Board of Supervisors takes further action in regard to gender balance requirements

by Bob Beach

During its regular meeting Monday, December 10, the Allamakee County Board of Supervisors accepted Doug Mullen’s resignation from the Allamakee County Planning and Zoning Commission. In his letter of resignation dated November 30, Mullen wrote, “After meeting with county attorney Jill Kistler, I am convinced that the Iowa code 69.16A Gender Balance law makes it impossible for me to be appointed to the Allamakee County Planning and Zoning Commission after the upcoming 90 day public notice period. I am further convinced that since the full force of the law went into effect on January 1, 2012, both of my appointments after that date were illegal. If necessary for legal purposes, you can consider this my resignation from the Commission as of this date.”
Kistler suggested at a previous meeting that posting of a notice of an opening on the Commission on the County’s website and on bulletin boards within the courthouse would be adequate to satisfy legal requirements, but Supervisor Lennie Burke said that he believes an official legal notice should be published in the newspaper. Supervisor Sherry Strub and Chairman Larry Schellhammer agreed and the Board directed Zoning Administrator Tom Blake to arrange for such a publication.
Blake noted that two female applicants to fill the vacancy are currently on file and that he would like to see the position filled as soon as possible. Chairman Schellhammer said that he does not believe that a full 90-day notice period will be necessary as long as female applicants are available to fill the position.

In other business, the Board agreed on a reorganization of office space at the courthouse. Upper Explorerland and Workforce Development will move to share office space with the Department of Human Services (DHS) in the courthouse and Veterans Affairs will fill the space vacated by that move. Substance Abuse Prevention will move from its current courthouse office to share office space with the Relief Office across the street, and the E-911 Coordinator will move from the Sheriff’s office into the space vacated by that move, sharing space with Emergency Management.
Additionally, a wall will be built in the break room at the courthouse to create storage space for election equipment. Head Custodian Mike Gallagher said that the moves would begin with Upper Explorerland to DHS and proceed “one step at a time.”