WASHINGTON

Follow reading and approval of the Domestic Violence Awareness Month proclamation at their Tuesday meeting, the Washington County Supervisors approved three agreements, two of which were with Goldfinch Solar Project, LLC, based in Reston, Virginia, and one with the state for flood mitigation.

In its final agenda item, supervisors waived the third reading and passed the county wind ordinance on the second reading, 4-1. It will take effect following publication.

The flood mitigation agreement amendment involves Dogwood Avenue work, which began Sept. 17, 2021, and is due for completion Dec. 15, 2024; it is between the county and the Iowa Department of Homeland Security and Emergency Management (HSEMD) and involves federal and state grant funding.

Engineer Jacob Thorius indicated the December deadline will be met.

The agreements with Goldfinch Solar are for a utility solar-powered electric generating facility of approximately 200 megawatts in the east central part of the county. Work is in progress, and Tuesday the board approved a road use agreement and a collection easement agreement.

The road is to permit access to the facility for construction, delivery of photovoltaic panels and supporting facilities, and operation and maintenance for the project. The roads will be operated and maintained collectively by the two parties.

The agreement deals with the aspect of construction that involves easements for underground collection and communication cables adjacent to or under county roads, as well as review of all plans and the developer’s obligation to repair county roads.

The latter is covered in a memorandum of agreement that provides an annual PLATT payment to the county for the 30 years of Goldfinch’s operations as well as dealing with easements if and when individual property may be sold.

The first agreement passed unanimously; the second was 4-1 with Fedler opposed. The PLATT payment is to aid in covering the disparity in county tax assessments from the project.

In other business, the board approved personnel changes for Jenifer Roberts, Public Health Administrator, with a pay change from $3,115.39 to $3,307.89 bi-weekly; a change from 32 hours to 24 hours weekly for Jackie Brown, Public Health/Home Aide; a change from full-time to casual part-time for Victor Rico at the Washington County Jail; and termination for Justin O’Rourke, Washington County Attorney’s Office Collections Coordinator, effective Sept. 13.

In announcing O’Rourke’s resignation, County Attorney Nathan Repp appreciated his service in setting up the services, said that he will be missed, and said that there is a search now for a replacement.

The board then approved a brief recess prior to conducting the canvas of the Pekin special school board election of Sept. 10.

County approves Domestic Violence Awareness Month

By a unanimous vote of all five supervisors, October will be Domestic Violence Awareness Month. To date, this year, the board was told by representatives from the Domestic Violence Intervention Program and Rape Victim Advocacy Program, there have been 89 individual cases of domestic violence. It is often difficult for some rural area residents to access service. Transportation is a factor, the board was told.

The two groups, which will merge together in October, have worked for more than 45 years to combat domestic violence, often in concert with other social agencies and law enforcement.