BOARD OF SUPERVISORS
WASHINGTON COUNTY, IOWA
REGULAR MEETING OF TUESDAY,
MAY 7, 2024
At 9:00 am Chair Richard Young called the meeting to order in regular session, Courthouse Chambers. Items on the agenda included: presentation from Iowa Project AWARE (A Watersheds Awareness River Expedition); Res. 24-19 related to Proposed Adjustment to FY24 Washington County Budget Appropriations; personnel change request–Secondary Roads; approval of 28E Agreement with the City of Kalona for Assistance on N Avenue Structure; Direction for Right-of-Way Release in Section 15, 74N, 9W (310th Street northwest of Brighton); Res. 24-20 re: approval of agreement for Traffic Safety Improvement Program (TSIP) funding assistance for safety improvements to County Road W38 (Ginkgo Avenue) including paved shoulders and rumble strips; approval of Agreement No. 2025-TS-014 for Traffic Safety Improvement Project funding assistance for County Road W38 (Ginkgo Avenue) safety improvements including paved shoulders and rumble strips; approval of final payment for FM-C092(88)--55-92 & FM-C092(95)--55-92, 2017 PCC Surface Repair (Diamond Grinding) G36 (220th Street) and W47 (Coppock Road); approval of final payment for FM-C092(101)--55-92 2018 PCC Patching at various locations; Quarterly Report–Secondary Roads; personnel change requests–Conservation; discussion and action regarding proposed contract between Washington County and Carl A. Nelson & Company for Construction Management work on Engineer’s Office; discussion/action re: proposed contract between Washington County and Encite Architecture & Design for Architectural work on Engineer’s Office; Res. 24-21 related to establishment of Temporary Speed Limit; canvass of the April 30, 2024, City of Washington Special Election. Supervisors Bob Yoder, Jack Seward Jr., Marcus Fedler, and Stan Stoops were also present.
All motions were passed unanimously unless noted otherwise.
The Board voted to approve the agenda after it was amended to include discussion and action re: Res. 24-21 re: the establishment of a temporary speed limit on Iowa HWY 78 west of Brighton.
Citizen Rhonda Clow expressed appreciation for the Board’s consideration of returning road right-of-way located on 310th ST in Section 15 of Brighton Township.
The Board heard a presentation from Seth Zimmerman on behalf of Iowa Project AWARE who described the group as a Watershed Awareness River Expedition group whose intended purpose is to educate participants while improving the health of Iowa’s rivers and streams. Over the past 20 years Iowa Project AWARE, staffed by volunteers, has removed 489 tons of trash from 1,429 miles of Iowa streams and rivers with approximately 81% of such trash being recycled. Iowa Project AWARE is currently finalizing plans for its 21st annual river cleanup project which will cover a 75-mile portion of the Skunk River. Participants will gather at Lake Darling on Sunday, July 7, 2024, and begin their journey on Monday, July 8, 2024, at the Skunk Wildlife Area five miles north of Richland before completing their journey on Friday, July 12, 2024, at the Upper Skunk River Access near Wever. As they travel by canoe down the river the volunteer participants will remove debris and trash from the river where it will be deposited along the shoreline in order to be picked up later to be recycled or properly disposed of. Participants will have access to daily educational programs with the cost of catered meals, canoes, and paddles covered by registration fees. While informally expressing support for Iowa Project AWARE the Board took no formal action.
The Board voted by way of roll call vote to approve Res. 24-19 and authorize the Chair to sign.
The Board voted to acknowledge, and authorize the Chair to sign, a personnel change request from the Secondary Roads Department for Justin A. Peterson job title will change to FT non-exempt Shop Foreman and rate of pay will change to a bi-weekly rate of $2,480.00 eff. on May 16, 2024.
The Board voted by of roll call vote, to approve, and authorize the Chair to sign, a 28E Service Agreement with the City of Kalona to jointly undertake to provide for certain necessary services related to the design and construction of a new structure on N Avenue over Salversen Creek which is a tributary of the English River, for which the City of Kalona (City) will reimburse Washington County (County). Terms of the agreement call for the County to provide, through its Engineering Department, certain services to the City related to the construction project. Such services include, but are not limited to, preliminary survey, project design and contractual administration including resident engineering and construction inspection and staking. Moreover, the City shall have the ability to review and provide comments of the proposed project plans during the preliminary and check plan stage with all such comments taken into consideration by the County.
