Board of Supervisors Minutes

April 2011

April 5, 2011:

The Fremont County Board of Supervisors met in regular session on Tuesday, April 5, 2011, in the Fremont County Courthouse Boardroom, with Morgan, Bartholomew and Hickey present. A quorum was declared and the meeting officially called to order at 9:00 a.m. Minutes of the previous Board session were read and approved. The agenda was approved as posted.

Let the records show Grace Johnson with the Hamburg Reporter and Twila Larson with FREDCO was present for this meeting.

At 9:00 a.m. Motion was made by Hickey to approve the following Resolution 2011-23, which rescinds Resolution 2011-5, changing evening meetings to special meetings as needed. Bartholomew, aye; Hickey, aye; Morgan, aye.

RESOLUTION NO. 2011-23

THIS RESOLUTION HEREBY REVISES AND RESCINDS Resolution 2011-5 approved on the 4th day of January 2011. BE IS HEREBY RESOLVED by the Fremont County Board of Supervisors this 5th day of April 2011, that the Board will hold its regular meeting on Tuesday of each week in the office of the Fremont County Courthouse, Sidney, Iowa, commencing at 9:00 a.m. until business is concluded. This is a change from the fourth Tuesday of each month being held at 6:30 p.m. with no morning meetings. The board agrees this change will not entirely eliminate evening meetings; a special meeting can be called when necessary.

ATTEST:

/s/ Joan Kirk                                                                                     /s/ Cara Morgan, Chairman       aye
Fremont County Auditor                                                                     /s/  Bart Bartholomew               aye
                                                                                                        /s/  Randy Hickey                     aye

At 9:05 a.m. the Board discussed how to proceed with work on the Hamburg Relevy. Morgan said she would like to see them start at Vogel’s and work north, that being the worst part of the levee. At this time $48,000 has been levied for this propose, as part of a five-year plan. Motion was made by Hickey to put an ad in the county newspapers seeking bids. Also present was Dale Kirkpatrick. Bartholomew, aye; Hickey, aye; Morgan, aye.

At 9:21 a.m. the Board after talking to DNR and Robert Josten, with Dorsey & Whitney LLP, are considering withholding TIF payments until the water and wastewater violations at I-29/Hwy 2 S.I.D. LLC, TIF Area are brought up to code. Also present was Margaret Johnson, County Attorney. The Board provided a copy of the TIF Agreement and DNR information to Johnson for her recommendation.

At 9:35 a.m. Motion was made by Hickey to levy Johnson Run Drainage District at 25%. Morgan said she would like to get bids to make sure the ditch gets maintained. The Board will initiate a conference call with Page County regarding their decision. Bartholomew, aye; Hickey, aye; Morgan, aye.

At 9:45 a.m. Mike Fox, with the landfill met with the Board. Motion was made by Hickey to authorize Chairman Morgan to sign a financial assurance letter regarding the landfill. Bartholomew, aye; Hickey, aye; Morgan, aye.

At 10:00 a.m. Jan Winkler, CPC met with the Board to give an update on SIRHA. Winkler is a board member of SIRHA and attended a meeting in Washington D.C.

At 10:15 a.m. Motion was made by Hickey to approve use of the Courthouse for a FCRCC meeting. Bartholomew, aye; Hickey, aye; Morgan, aye.

At 10:20 a.m. Dan Davis, Engineer met with the Board. Motion was made by Bartholomew authorizing Chairman Morgan to sign title sheet for Seal Coat Project No. FM-CO36(62) - -55-36. Bartholomew, aye; Hickey, aye; Morgan, aye.

Motion was made by Hickey authorizing Chairman Morgan to sign Work in ROW Permit for Chris Boyd to clean road ditch to improve drainage on 210th St. in 28-69-43. Bartholomew, aye; Hickey, aye; Morgan, aye.

In other business, payroll and claims for April 8, 2011, were approved.

Recorder’s monthly report was also approved.

At 12:00 p.m. there being no further business, Bartholomew made a motion to adjourn.

Hickey, aye; Bartholomew, aye; Morgan, aye.

