Government : Benton County Board of Supervisor Minutes 4/22/25

April 22, 2025

The Benton County Board of Supervisors met in regular session with Supervisors Seeman, Tippett and Volz present. Chairman Seeman called the meeting to order at 9:00 a.m. at the Benton County Service Center. Members of the public are invited to join in during open session or watch the livestream at https://www.youtube.com/bentoncountyiowa. Full Resolutions will be available in the Auditor's office and at: www.bentoncountyia.gov

Tippett moved/Volz seconded: To approve agenda. All members voting aye. Motion carried.

Tippett moved/Volz seconded: To approve the minutes of April 15, 2025. Tippett, Seeman and Volz voting aye. Motion carried.

Volz moved/Tippett seconded: To approve payroll checks numbered 143760 through 143765, ACH Deposits 60867 through 61033, vendor checks 253446 through 253452 (corrected from April 8th ) claims numbered 253453 through 253583 and vendor checks 253584 through 253591. Tippett, Seeman and Volz voting aye. Motion carried.

Tippett moved/Volz seconded: To approve paying True North Consulting Group $2,214.00 out of the ARPA fund. Tippett, Seeman and Volz voting aye. Motion carried.

Volz moved/Tippett seconded: To set a land use hearing date of Tuesday, May 20, 2025 for Garrett Kotouc for a part of the SE ¼ of NE ¼ of section 27-85-12. Tippett, Seeman and Volz voting aye. Motion carried.

Don Brown from Renodry USA came to discuss water issues in foundation of the courthouse. He was offering a free inspection and asked if the Board was okay with him taking a tour with the maintenance department. The Board agreed as long as there was no cost.

Ray Lough, County Attorney gave an update on the clock tower. This should be done by next week. Both Lough and Supervisor Tippett attended a recent Historical Preservation Committee meeting and they would like to propose Sunday June 8th, for the clock to be installed on the first floor of the courthouse. This would allow the public to see and then possibly install it on June 19th, which happens to be the anniversary date of when the original clock was donated in 1906. This discussion then led to if there is a need for a revised clock tower committee. The previous committee had some deceased members listed. Lough would like to see our maintenance department, the Auditor, one supervisor, a member of the Historic Preservation and himself.

Tippett moved/Volz seconded: To appoint Ray Lough as the Point of Contact for the Clock Tower installation and display celebration. Tippett, Seeman and Volz voting aye. Motion carried.

Volz moved/Tippett seconded: To approve Vinton Unlimited to use the courthouse grounds during Boomfest on August 23, 2025. Tippett, Seeman and Volz voting aye. Motion carried.

Tippett moved/Volz seconded: To open the public hearing on the FY 26 Budget. All members voting aye. Motion carried.

Chairman Seeman opened it up for public comments.

Former county Auditor, Jill Marlow addressed the board on issues that were brought up to them at their maximum levy hearing that was held in March. She stressed that the budget is obviously out of control. She read a document from the Tax Foundation that said Benton County was in the top four fastest growing property tax increased in the state between 2018 and 2024. She also stressed that people on fixed incomes are not going to be able to afford property taxes. Marlow also asked if the collections department is self-sustaining, or if it is being subsidized by the taxpayers. She asked for records from the county attorney to reflect this. Marlow asked the Board to refigure the budget, look at the re-estimates better and to lower levies and reduce the appropriations. County Auditor Rippel agreed that all departments could do better at re-estimating their ending FY 25 Budget Amounts and could ask them to do so and do more refiguring before next week. Other conversation on areas where to try and cut, or how county reduction in funding could affect secondary roads state funding as well.

No other public comments were made regarding the budget.

Tippett moved/Volz seconded: To table approval of the FY26 Budget until Tuesday, April 29, 2025. They are not going to raise any spending, but will look at the current fiscal year ends re-estimating fund balances to see if we are comfortable reducing the levy's. Tippett, Seeman and Volz voting aye.

Tippett moved/Volz seconded: To close the public hearing at 10:01 a.m. Tippett, Seeman and Volz voting aye. Motion carried.

Tippett moved/Volz seconded: To table adopting the budget until Tuesday, April 29, 2025 where the Board can still choose to reduce the asking amounts or levies at that time. Tippett, Seeman and Volz voting aye. Motion carried.

Engineer Myron Parizek reported on a bid letting held on April 15, 2025 for a RCB Culvert Replacement Project BROS-CO06(124)-8J-06 on 33rd Ave Dr. Bids were as follows: Iowa Bridge & Culvert, L.C.-$362,083.50

Taylor Construction, Inc.-$399,560.20

Lodge Construction Inc. -$407,576.75

K Construction Inc.-$432,212.30

Tschiggfrie Excavating Co. -$622,306.90-

Jenco Construction Inc. -$655,124.00

Tippett moved/Volz seconded: To award bid to Iowa Bridge & Culvert, LC in the amount of $362,083.50 for RCB Culvert Replacement Project BROS-CO06(124)-8J-06 and approve Resolution #25-25, Designating the Engineer to execute said project. Tippett, Seeman and Volz voting aye. Motion carried.

Volz moved/Tippett seconded: To approve Utility Permit for GenoSource on 22nd Ave in Leroy and St. Clair townships. Tippett, Seeman and Volz voting aye. Motion carried.

Volz moved/Tippett seconded: To approve Class C Retail Alcohol License for Blairstown Lions Club for May 21-25, 2025. Tippett, Seeman and Volz voting aye. Motion carried.

Tippett moved/Volz seconded: To approve the additional flood insurance renewal for 113 E 3rd Street in the amount of $3,699. Tippett, Seeman and Volz voting aye. Motion carried.

Committee reports from Supervisor Tippett and Seeman. Tippett had mentioned earlier about the historic preservation meeting, along with noting they would like to fix the sign and how they were listed. Tippett would talk to Tharp Design and see what can be done. Seeman attended a landfill meeting and although the new cell is done, it is not up and running yet.

Volz moved/Tippett seconded: To adjourn at 10:49 a.m. Tippett, Seeman and Volz voting aye. Motion carried.

_____________________________

Tracy Seeman, Chairman

ATTEST: _________________________________

Hayley Rippel, Benton County Auditor