Muscatine County Board of Supervisors
Monday, February 20, 2012
The Muscatine County Board of Supervisors met in regular session at 9:00 A.M. with
Furlong, Howard, Kelly, Watkins and Sorensen present. Chairperson Kelly presiding.
On a motion by Furlong, second by Watkins, the agenda was approved as written. Ayes:
All.
Sara Sedlacek, candidate for House District 88 introduced herself to the Board.
A Public Hearing was called to order by Chairperson Kelly at 9:04 A.M. for the purpose
of instituting proceedings and taking action to enter into a loan in a principal amount not
to exceed $3,000,000 for the purpose of financing the replacement of the HVAC system
in the original portion of the County Jail and replacing the HVAC system, repairing
structural problems and making improvements to meet requirements of the federal
Americans with Disabilities Act at the County Administration Building. Howard asked
the newspaper to help clarify what is referred to as the old jail, which is still in operation
and connected to the new jail. On a motion by Howard, second by Furlong, the public
hearing was closed at 9:08 A.M. Roll call vote: Ayes: All.
A Public Hearing was called to order by Chairperson Kelly at 9:08 A.M. for the purpose
of instituting proceedings and taking action to enter into a loan in a principal amount not
to exceed $750,000 for the purpose of financing the replacement of the HVAC system in
the County DHS Building. On a motion by Watkins, second by Howard, the public
hearing was closed at 9:09 A.M. Roll call vote: Ayes: All.
On a motion by Sorensen, second by Furlong, the Board approved Resolution #02-20-12-
01 Expressing Intent to Authorize Loan Agreements and the Issuance of General
Obligation County Purpose Notes in an Aggregate Amount not to exceed $3,750,000 and
Providing for the Levy of Taxes to Pay the Same. Roll call vote: Ayes: All.
On a motion by Watkins, second by Howard, the Board approved Resolution #02-20-12-
02 Authorizing Weight Embargoes on Secondary Roads in Muscatine County, Iowa. Roll
call vote: Ayes: All.
On a motion by Furlong, second by Sorensen, the following utility permit was approved:
A 48 strand, fiber optic telephone cable placed along Elder Avenue for approximately 3
miles. Construction will begin at the intersection of 160
th
Street and Elder Avenue and
proceed north to the Verizon cell site at 1286 Elder Avenue. Construction will start in
Pike Township, Sec. 2, Twn. 77N, and cross the road into Wapsinonoc Township, T77N
& 78N, 4W, Sections 23, 26 and 35. Ayes: All.
County Engineer Keith White reported that most of the salt supply had been used this
winter. Furlong stated he appreciated the progress crews have made clearing ditches. In
response to a question from Howard, White stated that county shares of gas tax funds are
Muscatine County Board of Supervisors
Monday, February 20, 2012
Page 2
determined by a complex formula. White stated that he was asked by the Engineer’s
Association to speak with Senator Hahn about the need to support road use tax.
On a motion by Furlong, second by Howard, the Board authorized Maintenance
Supervisor Troy Sievert to hire a temporary custodian to cover hours of a full time
custodian on extended medical leave. Ayes: All.
On a motion by Watkins, second by Sorensen, the Board approved a bid document for the
Muscatine County Courthouse doorway installation project. Ayes: All.
After reviewing cost information from Shive Hattery, Inc. regarding Muscatine County
Administration Building repairs, the Board directed Sievert to set up a meeting with
Shive Hattery, Inc. within the next few weeks to discuss options.
On a motion by Howard, second by Sorensen, the Board approved 10 special event
permits for Ardon Creek Vineyard and Winery, LLC, as requested by Mike Furlong.
(Article III, Section 3.26 of the Zoning Ordinance allows native wineries or cider mills as
a special use, subject to specific requirements, including Board of Supervisors’ approval
of any special event at which (1) wine will be sold for onsite consumption and (2)
attendance of more than 35 persons is anticipated.) Ayes: All.
The Muscatine County Board of Supervisors met as a Board of Canvassers for the West
Liberty Special Election held on Tuesday, February 14, 2012. The Board certified the
following results to be a true and correct abstract of the votes cast in the election:
FOR COUNCILMEMBER UNEXPIRED TERM ENDING DECEMBER 31, 2015 (vote
for no more than one) – 74 votes were cast: Joe Elizondo received 20 votes, Jose Zacarias
received 54 votes, and there was 1 scattered. Jose Zacarias was elected.
On a motion by Howard, second by Furlong, minutes of the Monday, February 13, 2012
regular meeting were approved as written. Ayes: All.