ATTEST:

Fremont County Auditor                                                                                 Cara Morgan, Chairman

April 12, 2011:

At 8:30 a.m. on Tuesday, April 12, 2011, a department head meeting was held in the Fremont County Courthouse Boardroom. Present were Cara Morgan, Bart Bartholomew, Randy Hickey, Judy Crain, Dan Davis, Art Claiborne, Karen Berry, Steve Whitehead, Jennifer McAllister and Joan Kirk. Topics discussed were: county roads, VA Memorial Day plans, farmer’s assessment notices, thirty-year award presented, employee manual and passports.

The Fremont County Board of Supervisors met in regular session on Tuesday, April 12, 2011, in the Fremont County Courthouse Boardroom, with Morgan, Bartholomew and Hickey present. A quorum was declared and the meeting officially called to order at 9:00 a.m. Minutes of the previous Board session were read and approved. The agenda was approved as posted.

Let the records show Twila Larson with FREDCO was present for this meeting.

At 9:00 a.m. the Board is contemplating having a Town Hall Meeting in Riverton, with someone from DNR present, and anyone else interested in the high water issues of J-46. Also present were Dan Davis and Margaret Johnson.

At 9:20 a.m. it was on the agenda to discuss Gary & Travis Smiley drainage tube. Let the records show the Smiley’s did not come to this meeting.

At 9:30 a.m. the Board placed a conference call to Page County Board of Supervisors regarding the Board shared Johnson Run levy. Page County wanted to levy 50% with Fremont County wanting to levy 25%. Motion was made by Hickey to set the levy at 25%. Hickey, aye; Bartholomew, aye; Morgan, aye. Page County agreed to do the same.

At 9:50 a.m. the Board discussed cleaning the Cemetery at the County Farm, the headstones have gotten in disarray, and it needs a good cleaning. It was discussed that The Historical Society may need to be consulted; also maybe students or an organization may be interested in helping with this project. Motion was made by Bartholomew to contact Larry Greedy to push some residue away from the cemetery. Hickey, aye; Bartholomew, aye; Morgan, aye.

At 10:00 a.m. Motion was made by Bartholomew to approve Class B & Class C Liquor License for Wilds Property Management, LLC. Hickey, aye; Bartholomew, aye; Morgan, aye.

At 10:05 a.m. David Owen met with the Board requesting approval of a grant application to cover expenses for John Travis to attend Medical Examiner Class. Motion was made by Hickey authorizing Chairman Morgan to sign grant papers. Hickey, aye; Bartholomew, aye; Morgan, aye.

In other business, the Sheriff’s Monthly Report was approved.

At 10:30 a.m. there being no further business, Bartholomew made a motion to adjourn.

Hickey, aye; Bartholomew, aye; Morgan, aye.

ATTEST:

Fremont County Auditor                                                                             Cara Morgan, Chairman

April 19, 2011:

The Fremont County Board of Supervisors met in regular session on Tuesday, April 19, 2011, in the Fremont County Courthouse Boardroom, with Morgan, Bartholomew and Hickey present. A quorum was declared and the meeting officially called to order at 9:00 a.m. Minutes of the previous Board session were read and approved. The agenda was approved as posted.

Let the records show Grace Johnson with the Hamburg Reporter was present for this meeting. Also present was Twila Larson with FREDCO.

At 9:00 a.m. Brian Kingsolver met with the Board. He said at this time he does not know when the Democratic Caucus is, but would like to request to use the Courthouse Courtroom for the caucus, and would present something in writing when he knew the date and time. Bartholomew, aye; Hickey, aye; Morgan, aye.

At 9:05 a.m. Chairman Morgan called the ICAP adjuster regarding the claim for courthouse roof repairs, and offered to take a $50,000 settlement. The cost for repairs the courthouse roof was $78,600. The adjuster she spoke with said he would get back with his company to see if they would consider that settlement. The company was originally offering approximately $30,000 as a settlement.

At 9:15 a.m. The Board discussed developing a County Vehicle Policy addressing in part; credit card usage, ride a-longs, unnecessarily driving out of the county. The Board asked the county attorney to research and develop a County Vehicle Policy.

At 9:30 a.m. Motion was made by Bartholomew to approve the following Resolution 2011-24. Bartholomew, aye; Hickey, aye; Morgan, aye.

