Supervisors address several Secondary Road items, approve August 1 for bid letting date for paving of portion of Breezy Corners Road
by Joe Moses
The Allamakee County Board of Supervisors met in regular session Monday, July 18 with a full agenda of items including the hiring of two Dispatcher/Corrections Officers, a stop sign resolution and the discussion and consideration of private monetary donations towards paving projects. There were no comments during the Public Comments portion of the meeting.
Several routine reports were presented to the Supervisors. The Treasurer's Semi-Annual and Annual Reports, the Recorder's Quarterly Report, the Environmental Health Quarterly Report and the Relief Office Quarterly Report were all accepted and placed on file.
Allamakee County Sheriff Clark Mellick discussed his recommendations for the two dispatcher/corrections officer positions open in his department. Mellick explained that one of the positions is new and the other will fill a vacancy. Mellick recommended the hiring of Ronda Hansen and Jordyn Enyart. Hansen has previous dispatcher experience from earlier employment in Sioux City, and Mellick said Enyart is a highly qualified local candidate. Both candidates were approved for hire with a start date of July 18.
Allamakee County Engineer Brian Ridenour addressed the next five agenda items relating to his department. Ridenour discussed the Iowa Department of Transportation (IDOT)/City of Waukon maintenance agreement that is renewed yearly to re-establish their roles in snow and ice removal on West Main Street/X12. The Supervisors approved the renewal of the agreement.
A Stop Sign Resolution was also addressed by Ridenour, as he explained that there are two gravel roads that intersect with Big Foot Road in Volney that currently do not have stop signs. Ridenour recommended adding stop signs where eastbound traffic on James Drive and southbound traffic on Creamery Road intersect with Big Foot Road. The Supervisors approved the resolution to add stop signs at these intersections to benefit public safety.
The Supervisors and Ridenour then addressed the use of private donations towards road paving projects. Ridenour discussed the short section of the secondary road adjacent to Bodensteiner Implement and Breezy Corners south of Waukon and that setting a letting date for this paving project was next on the agenda.
Ridenour further cited that the County's 2003 resolution relating to road paving project requests outlines requirements for landowner contributions to the cost of those requested projects. Board of Supervisor Chairman Larry Schellhammer confirmed with Ridenour that neither adjacent landowner had requested the paving so the resolution would not apply in this case. Schellhammer further advised that the cost to the County to complete the project as part of its five-year plan can be justified, as it benefits the public's interest and supports economic development and the business community.
Supervisor Dan Byrnes agreed that the County should not request donations in this case, but a donation would be welcome if offered. Supervisor Dennis Koenig agreed with Byrnes and Schellhammer and mentioned the required traffic count of 150 vehicles per day for a paving project. Ridenour advised that this short section of gravel has a daily traffic count over 500, which more than qualifies. Following all the discussion, August 1 at 10 a.m. was set as the letting date for accepting bids for paving a portion of Breezy Corners Road with a completion date in mid-November, which was approved by the Supervisors.
The Resolution for a Temporary Road Closure on Waterville Road was also approved. This is necessary to complete a concrete bridge deck overlay project. The road will likely be closed for five weeks, effective July 18.
Under Department Head Updates, Ridenour discussed the Federal-Aid Highway Program (FAST) Act - Fixing America's Surface Transportation, and increased funding levels. Ridenour also discussed possible dates for a factory training tour of the John Deere facility in Dubuque, and August 16 was agreed upon for the tour with the Supervisors present.
Sheriff Mellick advised that Allamakee County Attorney Jill Kistler is following through on an easement for No Chemical Application at the Public Safety Center well site. He said the easement involves a 200-foot radius around the well, which only affects a small section outside the Public Safety Center property. The Iowa Department of Natural Resources (DNR) will be contacted and the Supervisors were not required to vote on this measure.
Coordinator of Disability Services Kim Waters provided an update for County Social Services (CSS), advising that the surveying agency from the State of Iowa provided a good report with zero deficiencies for CSS. Waters provided information on working with MCOs (Managed Care Organizations). She also said that CSS is doing well in keeping down administration costs and is working with Lifelong Links, which is Iowa's network of aging and disability resources.
