The Cherokee County Board of Supervisors met in regular session on Tuesday, January 18, 2022 with Gary Lundquist, Rick Mongan, Bryan Petersen and Wane Miller present. Duane Mummert was absent. There were no representatives from the press. William Gauthier, Derek Scott, Sarah Tracy, and Justin Pritts were also in attendance. Unless otherwise indicated, all votes were offered as follows: Ayes –Mongan, Petersen, Miller, Lundquist; Nayes – one; Abstentions – none.
Chairman Mongan called the meeting to order at 9:00 a.m.
The Pledge of Allegiance was led by Wane Miller, Veteran Affairs Commissioner.
Motion by Miller, seconded by Petersen to approve the agenda. Motion carried.
Motion by Lundquist, seconded by Petersen to approve the minutes of the previous meeting. Motion carried.
Tom Kohn, Veteran Affairs Director, provided a detailed summary of his activities during the 2021 year.
Todd McInerney and Kevin Welty, C.W. Suter, provided a question and answer session to determine the status of the current courthouse HVAC system and potential solutions to repair or replace the current unit. C.W. Suter and Son, Inc. and Star Control have been under contract to service the courthouse HVAC system and controls since July 2020. No action was taken.
Kirk Letsche, Marcus Fair, provided an annual review of activities, financial report and summary of projects that need to be completed to keep the fairgrounds in good condition. The supervisors thanked the Marcus Fair board members for their dedication and success in providing a top-quality family event.
Motion by Lundquist, seconded by Petersen to approve a separation of employment and $6,203.69 final payout of vacation, comp and hours worked for Harry Brutsman, Jr., Secondary Roads Operator, effective December 31, 2021. Motion carried.
Motion by Petersen, seconded by Miller to approve a separation of employment and $6,012.67 final payout of vacation and hours worked for Larry Walker, Roads Superintendent, effective January 14, 2022. Motion carried.
Motion by Miller, seconded by Lundquist to approve Resolution #2022-03 To Create A Temporary COVID Paid Leave Policy “NOW, THEREFORE, the Board of Supervisors for Cherokee County, Iowa, hereby resolves to create a Temporary COVID Paid Leave Policy as follows: Cherokee County employees who have been employed by the County for less than 1 year, shall be eligible for paid leave related to absences caused by the corona virus. If the employee provides proof of a positive test conducted by a medical professional, the employee may be provided up to 5-days of paid leave. The number of days of paid leave will be determined by the employee’s supervisor and will be dependent upon when the employee is scheduled to work in relation to when the employee tested positive for COVID. A positive test from an at home testing kit will not qualify as proof of a positive COVID test. This leave will not be removed from any accrued leave the employee has in place. This policy will stay in effect until June 30, 2022.” Roll call vote: Lundquist-aye, Petersen-aye, Miller-aye, Mongan-aye. Motion carried and resolution adopted.
The supervisors provided committee reports, reviewed meeting schedules.
Mongan called for comments from the public. Stu Hogg, IT Director, reported on additional offices having electronic door locks installed and asked the supervisors if they would approve a department’s request to allow specific individuals access to lower level courthouse doors for convenience. The supervisors denied the request and advised Hogg to limit access to lower level doors to county employees only. Sarah Tracy, County Engineer, reported the employee buyout was accepted and signed by the retiree. Tracy clarified a previous statement regarding possible solutions for the M21 resurfacing project deficiencies and reported that according to the DOT, the original contractor is required to remedy the problem within a set number of working days.
The supervisors reviewed 2022/2023 budget information and discussed their desire to maintain property taxes at current levels with no increases to taxpayers. Motion by Lundquist, seconded by Petersen to accept the Cherokee County Compensation Board’s recommendation for elected official salaries in 2022/2023. Motion carried with Miller voting nay.
There being no further business, Chairman Mongan called for a motion to adjourn the meeting.
Motion by Lundquist, seconded by Miller to adjourn the meeting at 11:24 a.m.
All board agendas and minutes are available online at www.cherokeecountyiowa.com
Attest: Kris Glienke, County Auditor
Rick Mongan, Chairman
Published in the Marcus News February 3, 2022.