Supervisors: Highway 30 Coalition requests money for four-lane expansion study

By Rick Morain

Jefferson Herald

U.S. Highway 30 Coalition President Adam Schweers requested $5,000 from the county during the Feb. 7 Greene County board of supervisors meeting to help fund a $97,000 study by Snyder & Associates to evaluate the economic impact and importance of improvements to portions of Highway 30.

The association is asking the Iowa Department of Transportation (IDOT) to consider widening the highway to four lanes along two 40-mile segments: Ogden to Carroll in western Iowa (which would go through Greene County) and Lisbon to DeWitt in eastern Iowa. The association is asking for $5,000 each from the counties involved in those 80 miles, the primary city in each of the counties, and the economic development group in each of the counties.
IDOT is considering whether to favor a four-lane road or a “super-two-lane” road for those segments. The board took no action on the request pending final discussions of the county’s budget.
The board of supervisors also continued its budgeting process, approving an amendment to the county’s current 2021-22 fiscal year budget. Revenues were increased by about $595,000, and expenditures were boosted by about $435,000.
The largest revenue items were $175,000 from the local option sales and service tax (LOSST), $150,000 from the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA), and $63,000 from tax increment financing (TIF).
Largest expenditure additions were $225,000 for the new ambulance and $58,000 for ambulance employee overtime.
The approval followed a public hearing on the amendment, with no oral or written comments received.

The board also discussed the forthcoming 2021-22 budget that begins July 1, particularly on the compensation board recommendations for elected officials’ salaries and increases for non-elected employees. Departmental budgets received for the coming fiscal year generally suggest seven percent increases for non-elected employees.
The compensation board recommendations were scheduled to be considered at the board’s Feb. 10 meeting.

The board also discussed 2021-22 funding of the libraries in the county’s municipalities. Although library funding will be discussed again before a final decision is made, the board’s discussion would hold the joint funding total at $73,540, boost the minimum base by $500 from the current $3,500 base for each library, and provide an additional $1,000 to each of the six libraries.
The cooperative library projects request of $9,150 was tentatively raised to $10,000.

County attorney Thomas Laehn reported that 15 search warrants were executed in the county last week.
Patti Treibel-Leeds introduced Brittany Baker, justice-involved services coordinator for the regional mental health agency. Baker is scheduled to be present in Greene County on Mondays.
At the supervisor meeting on Feb. 3, the board continued to consider the county’s 2022-23 budget, looking at estimated dollars to be raised by property taxes, as well as fund balances and proposed expenditures. The supervisors reviewed individual department requests, salary and wage increases, and library funding requests.

No final salary and wage decisions were made, as the board was awaiting sheriff’s department union negotiations and action on the compensation board recommendations on elected officials’ salaries. Those amounts are expected to be decided this week.

Chuck Wenthold reported that Summit Carbon Solutions has filed its carbon dioxide pipeline permit application with the Iowa Utilities Board. He added that the corporation has asked for permission to use eminent domain where voluntary easements are not attained from landholders involved.
Supervisor Dawn Rudolph was absent from the meeting.

The board, during the budget process, meets regularly every Monday and Thursday at 8:30 a.m. in the board room on the second floor of the courthouse.

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