~by Janice Harbaugh for GreeneCountyNewsOnline
At the Greene County Board of Supervisors meeting on August 21, the supervisors heard an update from Riley Gibson, representative for Summit Carbon Solutions, on progress the company is making in acquiring easements through Greene County.
Gibson reported easements have been acquired for 92 percent of the property affected by the proposed pipeline through about 10 miles of Greene County. He said 73 percent of the easements needed statewide have been acquired.
Due to controversy over the construction and safety of the pipeline which moves carbon dioxide emissions from ethanol plants in several states to storage deep within underground rock formations in North Dakota, SCS wrote a handout explaining common misconceptions about the process. Gibson reviewed the handout with the supervisors.
County attorney Thomas Laehn discussed a drainage protection agreement with Gibson and asked to see sample agreements with other counties. Laehn said he will be drafting an agreement soon to cover Greene County’s needs.
County engineer Wade Weiss spoke again about the malfunctioning bells on the Mahanay Memorial Carillon Tower. Four of the smaller bells aren’t working because in their placement on the outside of the structure, they’ve been struck by lightning. The bells need to be removed to fix their actuators, requiring renting a crane.
Weiss said the estimated cost to reconfigure the placement of the bells to put the smaller ones under the support structure, rather than hanging outside it, is $58,500, not including the crane rental.
Fixing the bells but leaving them in their current exposed position would cost $14,000.
“We need a more complete plan for the future. The board will need to continue discussion with Verdin,” board chair John Muir said.
Muir also asked about the turkey buzzard issue. In the past, turkey buzzards had been roosting on the bells and various solutions were proposed, including shooting at the birds to frighten them.
Weiss told the board no birds had been shot at and turkey buzzards seem not to be an issue anymore.
“When the bells are ringing (regularly), they go away,” Weiss said.
Weiss also reported the elevator in the tower continues to need repair or maintenance or updating. Weiss cited “clicking noises” and he estimated $100,000 could be needed.
Weiss reported on the E-57 road project. He said costs are high with $85,000 expense in painting the striping on the road.
“If we line the edge of the highway with paint, it would be double that,” he said.
John Torbert, executive director of the Iowa Drainage District Association, gave his annual report to the supervisors. He said the Iowa legislature has changed the requirement of engineer’s reports of repair costs from a threshold of $48,000 to $196,000. No engineer’s report is required by the state for repairs less than $196,000, but the supervisors can require reports on any repair costs if they feel a need.
Drainage clerk Michelle Fields told the board Drainage Ditch 37B could need tile repair.
As the county’s information technologist, Fields said she will be doing a cyber security review with Homeland Security.
Laehn and Auditor Billie Jo Hoskins reported Court Administration Services are upgrading technology in all courtrooms across the State. They said the main courtroom and the magistrate courtroom could both need electrical work done to accommodate proposed monitor screens.
“This will be a nice upgrade. We’ll keep historical integrity while having video conferencing capability,” Laehn said.
Supervisor Pete Bardole told the board RVTV will be coming to Jefferson Tuesday, Sept. 5. Recreational Vehicle TV is a yearly event telecast by WHO-TV sports reporters who stop in selected towns “on the route to the 2023 Cy-Hawk football game Sept. 9. Towns selected usually have activities planned for the visits.
Towns apply to be chosen for the route and this year the towns chosen are Ankeny, Jefferson, Manson, Humboldt, Nevada, and Ames.
The board set Sept. 5 at 9 am for a public hearing on the sale of property at 907 N. Cedar St in Jefferson. The board proposes to sell the property to Charles F. Heimer.
The board appointed Michael Silbaugh to a seat on the Greene County conservation board per a recommendation from the conservation board.
The board also approved hiring Abbie Warner as a fulltime jailer for the Greene County sheriff’s office at a yearly salary of $47,000 and an annual increase of $1,000 after certification is completed. Hiring is effective Aug. 28.
The board approved a wage increase to $24 per hour for secondary roads part-time employees Randy Fox and Dan Nation.
A special Class C retail alcohol license was approved for Cloud Wine, LLC for Sept. 7-11 during Country Blessings’ Fall Festival.
