Benton County continues work on next budget

VINTON — Budgets for next year were presented for public health, Benton Development Group, HACAP, the maintenance and engineering departments, IT/GIS, and the county sheriff during Tuesday’s Benton County Board of Supervisors meeting.

The public health department explained grants and travel and updated supervisors on influenza A and respiratory syncytial virus in the county.

Benton Development Group, the economic development organization for the county, said it works with all communities on any project and helped to secure $2 million for community projects.

BDG hosts downtown walk-arounds with state officials, the latest in Blairstown, and helps with housing and new businesses.

Benton County contributes $100,000 to the BDG budget. The rural electric cooperative also contributes.

As for “what’s in the wind,” BDG said it’s working on two large projects for Benton County. Kate Robertson represented BDG at the meeting.

Hawkeye Area Community Action Program provides funding in three areas in Benton County including food service at the Fourth Street Dining and Senior Center in Vinton and the Belle Plaine Senior Dining program, which serves about 40 meals a day with congregate and home delivery meals.

The North Benton site serves 90 meals a day.

More than 37,000 meals were served in Vinton and 20,000 in Belle Plaine.

HACAP funds a housing program in Belle Plaine; and two apartments and one home at below market rate rent for homeless families.

Top needs for HACAP are housing and food assistance, but it also helps with energy assistance. Four households have been weatherized through HACAP.

The organization helped with nine furnace replacements, gives to local food pantries and helps Head Start.

HACAP asked Benton County for $78,700 for the next fiscal year.

Maintenance and grounds discussion included the bell tower, a roof, a squeaky fan in the courthouse, heating, trip hazards, and sidewalk repair.

In a related matter, the board approved hiring Tess Ware as a custodian at the service center.

Supervisors looked at salaries, non-union pay increases and farm-to-market funds in the engineering department and heard an explanation of revenues.

Information Technology/Global Information System projects include updates and computer replacements.

The sheriff reviewed the budget for the next fiscal year, mentioning vehicles, mileage and rotation of the vehicles. Sheriff Dave Upah said he’d like to be on a three-vehicle rotation each year.

Supervisor Ron Tippett, the former Benton County Sheriff, said he heard concerns from the public about the purchase of nine vehicles in six months. “That one the public’s not liking,” Tippett said.

“I know It sounds like a lot,” Upah said, “but we went years without buying anything. So we’re kind of in a pickle.”

Upah said he does not have a vehicle, and the department got out of rotation and it all came to a head now.

Supervisors also looked at overtime pay and shift pay, meals, training, grounds maintenance and radios.

In other business, the board approved an Iowa DOT Agreement for Highway 30 and W28 intersection lighting for right turn lanes at 32nd and 33rd Avenues.

Engineer Myron Parizek said there are five lights at 33rd Avenue. Two of the lights will be impacted.

The Iowa Department of Transportation asked the county if would willing to eliminate those lights. Parizek said the county was not interested in doing that.

The DOT has incorporated moving these lights, at Benton County’s expense, into its plan. The DOT estimated the cost of removing lights and footings and installing new LED lights on all five poles at $22,207.23.

The board discussed Central Iowa Detention, which has one client costing the county $400 a day. The county is looking at other spaces in the area to hold the client and questioned the increase in fees from $250 to $400 a day.

The supervisors will draft a letter to Central Iowa Detention.

Supervisors approved a farm exemption for Brian Miller for land in Parcel B, Section 10, Benton Township, for a new house and approved renewing flood insurance with Holmes Murphy.

Doug Becker was appointed as Homer Township Trustee.

The board approved permanent and temporary easements for the bridge project on 32nd Avenue Dr. and a temporary construction closure on 26th Ave. Dr. in Taylor Township for bridge replacement.

Parizek gave an update on the Blairstown/Van Horne corner with Highway 30. He’s working on lighting of signs at the corner and said removal of rumble strips will be a county decision.

The county received one bid for the sheriff’s office vehicles. Thys bid for three vehicles at $44,564 each, a total of $133,692. The board looked at a list of vehicles in use and ones to be decommissioned.

The board approved the purchase of the three 2025 Durangos. The board acknowledged the resignation of Justin Coshow, sheriff’s deputy, effective Feb. 7.

During a Feb. 4 meeting of the county supervisors, Upah updated the board on the sheriff’s department’s immediate needs for this fiscal year. Upah said that new hires will need vehicles and equipment. Engineer

Supervisors held a land-use public hearing Feb. 4 for Paige and Brandon Dullia in Section 32, Fremont Township. The two acres of land for a single family dwelling has a Corn Suitability Rating of 62 and will have no impact on surrounding farming operations.

The board approved a gift from Local Option Sales and Service Tax for the Belle Plaine Ambulance Service. The money will be used for the replacement of an ambulance.