County needs dump trailers and pickup trucks, engineer recommends raise for employees

By Rick Morain

Jefferson Herald

 

Greene County Engineer Wade Weiss presented his department’s budget request for the 2022-23 fiscal year to the Greene County Board of Supervisors at the Jan. 24 board meeting. He proposed no increases from the current year’s budget to the general fund dollars ($55,729) or rural fund dollars ($1,231,631). Local option sales tax dollars for the road department would also remain the same at $325,000.
State road use tax money and other state funding for next year are estimated at nearly $3.7 million, while miscellaneous receipts are pegged to total $800,000.

Weiss reviewed proposed expenditures for each category in the budget, providing explanations for each and reasons for changes compared to the current year or prior years.
New equipment includes additional belly dump trailers for gravel hauling, two pickup trucks, upgrades to dump bodies for two trucks, and other improvements.
Weiss recommended seven percent increases for secondary road employees and a 10 percent increase for the office manager, citing reasons for the increase. He also recommended increases to the secondary roads longevity schedule.
Total expenditures for secondary roads next fiscal year are proposed at nearly $6.1 million.

In other action on Monday, the board approved the Iowa wages publication report for the county for calendar year 2021.
County Auditor Jane Heun reviewed a proposed amendment to the current 2021-22 fiscal year budget. The board set a public hearing for the amendment for Monday, Feb. 7, at 9 a.m. in the courthouse board room.
County Sheriff Jack Williams, who is also the Jefferson Fire Chief, asked the board for a letter of support for a grant application from all the fire departments in the county to Grow Greene County Gaming Corporation for purchase of an 8,000-gallon tanker truck to provide better coverage for rural fires where water is not readily available at the fire scene.
Engineer Weiss reported that the Iowa Department of Natural Resources (DNR) has asked for help from the county in locating deer killed by vehicles, in order to determine the prevalence of chronic wasting disease in the county. The carcass of a deer with the disease was discovered in Greene County recently, the first such instance here.

At Thursday’s meeting last week, the board heard a number of other county budget requests for 2022-23. Generating the most discussion was the county ambulance budget, particularly concerning wages and overtime.
Currently, full-time ambulance personnel work two 24-hour shifts per week, with three 24-hour shifts every third week. The board is considering other shift options to avoid large overtime payouts not originally planned for.
Non-wage line items for the ambulance service were also reviewed, including repairs to the ambulance garage roof. Two quotations were received: Beger Roofing for $8,784 to remove the old roof and apply a layer of asphalt shingles. Cunningham Construction and Roofing quoted $12,093 for roof repair. The board indicated that Beger Roofing will be asked to do the repair yet this fiscal year (before June 30).
The current year’s general ambulance budget is $606,500. An amendment is expected soon to add expenses for overtime wages, purchase of a new ambulance, and the expected roof repair. Ambulance director Michele Madsen estimated revenue collections of $300,000 to the county from the service.

The general services department budget for 2022-23 proposed expenditure increases for emergency phone lines to the courthouse and bell tower elevators. Supplies and professional services costs would grow by $5,500. The general fund total proposal for general services next year is pegged at $271,000.
The county’s share of the law enforcement center (LEC) budget was discussed, including both the new administration building (the former Midland Power building) and the existing jail and dispatch building. The LEC budget is set by the joint entity board (Greene County and City of Jefferson) with proposed expenses of $167,500. Jefferson reimburses the county with 40 percent of most LEC expenses.
The board also reviewed non-departmental proposed budgets for 2022-23, including various insurance line items.
No action was taken either last Thursday or Monday on the budget proposals pending budget discussions by the board.

The board discussed requests received from a number of non-profits in recent weeks, with some reductions suggested to those requesting increases for the coming fiscal year. Further discussion is expected.
On another matter, the board accepted Sheriff Jack Williams’ quarterly report of fees.
Engineer Wade Weiss updated the board on the Scranton shop status and underground storage cleanup.
Supervisor Tom Contner was absent from the Thursday meeting last week.

The board is now meeting every Monday and Thursday at 8:30 a.m. in the board room on second floor of the courthouse.

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