The Greene County supervisors plan to start the process to appoint deputy auditor Billie Jo Hoskins as auditor when auditor Jane Heun retires July 14. Her term of office doesn’t expire until Dec. 31, 2024.
Board chair John Muir said at the June 12 meeting that a decision should be based on past experience in appointing persons to fill terms of elected officials, the expense of holding a special election, and the experience of current office staff.
“I think if you have a good, experienced person who wants it (the job), that should be part of it,” supervisor Dawn Rudolph. “If it were a full term, it would be different.”
Heun has recommended Hoskins to complete the term. Hoskins pre-dates Heun in the auditor’s office; she’s worked there for 32 years. “It would be a smooth transition, I’m sure,” Heun said.
The supervisors plan to review and approve at their June 19 meeting a resolution announcing their intention to appoint Hoskins to the position. The required legal notice would be posted the week of June 26. Voters would have 14 days after that notice to petition for a special election to fill the vacancy. The petition would require 363 signatures, based on the number of votes cast in the most recent gubernatorial election.
The supervisors can’t make the appointment until July 17, as that is the first business day after Heun vacates the office. Voters have another 14-day time period after the appointment is made in which to file for a special election.
Hoskins, or the person elected should a special election be held, would serve until the end of Heun’s term. The auditor position will be on the general election ballot in November 2024.
Heun said the cost of a special election would be $5,000 to $6,000.
In other business, zoning officer Chuck Wenthold reported that National Grid Renewables has provided an amended application for a construction permit for Grand Junction Solar, a utility-size solar energy generation and storage facility. He and county attorney Thomas Laehn will review the application for completeness prior to it being submitted by NGR. The board of adjustment will then hold another public hearing on the application.
The board of adjustment denied NGR’s first application by a 4-1 vote last month as board members found it lacked a detailed enough emergency response plan.
Jefferson city administrator Mike Palmer presented the last monthly update of his tenure with the city. He told the supervisors the first day for incoming city administrator Scott Peterson will be this Thursday, June 15. Palmer’s last day will be July 7. Palmer said it’s “a little unusual to have two administrators at the same time,” and he opined that “Scott will fit in real well.”
According to Palmer, the resurfacing work on W. Lincoln Way, which is supposed to be completed before RAGBRAI® passes through July 25, still hasn’t been scheduled. “They (the contractors) know the timeline,” he said. He added that RAGBRAI is a good reason to have the work done, “but in the long run it’s going to help that street a whole lot.”
He thanked the supervisors, county engineer Wade Weiss, sheriff Jack Williams, and auditor Jane Heun for their help over the years. “It’s really nice to know that in this era when everything is so partisan and divisive that the city and the county can put aside those partisanships and work together and get things done. I wish the federal government could take some lessons from the local government on how to get things done,” Palmer said.
Palmer has visited with the supervisors monthly since 2008.
Engineer Weiss alerted the supervisors work on County Road E-57 will be delayed due to challenges getting the needed asphalt. The project was slated to start next week.
Weiss said the additional time has allowed time to put safety slopes on driveways prior to resurfacing. “It’s nice to have a little time to get some of that done,” he said. Two box culverts will also be extended.