Correspondence:
The Board received 3 letters from the City of Muscatine regarding voluntary
annexations of 2.8 acres near Mulberry Avenue and the Bypass, 47 acres
near the airport and 16.02 acres at Parkview condos and Irish Ivy
subdivision. The meeting will be held February 23
rd
in city council
chambers.
Watkins received a call regarding title transfers in the Treasurer’s Office.
Howard received an email from a man in appreciation of how the Board is
handling fiscal management.
Howard received contacts regarding land valuation assessments, weed control
responsibility for business owners, layoffs in the Treasurer’s office and
how this will affect car dealers, property tax changes and clarification on
HVAC at the jail facility.
Muscatine County Board of Supervisors
Monday, February 20, 2012
Page 3
Committee Reports:
Watkins attended the Region 9 Transportation Policy Board meeting February
15
th
.
Kelly attended the Greater Muscatine Chamber of Commerce and Industry
meeting February 17
th
.
Furlong attended the Muscatine County Fair Board meeting February 16
th
.
Howard attended a Fruitland City Council meeting February 14
th
.
County Recorder Cindy Gray spoke to the Board regarding the time study performed in
the Recorder’s Office, stating that her office takes pride in public service. And she would
like an opportunity to complete the work flow study. Gray stated that none of her
employees can afford to go to a part time position so she would be losing an experienced
employee to save the County 15 hours per week. Gray stated that the studies should have
been completed before the Board made the decision to cut staff, which is causing undue
stress on employees and she would like reassurance that performing the study will not be
for nothing. Gray stated she would like clear direction on what needs to be done and get
started. Sorensen stated that in business the hours from 8-5 are serving the unemployed
and what you need to look at is why the public is coming when they do. Gray stated that
she does not believe this was handled properly and would like clear direction. Gray stated
that she wants to get going on this and is waiting on Sorensen.
On a motion by Watkins, second by Furlong, the Board approved the re-appointment of
Martha Peterson to the Muscatine County Board of Adjustment for a second term ending
March 31, 2017. Ayes: All.
In response to a question from Watkins, Administrative Services Director Nancy
Schreiber stated that she is working with the County Attorney on the severance package
details.
The meeting recessed at 10:15 A.M and reconvened at 10:34 A.M.
On a motion by Watkins, second by Sorensen, the Board went into closed session at
10:34 A.M. pursuant to Chapter 21.5.1(i), Code of Iowa, for a performance evaluation.
Roll call vote: Ayes: All. On a motion by Watkins, second by Furlong, the Board
returned to open session at 12:38 P.M. Roll call vote: Ayes: All.
The meeting adjourned at 12:38 P.M.
ATTEST:
_______________________________
_____________________________
Leslie A. Soule, County Auditor Kas Kelly, Chairperson
Board of Supervisors
Muscatine County Board of Supervisors
Monday, February 27, 2012 – Special Session
The Muscatine County Board of Supervisors met in special session at 10:00 A.M. with
Furlong, Howard, Kelly, Watkins and Sorensen present. Chairperson Kelly presiding.
On a motion by Furlong, second by Sorensen, the agenda was approved as written. Ayes:
All.
Discussion was held with Jeffrey Brown and Jennifer Bennett, representatives from
Shive-Hattery, regarding options for long and short term repairs to the Muscatine County
Administration Building. After a walking tour of the Administration Building, it was
determined that the west wall of the three story portion of the building was the most
deteriorated and unsafe. Bennett stated that they would need further investigation to
determine how far the damage goes. In response to questions from Board members,
Bennett stated that the cost to temporarily shore the walls would not likely be
significantly less than fully repairing the walls. In response to a question from Kelly,
Bennett recommended repairing one wall at a time. Howard stated that he would need a
cost comparison before making a decision to repair or rebuild. Watkins stated that the
safety of employees and the public must be considered. Furlong stated that he would like
the contractor to be an expert in this type of repair. On a motion by Watkins, second by
Furlong, the Board directed Shive-Hattery to proceed with developing a proposal for
destructive testing. Ayes: All.
Brown stated that he would have a proposal for destruction testing on a unit price basis
back to the Board within a week and estimated the destructive testing could be completed
in 4-6 weeks.
Discussion was held regarding possible places to relocate County offices if needed.
County Recorder Cindy Gray stated that all department heads should be included in
discussions regarding relocation.
