August 25, 2022
Pam Wilmarth called the meeting to order at 9:01 a.m.
Roll call Supervisors: Wilmarth, Horton, and Fitzgerald and Deputy Auditor Sue Cox.
Kim Watson, Crystal Drake, Dennis Herring, Justin Savage, and Stan Mattes also present for the meeting.
Horton made a motion seconded by Fitzgerald to approve the agenda for today’s meeting and the minutes to the last meeting. Motion carried 3-0
Public comments:
Dennis Herring asked to have gravel on 280th Street. Justin Savage, Engineer, will check into this.
Stan Mattes asked Justin if the Secondary Roads had trimmed trees on 265th and Kentucky. Justin did not know for sure. Stan said the trees were a visibility issue on that intersection. The trees being cut is a great improvement and he wanted to thank the County if they had done it.
Stan discussed a letter he had received in reference to funding for Mental Health and tax relief. He asked if this is why his taxes went down this year. Pam Wilmarth said it is because of the funding for Mental Health being taken over by the State.
Committee reports:
Fitzgerald attended MATURA meeting. They went over the audit that went well. Wilmarth has had a call about Southwest Iowa Trolley. They had received 1.6 million dollars in a grant to assist in building a new facility. One of their drivers is out and this is affecting their service.
Justin Savage, Engineer, discussed two utility permits. Windstream Iowa Communications, LLC, underground phone line at 175th St and Highland Ave (Washington Sec 7). Alliant Energy, underground electric line at 200th at Quail Ave (Marshall Sec 23). Horton motioned to approve, and Fitzgerald seconded. Carried 3-0
Justin brought 2 bids for the 10’ disc mower. The Board accepted the bid from Agrivision for $16,250.00 for a 2022 Kuhn GMD. The other bid is from Vetter Equipment for $19,551.13. Justin said Secondary Roads has a tractor big enough to pull it. Motion by Horton to approved, seconded by Fitzgerald Motion carried 3-0
Pam Wilmarth asked Justin about Bridge 21 that is too narrow to be crossed with a combine. This is a good bridge, but equipment cannot cross it. This is in Holt Township Section 20 on a dirt road. Justin has gotten right of way permission to do a temporary tube for this. There was discussion that there are other bridges that are not wide enough for the large equipment some farmers use. The Board advised to put the rail back on the one side that was removed to try to accommodate this equipment in the past. Justin will be doing more research on the best way to help with this.
Fitzgerald said that New Market and Sharpsburg are interested in the old ambulance. Horton said he is waiting to hear from Clearfield. This will have to go up for sealed bids since more than one has expressed interest.
Conservation Director Nick Fehring and Jeff Soulsby talked to the Board about the Conservation Tech position. They offered the job to two and one had already taken another job and the other did not want to take that big of a wage decrease. They feel that the hourly rate needs to be increased to hire another staff for Conservation that is needed desperately. Pam Wilmarth asked if it was in their budget. They said they would have to take some from the part-time budget line and move to the full time but yes, they did. The Board agreed for them to figure a wage that they feel is acceptable and bring back to the Board next Thursday.
Crystal Drake, Public Health Director, talked to the Board about the need in Taylor County for transportation to appointments and other needs. The Trolley is so expensive that many clients cannot afford to ride it. They are thinking it would be beneficial to purchase a van and hire a driver to assist with this need.
Public Health went to a meeting with Food Pantry of Iowa. They talked about the need for food to so many families from youth to seniors. Matura in Bedford and Neighborhood Center in Lenox are not open extended hours for some residents to use the pantry. Crystal had a client that she tried to get assistance for and was turned down to get food at both organizations. She feels that the Public Health could start their own food pantry and maybe make big boxes of food to take to their clients when they are in need. She does not have storage space in the temporary office space they have now. Pam suggested to use the basement of the Courthouse to store this.
Crystal explained that Iowa Heart wants to put a person in our county to assist with the heart issues and patients in Taylor County. She would just have to provide a desk. The Hemsley Foundation will give $10,000 to Public Health to support this person and the money can be used for anything needed. She would like to put a desk in Taylor and Adams County.
The USDA grant for the office furniture has gone through the difficult review. Now they are just checking to make sure they have all the documentation and proper paperwork to move forward with the grant being awarded. This grant will need to be used by July 2023.
Crystal said the IT grant that she received must be used by December 2022. This is to assist with boring the fiber to the building and wiring the building. The Board stated that the fiber can be bored to the side of the building now. They are working diligently to get information to get bids for the project. Ron is working with Gina Warren from Diagonal Lumber to draw up plans. Duane Werner can draw up the HVAC plans for an additional $300. The Board asked Crystal to get a bid from Drake Electric for the wiring of the building.
There is a CDBG grant that will be available in mid-September that Crystal has had meetings about. This could be an option for the building construction. Right now, it is 50% match but this could change as it gets closer to the release of the grant information.
The child health and I Smile grants now have been pushed back to August 30 and could be as late as December
Public Health provided an update to the Board on health-related concerns they are monitoring including COVID-19, Monkeypox and Polio. There will be a polio booster for children ages 1-9. COVID is increasing in Taylor County. There will be a new vaccine in the fall possibly in September. This will cover the BA5 and BA4 variants. The vaccine will be for people 12 years old and up. She has provided the vaccine to the pharmacies in Lenox and Bedford and the clinics for them to give the vaccines.
Crystal has looked at a Ford Fusion that has 85000 miles on it. This car is $8,500. The dealership is also getting in some Toyota SUV’s that he would like her to come check out when he gets them. Crystal told him that she would not be willing to pay more than $10,000.
Discussed and reviewed agenda items for meeting on September 1, 2022.
Horton made a motion seconded by Fitzgerald to adjourn the meeting. Motion carried 3-0.
Pam Wilmarth, Chairman of the Board of Supervisors
Attest Sue Cox, Deputy Auditor
