Cherokee County Board of Supervisors Meeting
The Cherokee County Board of Supervisors met in regular session on Tuesday, April 22, 2025 with Bryan Petersen, Cheryl Ellis, Dave Skou, Ray Mullins II and Shane Bellefy present. Erin Rydgren, Chronicle Times, and Madeline Combs, Storm Lake Times, represented the press. Gary Lundquist, Kelly Puhrmann, Ramona Nitz, Marla Conley, Chuck Stubbe, Elias Toshiro, Thomas Bean, Stu Hogg, Sam Boothby, Laura Jones and Scott Osborn were also in attendance. Unless otherwise indicated, all votes were offered as follows: Ayes – Mullins, Ellis, Bellefy, Skou, Petersen; Nayes – none; Abstentions – none.
Chairman Petersen called the meeting to order at 9:00 a.m. and led the Pledge of Allegiance.
Motion by Skou, seconded by Bellefy to approve the agenda. Motion carried.
Motion by Bellefy, seconded by Skou to approve the minutes of the previous meeting. Motion carried.
Motion by Ellis, seconded by Mullins to approve the claims for payment as presented. Motion carried. A complete listing is available for review in the County Auditor’s office.

Claims Approved April 22, 2025:
AgState
Fuel 1,758.06
Alliant Energy
Serv 103.06
Alpha Wireless Communications
Serv 1,167.50
Arnold Motor Supply
Parts 71.86
Aurelia Lumber Co Inc.
Supp 66.66
Aurelia Municipal Utility
Serv 157.35
Benson Construction
Serv 3,900.00
Big Blue Box
Container 5,750.00
Bomgaars
Supp 442.04
Calhoun Burns Associates, Inc
Serv 17,216.00
Campbell Supply Co
Parts 789.60
Carroll Construction Supply
Parts 90.00
Cellebrite, Inc.
Serv 1,268.53
Central Bank
Supp 537.31
Central Iowa Distributing
Supp 1,665.00
CenturyLink E911
Serv 33.95
Cherokee County Assessor
Serv 1,000.00
Cherokee County Engineer
Fuel 2,074.89
Cherokee State Bank Flex/Merp
Flex/Self Fund 4,799.63
Cherokee Main Street Pharmacy
Medication 7.25
Cherokee Regional Medical Ctr
Health Serv 404.00
Cherokee Regional Medical CTR
Contract 6,912.61
Christensen Brothers
Projects 14,550.00
Cherokee Chronicle Times
Serv 386.54
City of Cherokee
Serv 128.16
City of Marcus
Serv 21.90
CJ Cooper & Associates
Serv 15.00
CML Telephone Coop Assn
Serv 388.60
Cole Papers Inc
Supp 345.98
Corporate Translation Services
Serv 5.76
Cost Advisory Services, Inc
Serv 4,450.00
Dearborn Life Insurance Co
Life Ins 1,204.51
Brian Denery
Per Diem 50.00
Dept of Inspections (D.I.A.L.)
Inspect 175.00
Joseph W Draper
Travel Reimb 136.00
Don Drefke
Per Diem 50.00
Fareway
Groceries 18.97
First National Bank of Omaha
Verizon Bill 91.60
FORCE America Distributing,LLC
Parts 81.94
Frontier Communications
Serv 259.90
Adam Glienke
Per Diem 25.00
GovConnection, Inc
Supp 1,118.61
Iowa Central Comm College
Training 330.00
Iowa County Recorders Assoc
Dues 200.00
Iowa Lakes Electric Coop
Serv 1,568.00
IA Lakes Regional Water
Serv 59.49
Iowa Law Enforcement Academy
Serv 25.00
Iowa Prison Industries
Parts 1,096.50
IPERS
Pmt .67
Iowa State Assoc of Counties
Dues 210.00
J & M Tools
Tools 21.11
JCL Solutions
Supp 118.96
Kade D Jurgensen
Reimb 24.00
Thomas J Kohn
Supp 30.00
Jeff Lundquist
Per Diem 25.00
Mail Services, LLC
Postage 4,996.70
Marco Technologies LLC
Parts 331.59
Martin Marietta Materials
Supp 1,614.60
Mid American Energy
Serv 237.94
Midwest Lubricants,LLC
Supp 670.00
Midwest Wheel Companies
Part 2,159.03
Ashley Miller
Serv 2,400.00
Wane A Miller
Per Diem 50.00
Mindful Key PLLC
Serv 450.00
Motor Parts Sales
Parts 27.72
Maria E Murillo-Tellez
Travel Reimb 160.00
Murphy Tractor & Equipment Co
Parts 2,666.48
Northside Tire
Serv 6,119.73
NW Iowa Yes Center
Shelter 1,050.00
Kent Ohlson
Per Diem 25.00
Michelle K. Pedersen
Per Diem 50.00
Lisa M. Phillips
Reimb 8.85
Plymouth County EMA
Training 4,130.10
Record Management Systems Inc
Serv 106.47
Cody Simonsen
Per Diem 25.00
Smith & West Lawn Enforcement
Serv 194.53
Stratford Gravel, Inc.
Gravel 416,648.92
Truck Center Companies
Parts 668.18
Valley Veterinary Center
Fees 90.00
Veenstra & Kimm Inc
Serv 141.00
Verizon Wireless
Serv 154.77
Vestis
Uniforms 85.10
Visual Edge IT Inc./Counsel
Serv 513.89
Wellmark BCBS of Iowa
Insurance 113,508.56
WesTel Systems
Serv 405.59
Western Iowa Tech Community
Fee 495.00
Ziegler Inc
Supp 202.94
Grand Total 637,815.19
Chairman Petersen asked for comments from the public. Elias Toshiro, TED Renewables, requested an avenue for their company to work directly with the Cherokee County Zoning Commission in drafting a solar ordinance that works for developers while protecting the county and land owner rights. Thomas Bean, Iowa Land and Liberty Coalition, offered to be a third party to assist with the county’s solar ordinance draft and advised that acre limits and setbacks would kill large solar projects in Cherokee County. Chairman Petersen thanked the gentlemen for their comments.
Motion by Ellis, seconded by Skou to open a public hearing for the proposed 2025/2026 fiscal year budget. Roll call vote: Mullins-aye, Ellis-aye, Bellefy-aye, Skou-aye, Petersen-aye. Motion carried. Chairman Petersen asked for comments from the public.
Hearing no comments from the public, a motion was made by Ellis, seconded by Bellefy to close the public hearing. Roll call vote: Mullins-aye, Ellis-aye, Bellefy-aye, Skou-aye, Petersen-aye. Motion carried.
Motion by Ellis, seconded by Mullins to adopt Resolution #2025-09 Adopting a Salary Schedule for 2025/2026 elected officials as listed: Attorney $124,256 ($1,456 increase), Auditor $78,959 ($1,456 increase), Recorder $78,959 ($1,456 increase), Sheriff $102,111 ($1,456 increase), Treasurer $78,959 ($1,456 increase), and Supervisors $32,518 ($832 decrease) with no additional stipend for the Chairman. Roll call vote: Mullins-aye, