Social hosting ordinance penalizing property owners for underage parties approved

By Rick Morain

Jefferson Herald

The continued crackdown on underage parties is in full effect.

The Greene County board of supervisors April 25 approved the proposed new social hosting ordinance to make it illegal to permit persons under 21 years of age to use alcoholic beverages, prescription drugs not prescribed for the underage person, or controlled substances on property managed by the person being charged. The ordinance will be enforced against the property manager.

County sheriff Jack Williams had requested adoption of the ordinance because Iowa state law is in effect for persons who allow youths under age 18 to use illegal substances on the property, but does not extend the same penalties to property managers who allow those from 18 to 20 to do so. There are several exceptions stipulated in the county ordinance.

Approval followed the ordinance’s second reading by the board. The board then waived the third and final reading and adopted the ordinance. It becomes effective upon publication in the county’s official newspapers, the Jefferson Herald and the Scranton Journal, this week.

In other action, the board voted to allocate the county’s expected $1,726,390 in funds from the federal American Rescue Plan Act of 2021 (ARPA) for courthouse heating, ventilation, and air conditioning (HVAC) and restroom renovations.
The county has received the first half of the funds and expects the second half to be forthcoming from the ARPA’s coronavirus state and local fiscal recovery funds program. Federal rules allow counties to use the funds to replace local revenue lost because of the COVID pandemic.
Action to approve the renovations will be taken by separate action of the board. Payments will be made for the renovations as they are presented.

NOTABLE ITEMS

• The board approved a purchase agreement for a new voting system for the county at a total cost of $75,992. The equipment includes 10 OpenElect Freedom Vote Scan precinct scanners with ballot boxes, nine Open Elect Freedom Vote Tablet ballot marking devices, an election management system laptop with report printer and implementation, equipment and software training and election day support services.
The purchase agreement was approved now so that the equipment could be ordered and delivered a year from now. The county would not be invoiced until after delivery of the equipment. The agreement is with Henry M. Adkins & Son Inc.

• A Class B beer permit for Lakeside National Golf Club LLC was approved Monday.

• Chuck Wenthold informed the board that NEW Cooperative plans to add a fourth 30,000 gallon ammonia fertilizer tank at its site and will need the board’s formal approval to do so.

• John Torbert, executive director of the Iowa Drainage District Association, gave his annual report to the board. He said the association has a resolution template for protection of drainage districts that can be used in connection with carbon-capture pipeline projects. He also discussed rule changes through several presidential administrations relating to the Environmental Protection Agency’s Waters of the United States (WOTUS) rules.

During the open forum portion of the meeting, Maria Sacchetti introduced herself as a Washington Post reporter. She visited with the supervisors after the board adjourned. Sachetti is the Post’s national immigration reporter.
The supervisors meet regularly every Monday at 8:30 a.m. in the board room on second floor of the courthouse.