~by Janice Harbaugh for GreeneCountyNewsOnline
National Grid Renewables is not abandoning its Grand Junction Solar project despite the denial of a needed permit by the county board of adjustment.
Doug Hawn, county emergency director, told the county supervisors at their May 15 meeting that he, county zoning official Chuck Wenthold, and the assistant county attorney will meet with Tom Karas of National Grid Renewables to work on an emergency response plan for the proposed Grand Junction Solar Energy Farm.
NGR recently was denied a conditional use permit by the board of adjustment based on a 4-1 vote that the emergency response plan did not meet the county’s zoning ordinance.
The supervisors discussed three items of business relative to the Mahanay Memorial Carillon Tower.
Assistant county attorney Laura Snider told the supervisors the Bell Tower Music committee has requested holding an event on the courthouse plaza and sidewalks during a farmers market in July. During a special bell concert played by a Mahanay Maestro, participants would “Chalk to the Music” by drawing on the concrete with colored chalks.
Snider said she could draft an art policy to cover the event.
Supervisors were lukewarm to the idea with supervisors Dawn Rudolph and Dan Benitz stating they were definitely “not on board.”
Chair John Muir said it might be considered if participants did the art work on cardboard or some material they would take with them at the end of the event.
The supervisors did not give permission for the event nor direct Snider to draft an art policy to cover the proposed event.
In other Bell Tower news, the supervisors unanimously approved applications by elementary school students Charlie and Aiden Deal to become Mahanay Maestros. Upon review of their musical training and experience, both were authorized by the supervisors to play the Mahanay Memorial Carillon.
After appointment, Mahanay Maestros serve for life unless privileges are revoked by the supervisors.
Engineer Wade Weiss told the board new standards are now in place for operation of the new lighting of the bell tower. Supervisor Pete Bardole said the Bell Tower Foundation would like to have a celebration of the new lighting.
Weiss also reported on a preconstruction agreement with the Iowa Department of Transportation for a primary road project involving six approach extensions along Highway 30 between Scranton and Ralston.
Weiss said the agreement states Greene County will pay $90,000 for the extensions which can be paid for over three years. Weiss said he had included this expense in his secondary roads budget request for FY2024, to come from an increase in LOSST (Local Option Sales and Services Taxes) funding.
Weiss reported tree removal for the project had stopped for a while because bats, a protected species, had been using the trees, but tree removal could soon continue.
The supervisors unanimously approved the preconstruction agreement.
Weiss also reported secondary road employees worked with the conservation department to set a new concrete outhouse at Seven Hills Park.
In other business, Chuck Wenthold told the board the master matrix review of the Oakland Pork, LLC site 2 is scheduled for the next board meeting on May 22. Wenthold said a site visit by the Iowa DNR has not yet been scheduled.
Supervisor Benitz reported letters have been sent to neighbors of the site and that it received a score of 520 on the master matrix.
“We don’t have any power with the DNR,” Benitz said. He said he would recommend requiring the project to leave the trees on the site now as a buffer.
Bardole reported continuing discussions in the community about employing a person knowledgeable in multicultural needs.
Bardole said the school has multicultural “issues” and a current employee spends 25 percent of their time working with the issues. Bardole said the board will probably be asked for money to help hire a “multicultural person.”
After several weeks of discussing the “preservation of safety, health, and welfare” of the people of Greene County during the July 25 RAGBRAI® bike ride through Greene County, the Greene County board of supervisors adopted Ordinance 2023-01 which establishes a permitting process for vendors of food, services, and merchandise in unincorporated areas of the county.
At the supervisor approved the second reading and waived the third reading of the ordinance. The ordinance in its entirety is available in the auditor’s office.
Treasurer Katlynn Mechaelsen spoke to the board about delinquent taxes on parcels in Scranton and explained her reasoning for requesting tax abatement for those parcels.
One situation involved a mobile home and small building on rental property. The building had been moved and the property owner disputed owing taxes on the building.
The board tried to reconstruct the situation using an unknown estimated timeline of assessment and moving. They discussed whether the tax bill could follow the owner to wherever the building had been moved.
While the board did not want “to set a precedent,” they did finally unanimously vote to abate the taxes of all the parcels by Mechaelsen.
The total amount abated was $105 for five parcels.
May 2023 was proclaimed Mental Health Month in Greene County by Muir on behalf of the supervisors upon recommendation of Patti Treibel-Leeds from Central Iowa Community Services.
The proclamation asked all agencies, businesses, institutions, and schools, as well as individuals to “Look Around, Look Within” to increase awareness and understanding of mental health.
Treibel-Leeds said she will be retiring soon. Muir said her work with the board “has been a good partnership.”
The board unanimously approved a resolution commending Karen White of the Greene County Law Enforcement Center for 31 years of dedicated service as she retires.
The resolution states “Karen’s dedication and commitment to Greene County and its citizens is hereby noted and will long be remembered.”