Charles Lorensen, 1808 Briarwood Lane, stated that people were very upset that the
County bought this building with taxpayer money without inspecting it and now
taxpayers have to spend more money to fix the mistake. Lorensen stated that taxpayers
are responsible for inspecting property before they purchase and this should not have
happened. Lorensen stated that if the County must build another building, he did not want
to see an architectural delight, he wanted a functional building. Lorensen said he is
perturbed that the Board has staggered terms so there is no way to get rid of an entire
board if they make an error. Lorensen stated concern regarding the value of voting. Kelly
responded that voting is very important and so is his opinion.
The meeting was adjourned at 11:04 A.M.
ATTEST:
Muscatine County Board of Supervisors
Monday, February 27, 2012 – Special Meeting
Page 2
______________________________ ______________________________
Leslie A. Soule, County Auditor Kas Kelly, Chairperson
Board of Supervisors
Muscatine County Board of Supervisors
Monday, February 27, 2012
The Muscatine County Board of Supervisors met in regular session at 7:00 P.M. with
Furlong, Howard, Kelly, Watkins and Sorensen present. Chairperson Kelly presiding.
On a motion by Furlong, second by Sorensen, the agenda was approved as written. Ayes:
All.
Former Lead Maintenance Worker Stu Willits stated that he was never in the
Administration Building to assess the condition of the building prior to its purchase or
remodeling.
Discussion was held with representatives of the Muscatine City and County Historic
Preservation Commissions and Muscatine Friends of Historic Preservation regarding
future uses and ownership of the Old Sheriff’s House/Jail on East 4
th
Street. Watkins
stated that the County no longer has a use for the facility and is looking at tearing off the
addition and leaving the house or possibly tearing it all down. Watkins stated he would
prefer finding someone to take over the building. Furlong stated that the County has more
buildings than it needs and no longer has a use for the Old Sheriff’s House/Jail, so he
would recommend taking it down unless one of the preservation commissions has some
ideas for preserving the building and using it. Kelly stated she does not mind taking the
addition off, but she is not in favor of demolishing the entire facility. Kelly stated it is a
perfect place for lawyer offices, Chamber of Commerce or Historical Societies. Watkins
stated he does not have a problem with disposing of the building to an interested group.
Furlong stated that the County does not have funding to restore the building. Mike
Maharry, President of Friends of Historic Preservation, stated that he is happy to hear that
the Board is open to options to preserve the building. Howard asked if Maharry sees any
reason to retain the addition to the building. Maharry stated that the addition could be
removed without damaging the historic character of the building. Furlong stated that
there might have to be quite a few covenants agreed upon if the County were to sell the
property. Maharry stated he would advocate the building going to a non-profit entity.
Maharry stated they could collaborate with Youth Build, located in the Quad Cities who
might be interested in renovating the facility. Budget Coordinator Sherry Seright stated
that the County would need a historic preservation non-profit group to work with the
Board on restoration projects to enable the County to access historic preservation tax
credits. Maharry stated that the removal of the addition could also be funded with tax
credits. Kelly asked if Friends of Historic Preservation would be interested in owning the
property. Maharry stated they would be interested. Kelly stated the County may still need
that space to temporarily house employees if the Administration Building has to be
vacated. Board consensus was for Seright to work with Friends of Historic Preservation
to develop an agreement for preservation of the Old Sheriff’s House/Jail.
Discussion was held regarding an agreement for application of historic preservation tax
credits for the Muscatine County Courthouse project. Budget Coordinator Sherry Seright
will provide Part 1 of the Application to Friends of Historic Preservation for their review.
Muscatine County Board of Supervisors
Monday, February 27, 2012
Page 2
Discussion was held with Maintenance Supervisor Troy Sievert regarding fire monitoring
options for County buildings. Sievert stated that he would propose sending out a Request
for Proposal for a new monitoring contract as the current five year agreement with
Simplex is expiring. Sievert stated that the Administration, Community Services and
DHS buildings are under a contract through General Services while the Jail has their own
contract. The Board directed Sievert to bid the Administration, Community Services and
DHS building contracts and include a termination clause should the County decide not to
keep the Administration building.
Discussion was held regarding moving the Maintenance Supervisor’s Office. Sievert
stated that he would like to move his office to the Historic Jail and share the space with
the Custodians. Sievert stated the only cost would be connecting that building to the
County network. Furlong asked if it would be better to move to the Washington Street
facility. Sievert stated that he would be more centrally located at the Historic Jail for
easier access to Maintenance as well as Custodial. Information Services Director William
Riley stated that it would be more difficult and expensive to connect to the County
network at the Washington Street facility. On a motion by Furlong, second by Sorensen,
the Board approved moving the Maintenance Supervisor’s Office to the Historic Jail.
