
Daubendiek and Wetrich requested FY24 funding of $7,000 for the Main Street organization, an increase of $2,000 from FY23. They requested $5,000 for the Bell Tower Festival, an increase of $2,000.
No action was taken by the board on the funding requests.
During the board meeting, attorney Laehn reminded the board funding requests from non-profits require 28E agreements and he gave the board a form to be given to non-profits to collect information used in writing the 28E agreements.
“We need information on the purpose of our partnership (with the non-profits) and the benefit to the people of Greene County (from granting funding to the non-profits),” Laehn said.
“Funding is contingent on a 28E agreement,” he said. “The agreement can be simply renewed every year.”
Engineer Wade Weiss told the board a “full crew has been working” due to the severe weather of the past week.
Retiring supervisor Tom Contner was recognized for 12 years of service on the Greene County board of supervisors though a resolution approved by the board:
“Be it resolved that the Greene County Board of Supervisors commends Tom Contner for his twelve years of service as a Greene County Supervisor. Tom’s dedication and commitment to Greene County and its citizens is hereby noted and will be long remembered.”
