Washington supervisors hear about Conservation’s $725,000 budget

The Washington County Conservation Board spent $725,089 in fiscal year 2019-20. That was part of the message the Washington County Board of Supervisors heard from Executive Director Zach Rozmus at the board's regular meeting Tuesday.

Expenditures during the year included: $128,169.12 for projects; $437,674.19 for administration; $153,694.66 for maintenance and operations; $5,551.33 for recreational service for a total of $725,089.30.

The Conservation Board is funded by a property tax levy which was 46 cents per thousand dollars of assessed valuation in 2019-20. In addition, the Conservation Board generated $273,043.29 in revenues from grants, donations, rentals, fees and other items.

Board members include Craig Capps of Kalona, Kim Prier of Ainsworth, Bill Nickell of Wellman, Stan Stoops of Washington and Barb Donkersloot of Washington.

Road Request

Landowners Joe and Shelly Gardner of Kalona have asked the county to vacate portions of Juniper Avenue north of Highway 22 that runs through their property. Juniper Avenue is a Class A road for the first 500 feet, then turns into Class B road for 600 feet. This classification was done in 1988.

The supervisors discussed three options for rebuilding or vacating portions of Juniper Avenue and authorized the county engineer, attorney and engineer to work ton vacating the road from the portion classified as Class B on the north side and to offer any affected landowners to draft an easement giving permanent easement access to them.

Road Petition

The supervisors received a letter and petition asking that the county surface County Road W64 south of Crawfordsville. County Engineer Jacob Thorius said the project is on the county's list of things to do eventually and is included in the county's five-year plan in a broader project in the area.

He said the grading work alone for that project would cost about $1.5 million. To redo the existing bridge would be in the $4 million range. The section just south of Crawfordsville is not isolated in the five-year plan.

'It's probably in the middle of the (priority) pack”, Thorius said.

He said the work would be a 1-inch layer of asphalt but he would not like to promise a time frame other than to say sooner rather than later with a goal of the next construction season.

Supervisor Abe Miller said he can't see why the county can't come up with $200,000 to cover the cost of the project. Supervisor Jack Seward Jr. asked Miller to come up with a letter draft to consider at the next meeting.

Other Business

In other business, the supervisors:

' Noted the Sept. 8 date for a public hearing to be held at the Wellman City Hall regarding proposed City of Wellman annexation.

' Discussed selling county property that adjoins the West Chester county maintenance facility and decided to work with the county engineer, auditor and attorney to move forward on the matter.

' Heard a quarterly SEIL report.

' Approved a revised request for COVID-19 leave form.

' Approved the termination of employment of office assistant Dixie Young in the Ambulance Department.

' Approved the hiring of Ellie Todd in the Sheriff's Jail Office.

' Approved moving Sarah Garrett from full time to part-time status in the Sheriff's Jail Office.

' Approved the termination of employment of EMT Conner Miller in the Ambulance department.

' Approved the termination of employment of Jolene Colhurst in the Treasurer's office.

' Approved a pay rate change for Aaron Gould in the Sheriff's office from $2,444 bi-weekly to $2,578 biweekly.

' Approved the termination of employment of Karen Witzenburg in the Sheriff's Jail Office.

' Heard a recycling update from Lynn Whaley from We Make It Go Away (WEMIGA).

' Discussed a COVID-19 update.