Van Buren County  supervisors to vote on Master Matrix

The Van Buren County Board of Supervisors will be considering continuation of the Master Matrix at its regular board meeting at 1 p.m. Monday.

If the supervisors want to use the Master Matrix, which is an evaluation for the construction of large confined animal feeding operation facilities, between Feb. 1, 2012, and Jan. 31, 2013, it must submit an adopted ?construction evaluation resolution? to the Iowa Department of Natural Resources between Jan. 1-31.

Eighty-eight counties filed resolutions in 2011.

The resolutions allow the supervisors to submit formal recommendations to the DNR concerning large animal confinement buildings, send a country employee along on a DNR site inspection and appeal the DNR?s decision regarding a construction permit application to the state?s Environmental Protection Commission.

In addition, if the county chooses to use the Master Matrix, applicants who want to construct a large animal confinement facility must meet stricter environmental standards than they would have to meet otherwise.

The Van Buren County supervisors recently learned the Van Buren County Secondary Roads Department has proceeded with repairs to Eagle Drive northwest of Farmington where landslides have closed the road.

Following instructions from the supervisors, Cole Construction excavated a test hole. Based on what was found, the construction company was directed to proceed with the project to stabilize the bank, repair the road and any other work necessary to re-open the road.

Eagle Drive sustained seven landslides, all within approximately 3,700 linear feet of roadway, between 270th and 277th streets.

County residents had voiced concerns about emergency-response, farming and tourism access if the road was not repaired and re-opened.

The county had been awarded a $225,056 FEMA grant to repair the road after the original two landslides. Any additional expenses are to be paid by the county through farm-to-market road funds.

?If the weather holds, it is his [Justin Cole of Cole Construction] intent to finish the job this year,? said County Engineer Dave Barrett.

The supervisors have approved a contract with Shipley Construction of Burlington to rebuild county road W-30 south of Stockport. Shipley submitted the low bid of $975,009. Barrett had estimated the work would cost $1.3 million.

The supervisors also have approved a contract with Gus Company of Casey to replace a bridge on Spruce Avenue north of Stockport with a box culvert. The bid was $120,000, which was less than the $200,000 to $220,000 estimate, according to Barrett.

Gus Company began the work right away, and Barrett said it could be finished by Christmas.

A January letting is planned for a project to replace the small truss bridge on 120th Street north of Stockport. The bridge was closed at the end of October after a wooden plank broke, and the bridge shifted. The plan is for the bridge to be replaced with a box culvert. Until the bridge is replaced, 120th Street is closed between Spruce and Timber avenues.