The Greene County Board of Supervisors met yesterday in regular session.
The Supervisors approved the County Auditor’s quarterly passport report for $1,325 for 53 passports from January through March, the County Treasurer’s investment report for March of $8,893,348.38 and the 270 driver’s licenses that were issued in March. The Board also approved transferring $480,000 to the Secondary Roads Department from the rural basic fund, transferring $5,000 from Local Option Sales and Services Tax to the Raccoon River Valley Trail, the 2016 fiscal year substance abuse grant with New Opportunities for $1,800 and the 2016 fiscal year Emergency Medical Services grant application for reimbursement money for online training for new personnel.
The Supervisors reviewed the Master Matrix for Concentrated Animal Feeding Operation expansion by Bradley Freking of New Fashion Pork LLP in Cedar Township. Director of Environmental Services for New Fashion Pork Jay Moore gave a short presentation of what the company is wanting to do with its hog confinement. They are proposing to build a gilt developing unit on the property that’s located near A Avenue and County Road E-26. The expansion would include an additional 1,600 head of hogs for a total of 4,600. The Master Matrix scoring was 550 out of a possible 880. The Supervisors recommended to include landscaping and an inclosure plan in the project. The next steps would be to hold a public hearing at next week’s meeting and recommend the project to the Iowa Department of Natural Resources for final approval.
The Supervisors also approved the third and final reading to amend an ordinance that allows the County and the cities inside it to bid on, and purchase parcels at the annual tax sale, for properties that are delinquent on taxes. These abandoned parcels are assessed as residential or commercial multi-family housing, properties that can be rehabilitated or deemed as a vacant lot. The third and final reading for an ordinance to authorize the County Treasurer to separately offer and sell properties that are likely to become or are already deemed as public nuisances, was also approved. Supervisor Chair John Muir talks about why the Board felt it necessary to pass both ordinances.
“This would enable the cities and the County a much more accelerated path to clean those properties up, at an expense to all of us, but then also be able to get it back on the tax rolls quicker.”
Unfortunately, the process doesn’t apply to a private citizen, of which, the Supervisors have no control over because Iowa Code doesn’t allow it.
During open forum, Grand Junction Mayor Gerald Herrick requested the Supervisors to do ground work for the foundation of the new community center in Grand Junction. It was determined that the Supervisors, County Engineer Wade Weiss, Herrick and Diane Wise would look over the project before a decision is made.
Drainage Clerk Michelle Fields talked with the Board about the ongoing discussion of the nitrite lawsuit with Sac, Calhoun and Buena Vista counties being sued by Des Moines Water Works. The Supervisors had a question about what entity to give their financial support to: either the Iowa Drainage District Association or directly to the counties. Fields said their drainage lawyer told her that there would be a joint meeting between the entities and settle who would need to receive the money. The Supervisors decided to wait until next week to make a final decision on the topic.