Ayes: All.
On a motion by Watkins, second by Howard, the Board approved a renewal application
for a Class B Beer, Sunday Sale and Outdoor Service Permit for the City of Muscatine,
dba Muscatine Municipal Golf Course, 1820 Hwy. 38, Muscatine, IA 52761. Ayes: All.
Zoning Administrator Jodee Stepleton reviewed a January 6, 2012 recommendation from
the Muscatine County Zoning Commission to deny a request from Michael and Patricia
Fowler, Record Owners, to add service of ready to eat foods at their business, Steve’s
Meat Shop, located at 3881 Hwy. 61, Blue Grass, IA. Stepleton stated that the Zoning
Commission denied the request because Fowlers’ were asking to become a restaurant
which exceeded what the Board had anticipated to begin with. County Attorney Alan
Ostergren stated that County Ordinance Article XVII, Section 1, states that the Board can
change what the zoning commission decided, affirm it or remand it back to them.
Michael Fowler stated that they wanted to add services to their facility because they want
to be a year-round facility and they are currently restricted to a small number of items
which would not sustain a year-round business. Kelly stated that they were aware of the
restrictions in the beginning. Patricia Fowler stated that they asked for additional services
because that is what customers are requesting. Kelly stated her concern is safely entering
the property from Hwy 61. Patricia Fowler stated that they cannot get a turn lane unless
they have 30 vehicles per hour turning into their facility and they only have
approximately 15 vehicles per hour. Watkins stated he would affirm what the Zoning
Commission decided. Furlong stated he does not like spot zoning and he feels it was
originally allowed because of the seasonality and the restrictions. Kelly stated the
restrictions stated retail products must be associated with wild game processing. Zoning
Administrator Jodee Stepleton stated that the understanding of the Zoning Commission
Muscatine County Board of Supervisors
Monday, February 27, 2012
Page 3
was that the request was for a seasonal processing operation from October – January.
Sorensen feels that the answer should have been no from the beginning. On a motion by
Watkins, second by Furlong, the Board denied the request as recommended by the
Zoning Commission. Ayes: All.
On a motion by Howard, second by Furlong, minutes of the Monday, February 20, 2012
regular meeting were approved as written. Ayes: All.
Correspondence:
All board members received a letter from Blaine Teter’s Auto Sales regarding
Treasurer’s Office staff reductions.
Howard received a call regarding the use of slag on County roads.
Committee Reports:
Kelly attended a DECAT meeting March 21
st
.
Kelly and Sorensen attended a Bi-State Regional meeting March 22
nd
.
Furlong attended a West Liberty Economic Area Development meeting March
23
rd
.
Kelly stated she met on March 23
rd
as part of a focus group regarding funding and
priorities of the Convention and Visitor’s Bureau. Watkins attended a First Responder’s
Meeting for pipelines on March 22
nd
.
Information Services Director William Riley updated the Board on costs to connect the
Engineer and Sheriff Offices to the County network through MP&W or through a
wireless connection. Riley stated he would recommend a wireless connection.
Riley stated he looked at the possibility of placing a calendar on the website and he feels
that a Google solution would meet the County’s needs, but asked for direction from the
Board on whether to move forward. Board consensus was not to proceed at this time.
Discussion was held regarding an evaluation of the County’s employee handbook as
performed by Iowa Negotiation Services, LLC. Administrative Services Director Nancy
Schreiber stated that it might make sense to have the company performing the salary
study update the employee handbook. Watkins would like to see a list of Counties for
which Iowa Negotiation Services, LLC has performed services. Furlong thinks that the
employee handbook needs to be updated. Schreiber stated that she will talk to other
Counties to see what they have done to update their handbooks.
On a motion by Watkins, second by Sorensen, the Board accepted the February 2012
payroll claims. Ayes: All.
The Board recessed at 8:42 P.M. and reconvened at 8:47 P.M.
On a motion by Watkins, second by Furlong, the Board went into closed session at 8:47
P.M. pursuant to Chapter 21.5(c), Code of Iowa, to discuss strategy with counsel in
Muscatine County Board of Supervisors
Monday, February 27, 2012
Page 4
matters that are presently in litigation or where litigation is imminent. Roll call vote:
Ayes: All. On a motion by Watkins, second by Howard, the Board returned to open
session at 9:13 P.M. Roll call vote: Ayes: All.
The meeting was adjourned at 9:13 P.M.
ATTEST:
______________________________ _____________________________
Leslie A. Soule, County Auditor
Kas Kelly, Chairperson
Board of Supervisors