Health center requests use of land in county?s easement

Demolition of a portion of the parking lot at Jefferson County Health Center could begin this week, Melanie Carlson, engineer with French Reneker Associates Inc. told the Jefferson County Board of Supervisors this morning.

?We?re looking to have the gravel portion paved this fall,? she said.

Jefferson County Health Center will begin an addition to accommodate more health providers. With the addition, some parking areas will be lost. Additional parking is being added on the south side of the hospital.

Carlson attended the supervisors meeting to inform them about an amendment to an easement.

?The hospital owns the property, the county has the easement,? said Carlson. ?The county is agreeing to let the hospital use the easement. It will not impact the trails or Maasdam Barns. The easement does include water lines, but this is just to get an agreement recorded. And we won?t need to do that today, I just wanted you to know about it.?

Carlson said the 125-foot easement would be finalized after construction to be sure any changes during construction could be included.

Supervisor Dick Reed said he didn?t see any problems or issues with it.

?The hospital has been very gracious to work with about the trails and Maasdam Barns,? said Reed. ?I don?t want to do anything to hold them up. The hospital has bent over backwards for us.?

Supervisor Steve Burgmeier had a new 28E agreement to sign with Southeast Iowa Case Management.

?Not much has changed, a few dates and initials,? he said.

The new agreement is for nine months instead of a year.

?We?re changing from the federal year, October 1 to September 30, to the fiscal year that begins July 1,? said Burgmeier.

The weekly engineer?s report included updates about Quince Avenue being seeded, the spillway there was graded eight days ago, and mulching and fencing will complete the project.

?The fencing will be done at the same time as the project on 240th,? said Scott Cline, Jefferson County engineer. ?They?ve begun grading the pond on 240th, putting in the clay to seal the bottom. The old culvert will stay in place for a time, in case of rain but eventually it will be taken out and the material broken up to use as rip-rap there.?

Cline said county crews continue grading, mowing and ditch cleaning.

?I?m waiting for the contractor to start patching the concrete blowouts on the road north of Packwood,? said Cline.

Burgmeier asked if any work was planned on Packwood Road south of Brookville Road.

?A resident called me and asked, because there?s markings on the road there,? said Burgmeier.

Cline did not know, but would check into it.

?I?d like to put most of these roads on our road tour today,? said Reed. ?And Salina Road.?

The supervisors and Cline had scheduled a road tour in the county today after the supervisors? meeting.

?We?ve talked about solutions for Salina Road,? said Burgmeier. ?I?ve had another call on it.?

Reed said he had also. Supervisor Lee Dimmitt was absent from today?s meeting.

Cline has talked with the contractor about applying a second seal coat using different material and is looking at other solutions. Salina Road was last groomed Tuesday and the county put sand down in case of any tackiness.

Under committee reports, Reed told about attending a training session of the 105 probation officers working at the judicial corrections two adult halfway houses, one in Burlington and one in Ottumwa. He was asked to speak at the training and travel to Des Moines with the director to lobby for the program.

?Our three-county landfill is one entity not at the table asking for money,? said Reed. ?We?ve been fiscally responsible. We lowered the tipping fees for this year and probably we?ll lower them again.?

Reed and Larry Nash were honored at a celebration Sunday night on the Maharishi University of Management campus for their leadership and dedication to restore the Maasdam Barns site, he said.

Maharishi Awards recognizing outstanding accomplishments and public service, were given also to Deborah Cardin, CEO of Jefferson County Health Center and Julie Stephens, a two term president of the Fairfield Area Chamber of Commerce and co-founder of Revelations Café and bookstore in Fairfield and

?It was a very nice ceremony and I?m very honored,? said Reed.

Burgmeier reported the county signed an agreement last week with the new ambulance service, Midwest Ambulance of Iowa Inc. that begins serving the county Oct. 1.

He also said he?d be traveling to Des Moines for a meeting about mine reclamation.