Supervisors advised of reduced radon levels at courthouse, approve recount for Iowa Senate race

Due to the Veterans Day holiday being observed last Monday, November 12, the Allamakee County Board of Supervisors met Tuesday, November 13, resuming its regular Monday meeting time Monday, November 19.

NOVEMBER 13 MEETING
The Board met Tuesday, November 13 with Bob Hibbing of Inspector House Calls, LLC, who recently completed a project at the courthouse to reduce levels of radon gas in the building. Hibbing said that the project had been successful, reducing radon levels from as high as above 50 to levels below 2 in office areas on the first floor (a level of 4 is considered safe under federal guidelines). With the installation of a 60-watt fan connected to a vacuum system in the subfloor, Hibbing said the reduction should remain permanent but that testing should be conducted every couple of years.
Allamakee County Engineer Brian Ridenour said that he had conducted radon tests at the Secondary Roads building in Waukon and found levels as high as 20 in the basement there, but employees rarely work in that area. Hibbing said that radon is a proven lung cancer carcinogen and suggested that some kind of mitigation would be appropriate. He agreed to meet with Ridenour at a later date for an inspection of the Secondary Roads offices.
Ridenour also addressed the Board regarding the application for a grant to hire an architect with historic preservation expertise to inspect the courthouse and make recommendations. Ridenour explained that the Board’s consideration earlier this year of an overhaul of the building’s heating and air conditioning system alerted him that some long-term planning should be considered regarding the courthouse.
He said that he had spoken with a grants manager at the State Historical Society of Iowa, who recommended architect Douglas Steinmetz of Cedar Rapids, who has completed over 100 historical preservation assessments for the Technical Advisory Network (TAN). As an advisor, the architect would be able to offer specific advice on grant funding for courthouse improvements.
Chairman Larry Schellhammer said that he would like to seek input from courthouse employees as well as the public regarding courthouse improvements and that hiring an advisor would be a good first step in the direction of developing a long-range plan for the building. The Board directed Ridenour to move forward with the process of hiring the advisor.
In other business, the Board approved the abatement of property taxes for several mobile homes that had been junked, abandoned or otherwise removed. The Board also accepted and placed on file the Veterans Affairs quarterly report.

NOVEMBER 19 MEETING
The Monday, November 19 regular meeting of the Allamakee County Board of Supervisors began with the Board approving an order for a recount of ballots cast in the November 6 General Election race for District 28 of the Iowa Senate between Democrat John Beard of Decorah and Republican Michael Breitbach of Strawberry Point. The initial combined margin of victory for Breitbach throughout District 28's four counties has been determined to be less than 30 votes, and Beard has submitted an official request for the recount throughout District 28.
The recount process involves each candidate declaring a designee to represent him for the vote recount in each county, with Beard declaring Bonnie Smola as his designee for Allamakee County. As of Monday's meeting, Allamakee County Auditor Pam Benjegerdes had not been notified of Breitbach's designee selection. The two candidate designees must then agree on a third designee and all three will determine how the recount will take place, whether by hand or by voting machine, with the County Auditor or an appointed designee of the Auditor's office becoming involved if a voting machine is to be used. The final recount report has to be issued to the State of Iowa before a December 1 deadline.
The Board also approved an adjustment on the County's delinquent tax list for property owned in the name of Truman Stottler. The Allamakee County Treasurer's Office has deemed the tax uncollectable as the property owner is deceased. Approval was also given to the renewal of a liquor license for Wings Supper Club in Dorchester, with Supervisor Lennie Burke abstaining from that vote.
Allamakee County Relief Office Director Linda Kruse submitted a letter to the Board officially declaring her retirement date from that position as December 21 of this year and asking the Board to appoint Becky Hawes to assume that position effective that same date. The Board had approved the hiring of Hawes as an Assistant Office Manager in the Relief Office in July of this year, with the understanding that Hawes would then take over the position when Kruse retired later in the year. The only thing left to decide prior to the "changing of the guard" on to that December 21 date will be Hawes' compensation for assuming the position, an issue placed on the agenda for the Board's November 26 meeting.
The final agenda item for Monday's session involved the Board members meeting with Mental Health/Developmental Disabilities Central Point of Coordination (CPC) Administrator Jan Heikes to review a draft of provisions for a 28E agreement between Allamakee, Bremer, Buchanan, Clayton and Winneshiek Counties to form a regional entity for mental health services. Each county's Board of Supervisors involved in the regional entity is reviewing the same provisions in another step toward bringing the agreement to reality.
Monday's discussion involved the make-up of governing boards to oversee the agreement and the entity as a whole and general details to be included in the agreement from Allamakee County's perspective. The review process came to an abrupt halt, however, when Supervisor Lennie Burke walked out of the meeting after he and Heikes exchanged words on the more local aspect of mental health crisis situations and her department's involvement with such instances.
With other discussion items in the review process leading to further questions about the 28E agreement and its governing agencies, it was decided that the review will continue at a future meeting of the Board once more information has been gathered.