Resolution No. 2011-24 Enterprise Zone Resolution - Single EZ.doc Version: 05.30.2007 JEB Page 1 of 1

A RESOLUTION OF THE FREMONT COUNTY BOARD OF SUPERVISORS PETITIONING THE IOWA DEPARTMENT OF ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT FOR EXTENSION OF FREMONT COUNTY, HAMBURG ENTERPRISE ZONE 2. WHEREAS, Fremont County, Iowa, is an eligible "Enterprise Zone" county pursuant to 2007 Iowa Code Sections 15E.191 – 15E.196, and; WHEREAS, Fremont County has successfully implemented tenets of the Iowa Enterprise Zone program, and; WHEREAS, the Iowa Enterprise Zone program has proven of great benefit to businesses, individuals and citizens of Fremont County, Iowa, and; WHEREAS, there has arisen a legitimate developmental need to extend the expiration deadline for, and stipulate relocation of, Hamburg Enterprise Zone 2, comprising 3.3 acres and certified by the Iowa Department of Economic Development on April 19, 2001 and; WHEREAS, Iowa statutes confer responsibility for Enterprise Zone administration upon the Iowa Department of Economic Development; NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED, that the Board of Supervisors of Fremont County, Iowa, request the following actions of the Iowa Department of Economic Development:

1 That the expiration date of Fremont, Hamburg Enterprise Zone 2 be extended correlative with the letter and intent 2007 Iowa Code Section 15E.192 subsection 2
.
2 That the Board of Directors of the Iowa Department of Economic Development considers this petition at its next regularly scheduled meeting.

PASSED AND ADOPTED THIS 19th DAY OF April, 2011.

SIGNED

/s/ Cara Morgan, Chairman
Cara Morgan, Chair, Fremont County Board of Supervisors

ATTEST:/s/ Joan Kirk
Fremont County Auditor

At 9:45 a.m. Motion was made by Hickey to approve a letter to be sent to I29/Hwy 2 SID, LLC asking them for their status in regards to a January 24, 2011, Notice of Violation from the DNR. The current Amended Development Agreement states Tax Increment Payments are subject to "Completion and maintenance of the improvements to the satisfaction of the County". Bartholomew, aye; Hickey, aye; Morgan, aye.

At 9:50 a.m. let the records show Mike Crecelius joined the meeting.

At 9:50 a.m. Dan Davis, Engineer met with the Board. Motion was made by Hickey authorizing Chairman Morgan sign Work in ROW Permit for Windstream Communications to Place Fiber Optic Cable from Percival to Benton North in Sections 29, 21, 16, 17, 8 & 4. Bartholomew, aye; Hickey, aye; Morgan, aye.

The Board discussed projects programmed in TIP/STIP – Federal Dollars. Davis indicated that he would like to know how the Board felt about continuing the J34 (Knox Road) Project. Federal money in the TIP needs to be spent so a decision needs to be made. Hickey and Bartholomew said they would like to see the project move forward while Morgan had some additional questions she would like to have answered before the project moves forward. Hickey asked how much money would it take to finish the project. Davis indicated 80% would come from the TIP and Farm to Market funds could be used for the remaining 20%. Davis said Archeological and Environmental studies were the only things that need to be completed before he can move forward with the final design phase.

At 10:15 Mike Crecelius, EMC/Sanitarian met with the Board. Crecelius handed out DNR letters addressed to the property owners – Subject being: Privately owned lift stations at I29/HWY 2 SID, LLC, Fremont County. DNR is requesting each property owner have a qualified wastewater professional observe the lift station and provide a written response to questions within the letter by May 1, 2011.

Crecelius indicated the 2011 EMPG Grant is going to be based on the 2010 EMPG Grant, and for 2010 Fremont County received $13,236.30. Crecelius said the problem is we are not going to see any of that money for 2011 until after the end of our current fiscal year. We probably won’t see it until September, just before the Fed’s fiscal year end. A lot of conversation at regional meetings is, after 2012 the grant will start diminishing, and in the future will probably go away 100% with all the budget cuts, so will be up to the counties to fund Emergency Management.

Also Crecelius discussed the current flood warning of the Missouri River. He said the ground is so saturated from last year’s flooding; the water is seeping up from the ground.

