The Dallas County Board of Supervisors met in regular session Tuesday.

At the meeting, the Board approved payroll change notices for the auditor’s and sheriff’s offices.  The public health department then presented a request to use the courthouse lawn for a Fall Prevention Day program on the first day of autumn on September 23rd.   Several activities and displays will be set up on the lawn and the department also plans to take part in the largest  outdoor tai chi event.  The Supervisors approved the request as presented.

A vehicle purchase request from the sheriff’s office was then approved.  This is to replace a 2010 Ford Explorer used by the civil division with a 2015 Ford Interceptor.  The vehicle will be purchased from Stiver’s Ford in Waukee at a cost is $29,054, minus a $4,000 trade-in for a total of $25,054.

The 22nd change order for the human services campus was then approved.  This is to provide two alternate light fixtures above glass vestibules on the campus at a cost of $1,666.  The measure passed on a two to one vote with Supervisor Kim Chapman voting No due to the two lights costing “too much money”. In total, the change orders for the project total around a one percent increase of the total campus renovation price.  The seventh pay application for the project was also approved in the amount of $465,285 to Larson and Larson Construction.

Next the Supervisors approved an overhead door motor replacement for the Emergency Medical Services department building at a cost of $2,325 to Overhead Door Company of Des Moines and Southwest Iowa.

A landscape design proposal for the human services campus and courthouse was then approved as presented by Facilities Director Eric Rose.

A public hearing in regards to the rezoning of a piece of property in Adel Township owned by R. Charles Hyde was then held.  Hyde wants to rezone the property from an agricultural district to a suburban estate district so that he can sell the property to a developer for housing.  Planning and Zoning Director Murray McConnell says the rezone was approved by the Planning and Zoning Commission at their most recent meeting.  The Board followed the recommendation and approved the rezoning as presented.

The second public hearing of the day was also in regards to rezoning.  Dale and Nancy Boston want to rezone their property in Van Meter Township from an agricultural district to a suburban estate district.  McConnell says several concerned citizens attended the Planning and Zoning Commission meeting and spoke out about the topic.  He says the existing runoff and drainage of the area cannot be increased with any development that takes place at the site.  He says the runoff needs to remain the same. An adjoining property owner then shared his concerns with the Board.  He says they have invested upwards of $10,000 into the pond that borders the property in order to bring it back to life.  He said he would hate to see the habitat in that area destroyed after money and effort has gone into developing the pond.  Eric Grubb, who has property under contact in the proposed development, then said he too shares concern with hurting the pond and habitat in the area.  He said he wants to maintain, if not improve the character of the area. Grubb says an association will be put in place to address possible issues. The Boston’s engineer says they are proposing two detention areas to help control erosion.  Like the Heritage Woods LLC development rezoning that was recently approved by the Board, in order to have some sort of conservation easement included in the property, that needs to be in writing before the conclusion of the public hearing.  Ultimately, the Board decided to recess the public hearing until 9:30am on Tuesday, September 22nd in order to allow the option to add an easement to the property.

McConnell then told the Board there is not a notorized and signed agreement with Heritage Woods LLC for the conservation easement.  County Attorney Wayne Reisetter says if the developers to not sign the agreement as stated, the developers have violated the agreement and the rezoning request approval can be reversed by the Board.