Supervisors approve additional jail staff

VINTON — Benton County Supervisors agreed to hire a replacement for a jailer the county lost a couple of months ago.

Josh Karsten, chief deputy, said he’d like to hire another jailer to help with staffing needs. The county has a jailer who is in the National Guard and will be gone a majority of next year. The jail would like to hire someone now so he can be trained by the time the current jailer goes to boot camp.

The number of jail inmates hovered around 20 when Sheriff Dave Upah took office. It is now about 35.

The jail has also doubled federal inmates from 10 to 20. This means additional revenue, which the jail woudl like to use to hire an additional jailer.

Officials showed they have the revenue for this.

Land use

A land use change hearing was set for Tuesday, Nov. 25, at 9:15 a.m. for Kyle and Alyce Lynch, for land in Parcel A, Section 27, Harrison Township.

A farm exemption application was approved for Matthew Wrage for land in Section 27, Monroe Township. He plans to build a home there, he said.

A land use hearing was held for Dylan and Tiffany Niebes for land in Section 4, Iowa Township for a single-family dwelling two miles north of Belle Plaine. It is not high quality farm land.

Other business

The board approved a utility permit for Interstate Power and Light (Alliant Energy) in Iowa Township. The gas line is being rebuilt in the Belle Plaine area, primarily on Eighth Street which turns into 78th Street Trail.

The board set Nov. 25 at 9:30 a.m. for a hearing for fiscal year 26 budget amendment No. 2. dealing with pioneer cemeteries and some spending authority.

Robert Spangler asked about getting additional keys for the Historical Preservation office at the service center. Spangler thanked the board for the office space.

A resident warned supervisors about the risks of battery storage facilities, data centers and eminent domain and urged the board to not allow these into the county.