Discuss GCDC goals, Nueve Vida
~by Janice Harbaugh for GreeneCountyNewsOnline
At the meeting of the Greene County board of supervisors on Jan. 5, Riley Gibson, representing Summit Carbon Solutions, updated the supervisors on the carbon dioxide-capturing pipeline proposed to be constructed through a portion of Greene County.
Gibson reported 90.82 percent of the necessary easements through farmland in Greene County have been acquired by Summit. He said 61.48 percent of the necessary easements across the state have been acquired.
Gibson said acquiring 9.61 miles of the total 10.58 miles of pipeline easements in Greene County has cost more than $2.2 million and Summit has spent $115 million statewide to this point. Total distance for the pipeline in Iowa is 420.9 miles, according to Gibson.
“We’re starting drainage district conversations,” Gibson said. “Safety is a huge concern.”
Supervisor Dan Benitz asked about the purpose of well permits.
“Water is needed in the compression process,” Gibson said. “Pressure from a compression station requires water (to produce compression and move the carbon dioxide into and through the pipeline.)”
Supervisor Dawn Rudolph spoke about water usage concerns and Benitz asked, “Who is paying and who is benefitting?”
Gibson summarized the issue by telling the board the pipeline will lower carbon scores for the ethanol plant and allow it to be competitive.
“There’s no need (market) for ethanol if carbon scores are too high (to make ethanol cost-effective,)” Gibson said.
Gibson recommended a “45-minute presentation” on the topic for board members.
The board discussed water sources for the compression stations and the possibility of creating a lake or reservoir for water.
Gibson told the board Summit is hoping for a decision from the Iowa Utilities Board about the pipeline this summer to permit the beginning of construction in August.
A date for the public hearing by the IUB has not been set.
In other business, the board discussed the goals of Greene County Development Corporation with supervisor Pete Bardole, representative to GCDC.
GCDC recently was denied a sizeable amount of grant money it hoped to use to advance its Nueva Vide en Greene program designed to attract employees to employers in the county.
Bardole said GCDC is thinking of ways to accomplish this without the grant money.
“Housing is needed,” he said. “There are 100 job openings (but no place for employees to live in the county.) GCDC needs to be (working) on how Jefferson looks (to a prospective employee.) Looking more desirable.”
The board discussed the goals of Nueva Vide as described in a series of presentations and updates over the past year and the appearance of changing goals and expectations. At one point, the goal of bringing new businesses to the county appeared to be added to the original goal of bringing employees.
“We need to be keeping what we have,” Benitz said, referring to the empty Subway store and other businesses operating at marginal levels.
Chair John Muir said, “People on the street are telling me they don’t understand. They’re confused (about GCDC goals.)”
“GCDC is going in too many directions. They say the same things over and over, spinning their wheels,” Rudolph said.
“How far in the hole is that project (Nueva Vide) going to go and how much longer?” Muir asked. “It’s our place to question the project.”
The board also discussed possible incentives for helping employers find and keep employees.
Rudolph asked, “Is the Career Academy being used (to train and recruit?)”
Bardole told the board about a GCDC group who toured a housing project and a builder, identified as Kading, who might be interested in housing projects in the County.
Muir and Benitz reported attending a meeting of the compensation board and reported the board recommended increasing the sheriff salary by 13.5 percent and all other elected officials by 6.5 percent.
Chuck Wenthold, environmental department, reported Palo Alto County is leaving the North Raccoon River Watershed organization.
The North Raccoon Watershed Management Coalition has had disagreement among member counties through past years over the urban counties of Dallas and Polk being members and objecting to nitrate levels in water which those counties attribute to rural counties north of them.
A lawsuit over levels of nitrates in the watershed further polarized the coalition.
Though there was no discussion among board members about Greene County leaving the NRRW, Muir did say leaving an organization means having no say in what the organization does.
Engineer Wade Weiss spoke briefly about recent snow and crews being proactive for public safety during weather events.
