Supervisors set public hearing for zoning change request, discuss gravel resurfacing of secondary roads

by Joe Moses

The Allamakee County Board of Supervisors met in regular session Monday, March 6 to address a full agenda of items including the Review of Property/Liability and Workers Compensation insurance policies, setting a public hearing date for a zoning district change request and the approval of manure management plan updates. Chairperson Larry Schellhammer was not in attendance and Chairperson Pro-Tem Dennis Koenig called the meeting to order.

The 9:40 a.m. agenda item, the Historic Preservation Commission Report by Marcia Rush, was removed from the agenda and will be rescheduled for a later Board meeting. There were no public comments and no members of the public in attendance.
Tax abatements for Craig Freilinger, Don and Dolores Topel and Mary Ann Bustamante were approved as presented. Manure Management Plan updates for Devin Humpal, West Ridge Ag and Gibbs Dairy were accepted and placed on file.

A public hearing was set for Monday, March 27 at 9:45 a.m. with 15 minutes scheduled for discussion regarding a zoning district change request for George and Belva Ashbacher's property. This involves a zoning change from A1 to R2 for Lots 2, 3, 4, 7 and 10 in Scenic Ridge View II, Scenic Ridge View VI - excluding lots 3, 4 and 5, and Scenic Ridge View VII Subdivisions - excluding Lots 1, 16 and 29, and a change request from A1 to C1 for Lots 3, 4 and 5, Scenic Ridge View VI.

Jane Regan with Upper Iowa Insurance Services provided a Review of Property/Liability and Workers Compensation policies. Regan explained that a dividend is attached to the Workers Compensation policy with Argent, a division of West Bend Insurance. She also said that the Public Safety Center is currently covered by a builder's risk policy and upon completion of that construction project will be moved to the regular statement of values with the County's other coverage. Regan presented a statement of values, not including the Public Safety Center, for Board signatures.

Supervisor Dan Byrnes discussed options related to cyber liability with Regan advising that this coverage would include electronic and paper records and the cost of rebuilding data. Earthquake insurance was briefly discussed, with the Board opting to wait until Schellhammer returns for further discussion on the matter. No action was taken at this time.

Allamakee County Engineer Brian Ridenour provided his recommendation of 10 a.m. March 20 as the letting date for accepting bids for granular resurfacing on secondary roads, which was approved by the Board. Ridenour explained that 118,238 tons of crushed stone will be needed, 1,000 ton more than the previous year, for over 400 miles of secondary roads. Ridenour presented a final map of roads to be resurfaced to the Board and discussed that the letting date would be advertised in the newspaper, proposal maps will be sent to four different contractors and an additional ten contractors will be sent the notice with specifications in an effort to encourage bidding.

Koenig advised that he has received phone calls concerning the gravel applied to secondary roads. Ridenour explained that the weather has affected the gravel on secondary roads with hard rain, flooding and multiple freeze/thaw cycles having a negative impact.

Ridenour commented that the County is using the same rock quality, which is tested, as ten years ago and likely using and purchasing more now than during that earlier time period.

Under Department Head updates, Allamakee County Sheriff Clark Mellick discussed that work is progressing well at the Public Safety Center and that all but one of the office areas are now painted. Mellick discussed that the masons finished the other cells in the mezzanine last week and doors are in place at the front of the building and that May 2 the switch-over of the dispatch equipment will begin, which may be a 48-hour process to complete. Mellick said plans are to host an April 29 open house with a tour of the current jail and then the Public Safety Center.

Allamakee County Emergency Management Coordinator Corey Snitker provided a brief overview of the Northeast Iowa Response Group Hazardous Materials meeting in Waterloo that he recently attended. Snitker advised that Thursday he will be attending the RAGBRAI meeting in Des Moines and that strong winds and potentially severe weather have been forecasted through Wednesday.

Ridenour discussed quarry rock and increased costs and advised that he has read through the ATV bill, which Iowa District 56 Representative Kristi Hager has been involved with, and discussed the lengthening of ATV operating hours to include evenings. E911 Director Chris Fee discussed sign maintenance, which he says, on average, involves the replacement of 20 E911 signs a month.