County Engineer Jacob Thorius explained that in 2004 Washington County acquired 5.5 acres of right-of-way in conjunction with road improvements to 310th Street in Section 15 of Brighton Township. Recently Thorius learned that a portion of the right-of-way was being farmed and after conducting multiple conversations with relevant parties Thorius determined that 1.87 acres of the entire 5.5 acres of right-of-way easement was no longer needed and in turn he recommended that the 1.87-acre portion of the right-of-way easement be turned back over to the landowner. One such method of doing so would be to simply return the 1.87 acre right-of way easement back to the landowner while the other method would be to require that the landowner purchase the right-of-way back from the County. Such a decision would require formal Board action. Thorius again reminded that the landowner was farming the real estate while not paying property taxes due to the right-of-way and he also stated that in the past such right-of-way acquisitions would be purchased back at the rate originally paid by the County while right-of-way acquisitions that took place longer ago, i.e., 40 years, typically were just released back to the landowner. However, with regard to the current situation, Thorius stated that little precedent existed and recommended that the 1.87 acres of right-of-way be returned to the landowner at 50% of the amount originally paid by the County which would equate to $2,387.24 arrived at as follows: total original amount of $4,774.56 paid by the county ($2,553.24 per acre x 1.87 acres) x 50%. Discussion followed with Seward expressing that he felt that the present property owner should not be charged anything due to the fact that the present property owner is different than the owner of the property in 2004. Meanwhile Yoder expressed disagreement with both Thorius and Seward and instead expressed his opinion that the County should seek payment of the entire $4,774.56. Seward clarified that the County has only a right-of-way easement and does not actually own the parcel. The Board voted to release its right-of-way at no charge to the landowner. The vote on the motion: Aye-Young, Seward, Stoops, Fedler; Nay-Yoder.
The Board voted by way of roll call vote to approve Res. 24-20 and to authorize the Chair to sign.
The Board voted to approve Agreement No. 2025-TS-014 for Traffic Safety Improvement Project funding assistance for County Road W38 (Ginkgo Avenue) safety improvements including paved shoulders and rumble strips.
The Board voted to approve the final payment for FM-C092(88)--55-92 & FM-C092(95)--55-92, 2017 PCC Surface Repair (Diamond Grinding) G36 (220th Street) and W47 (Coppock Road).
The Board voted to approve the final payment for FM-C092(101)--55-92 2018 PCC Patching at various locations in Washington County.
Thorius provided the Board with the Secondary Roads Quarterly Report for the 4th quarter of calendar year 2023. During the quarter Secondary Roads staff hauled a total of 14,411 tons of road rock and replaced 238 feet of road pipe. The report also provided a summary of various road construction projects that were undertaken and/or completed during the quarter. Thorius shared that during the quarter three snow events occurred and the total cost to respond was $36,482.03 which included costs for salt, sand, employee hours, and equipment. All of the work performed during the quarter was completed with a daily average of five staff members, out of a possible 32, absent from work due to vacation or illness. The Board voted to acknowledge receipt of the Secondary Roads Quarterly Report for the 4th quarter of calendar year 2021. The complete report is available for viewing in the Auditor’s office.
The Board voted to acknowledge, and authorize the Chair to sign, a personnel change request from Conservation for the hiring of Ava Wulf as temporary non-exempt Naturalist Intern at the rate of $10.00/hr. eff. May 15, 2024.
The Board voted to acknowledge, and authorize the Chair to sign, a personnel change request from Conservation for Jolleen Cerka final day of employment will occur on May 7, 2024.
The Board voted to adopt, and authorize the Chair to sign on behalf of the Board, Document C132 – 2019 Standard Form of Agreement Between Owner (Washington County) and Construction Manager Carl A. Nelson & Company related to a proposed project involving the McCreedy Building located at 210 W. Main, Washington, Iowa.
The Board voted to adopt, and authorize the Chair to sign, Document B132 – 2019 Standard Form of Agreement Between Owner (Washington County) and Encite Architecture & Design related to a proposed project involving the Washington County Engineer’s Building aka McCreedy Building located at 210 W. Main, Washington, Iowa.
The Board voted by way of roll call vote to approve Res. 24-21 and authorize the Chair to sign.
The Board voted to accept as official the results of the April 30, 2024, City of Washington Special Election as canvassed.
The Board voted to accept as official the results of the canvass of the April 30, 2024, City of Washington Special Election.
At 10:16 am the Board voted to adjourn.
ATTEST: s/DANIEL L. WIDMER, Washington County Auditor
Published in The News, Thursday, June 27, 2024 L-282