At 10:31 a.m. Cathy Crain, Mayor of City of Hamburg met with the Board regarding the conditions of the Federal Levy. Also present was Mike Crecelius. Crain went through what the Board was supposed to do to maintaining the levy. Morgan explained to Crain that it is going to take a couple of years to complete, and the Board is actively working on the project. Morgan said one violation is the propane tank that belongs to the city, and it is too close to the levy. Crain indicated she would look in to that.

Crain said she received an email regarding the Nishnabotna Stream Gauges. The email came from the federal budget department and they want to eliminate all flood gauges, all across the United States. It will probably be a year to a year and a half, and she wanted to give the board a head’s up. Crain said the gauges run about $8,400 a piece. She said the Government is looking for someone to fund the program. Crain also said FEMA is going to come out with new flood plain maps.

At 10:30 a.m. Wellmark Blue Cross Blue Shield Employee Meeting. The Board missed the 10:30 a.m. meeting, but did go to the 1:00 p.m. meeting.

In other business, payroll and claims for April 21, 2011, were approved.

At 11:45 a.m. there being no further business, Bartholomew made a motion to adjourn. Hickey, aye; Bartholomew, aye; Morgan, aye.

ATTEST:

Fremont County Auditor                                                                                 Cara Morgan, Chairman

April 26, 2011:

The Fremont County Board of Supervisors met in regular session on Tuesday, April 26, 2011, in the Fremont County Courthouse Boardroom, with Morgan, Bartholomew and Hickey present. A quorum was declared and the meeting officially called to order at 9:00 a.m. Minutes of the previous Board session were read and approved. The agenda was approved as posted.

At 9:00 a.m. Dan Davis, Engineer, and Mike Batenhorst, Assistant to the Engineer met with the Board for bid opening on a new 2011 grader. Also present were Scott Lawson with Caterpillar and Chris Larson with John Deere. John Deere sent two bids; John Deere Tier 4 $309,615 with trade-in $154,949; a John Deere Tier 3 $311,970 with trade-in $160,748. Lawson with Ziegler Caterpillar sent one bid for a Tier 3 Caterpillar with total cost $233,433 with trade-in $156,343. Davis said his recommendation is going with a Cat 140M. Motion was made by Hickey to follow the Engineer’s recommendation and approve the purchase of the Cat. Bartholomew, aye; Hickey, aye; Morgan, aye.

At 9:30 a.m. Cindy Bebout with Farm Service Agency, met with the Board to discuss CRP Ground Information (USFA/FSA). Bebout said it is the farmer’s responsibility to re-seed ditches if they clean them out. She is requesting the county remind the farmers to come in to talk with the FSA before they clean out a ditch. Bebout said this has not seemed to be an issue and hopes it does not become one.

At 9:40 a.m. Kevin Aistrope, Sheriff met with the Board to discuss purchasing two new vehicles for the sheriff’s office. Aistrope said if he orders the vehicles now, he could save a couple of thousand by buying 2011 vehicles instead of 2012. Both vehicles are Chevrolet Tahoe’s; one vehicle is $24,049 after trade-in, and the other is $24,549 after trade-in. Aistrope said he would like to get the vehicles approved, and they would not come out of this year’s budget. Motion was made by Bartholomew to approve the purchase of the new vehicles. Bartholomew, aye; Hickey, aye; Morgan, aye.

At 9:55 a.m. Mike Crecelius, EMC met with the Board to discuss EMPG Grant. He said the revenue budgeted for his department was $17,919. So far this year he has received $23,000 so he has received more dollars then what was expected. He just wanted to clear that up from discussion at a previous meeting.

At 10:00 a.m. Doug Weber, Director of Golf Course met with the Board to discuss operational procedures at the golf course. Weber said gas purchased in bulk for the golf course is used only for the mowers. Gas for the golf carts are brought in separately. Also discussed was a change in claims due date. Morgan asked Weber if he would be interested in helping with a food pantry project, and he indicated he would.

Two claims were approved for hand written warrants. Secondary Road Fund; Diesel Fuel, $24,061.47 and General Basic Fund; Recreation &Environmental Education, Sales Tax, $260.00.

At 11:45 a.m. there being no further business, Hickey made a motion to adjourn.

Hickey, aye; Bartholomew, aye; Morgan, aye.

ATTEST:

Fremont County Auditor                                                                                 Cara Morgan, Chairman

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