BOARD OF SUPERVISORS
WASHINGTON COUNTY, IOWA
REGULAR MEETING OF TUESDAY, MARCH 5, 2024
At 9:00 am Chair Richard Young called the meeting to order in regular session, Courthouse Chambers. Items on the agenda included: Wind Turbine Decommissioning Plan; Prebid Remodeling Budget for Orchard Hill Buildings 2 and 3; presentation from Deriva Energy with regard to wind energy generation; Res. 24-06 regarding Support of the Joint Bridge Investment Program Grant Agreement and Letter of Support for a Bridge Investment Program Grant Project; approval of 28E Cooperative Agreement for a Bridge Investment Program Grant Project; personnel change request–Office of Sheriff; personnel change requests–Ambulance Services; Quarterly Report–Ambulance Services; Res. 24-07 related to application from Washington County Ambulance Services for Washington County Riverboat Foundation grant; letter of support for grant application for the funding of a countywide outdoor warning siren project; funding commitment for countywide outdoor warning siren project; discussion/action re: approval of an engagement letter related to bond counsel services to be provided by Dorsey & Whitney for 2024 General Obligation County Purpose Bonds; personal property purchase agreement between Wellman Cooperative Telephone Association and Washington County; ground lease agreement related to Wellman Communications Tower location; appointment of Washington County Weed Commissioner; personnel change request–Board of Supervisors. Supervisors Jack Seward Jr., Marcus Fedler, Bob Yoder, and Stan Stoops were also present.
All motions were passed unanimously unless noted otherwise.
The Board voted to approve the agenda as published.
During the public comment portion of the meeting Citizen Jeff Cuddeback deemed wind farms presently under consideration for Washington County to be terrible public policy and described them as invasive projects that will permanently alter the landscape and pit neighbors against neighbors. He added however that he does not personally favor a complete ban of wind farms because property rights belong to everyone including both proponents as well as opponents of wind farms. Instead Cuddeback urged the Board to create an ordinance that among other things includes setback distances that minimize the disruptive nature of wind farms among neighbors. Citizen Bryce Stout addressed the Board and echoed many of the comments made by Cuddeback. Stout also offered his understanding that the proposed wind ordinance being developed will not completely eliminate wind farms but merely limit certain aspects of wind farms.
The Board voted to approve the Washington County Wind Turbine Decommissioning Plan as presented.
The Board voted to approve a pre-bid remodeling budget for Orchard Hill Bldgs. 2 and 3. Major components of the $3,402,505.00 total include $2,752,857.00 for total construction, $319,857.00 for professional services and reimbursable expenses, $37,148.00 for administrative expenses, $155,000.00 for furniture, fixtures, and equipment, and $137,643.00 for change order contingencies. Items excluded from the budget include prevailing wages, furniture planning consultants, state plan review fee, financial consultants, legal expenses, moving expenses, medical equipment, art work and signage, financing expenses, utility consumption costs, FT superintendent and office trailer, and canopy and associated costs.
The Board heard a presentation from Eric Briones with Deriva Energy which he described as an independent power producer, owner, and operator that is owned by New York City-based Brookfield Renewable U.S. Deriva operates 86 wind and solar projects across the United States. According to Briones Deriva is presently in the early stages of determining the feasibility of investing $300 million in a wind project that would involve the construction and operation of approximately 40 to 50 wind turbines to be located on 10,000 acres four miles north of the City of Washington. Briones shared the project would supplement local government budgets and provide valuable revenue for critical infrastructure including roads, bridges, schools, first responder capabilities, and other government services. However, Briones also opined that if approved in its current draft form the Washington County Wind Energy Conversion System Ordinance would eliminate any potential wind development in the County. Briones specifically urged the Board to reconsider wording included in the draft ordinance that calls for a wind energy developer, such as Deriva, to guarantee a property value amount to non-participating property owners within the scope of the project and also within two miles outside of the project’s boundary. He also urged that setback distances be set at a distance of no less than 1.1 times the total height of the tower or 1,500 feet whichever is greater. The Board took no formal action.
The Board voted by way of roll call vote to approve Res. 24-06 and authorize the Chair to sign.
The Board voted by way of roll call vote to approve a 28E Cooperative Agreement for a Bridge Investment Program Grant Project and to approve a 28E Cooperative Agreement for a Bridge Investment Program Grant Project and to authorize the Chair to sign.
The Board voted to acknowledge, and authorize the Chair to sign, a personnel change request from the Office of Sheriff for FT non-exempt Deputy Sheriff Noah Schlabaugh final day of employment occurred March 1, 2024.
The Board voted to acknowledge, and authorize the Chair to sign, a personnel change request from Ambulance Services for the hiring of Gretchen Gerot as a FT non-exempt Level 1 EMT at the rate of $24.44/hr. eff. March 14, 2024.
The Board voted to acknowledge, and authorize the Chair to sign, a personnel change request from Ambulance Services for the hiring of Josh Eicher as a FT non-exempt Level 2 EMT at the rate of $24.94/hr. eff. March 14, 2024.
The Board voted to acknowledge, and authorize the Chair to sign, a personnel change request from Ambulance Services for Jake Petersen will move from PT non-exempt Level 2 EMT to FT non-exempt Level 2 EMT eff. March 20, 2024, and whose rate of pay will increase to $24.94/hr. eff. March 20, 2024.
The Board voted to acknowledge, and authorize the Chair to sign, a personnel change request from Ambulance Services for Jordan Heyvaert will move from PT non-exempt Field Supervisor to FT non-exempt Paramedic and who will receive an increase in rate of pay to $39.16/hr. with both changes taking place effect March 20, 2024.
The Board voted to acknowledge, and authorize the Chair to sign, a personnel change request from Ambulance Services for Jeremy Peck final day of employment occurred February 26, 2024.
The Board voted to acknowledge, and authorize the Chair to sign, a personnel change request from Ambulance Services for Steven Ebersole will move from PT non-exempt Paramedic to FT non-exempt Paramedic eff. March 20, 2024.
The Board voted to acknowledge, and authorize the Chair to sign, a personnel change request from PT non-exempt Paramedic Jeffrey Lavrenz final day of employment occurred March 3, 2024.
The Board voted to acknowledge, and authorize the Chair to sign, a personnel change request from Ambulance Services for Aaron Olson will move from FT non-exempt Field Supervisor to PT non-exempt Medic resulting in a decrease in rate of pay to $32.48/hr. with both changes taking place eff. April 1, 2024.
Interim Ambulance Services Director Katrina Altenhofen and Billing Coder Jamie Brame presented the Board with the 2nd quarter Ambulance Services Report for FY24. Components of the report included a staffing summary, office operations summary, call summary, a breakdown of call zones, call volume, average response time, and the Director’s summary. The Board took no formal action. The complete report is available by contacting the Ambulance office.
The Board voted by way of roll call vote to approve Res. 24-07 and authorize the Chair to sign.
The Board took no action with regard to a letter of support for a grant application for funding of a countywide outdoor warning siren project.
The Board took no action with regard to a funding commitment for a countywide outdoor warning siren project.
The Board voted to approve a letter of engagement with Dorsey & Whitney, Des Moines, Iowa, to provide bond counsel services with regard to 2024 General Obligation County Purpose Bonds and to authorize the Chair to sign the letter on behalf of the Board.
The Board took no action regarding a personal property purchase agreement between Washington County and Wellman Cooperative Telephone Association.
The Board next took up discussion re: a proposed lease agreement between Washington County and Wellman Cooperative Telephone Association (WCTA) for a small portion of property owned by WCTA. The property, located at 1460 125th Street in rural Wellman, is the planned site for a new Wellman Communication Tower to replace a tower that was destroyed by a tornado on March 31, 2023. Much discussion took place with regard to signing such a property lease when details of a tower purchase agreement are not yet finalized. Fedler moved, and Seward seconded, a motion to approve a lease agreement between Washington County and Wellman Cooperative Telephone Company. A great deal of discussion occurred before Young called for a vote on the motion on the floor and the motion failed unanimously.
The Board voted to acknowledge, and authorize the Chair to sign, a personnel change request from the Washington County Board of Supervisors for the appointment of Aaron Wulf as temporary Washington County Weed Commissioner for the period of May 15, 2024, through September 15, 2024, at the rate of $591.50 per month. Wulf will serve as Washington County Weed Commissioner in addition to his FT duties as an employee of the Washington County Buildings and Grounds Department.
At 11:27 am the Board voted to adjourn.
ATTEST: s/DANIEL L. WIDMER, Washington Co. Auditor
Published in The News, Thursday, April 18, 2024 L-284
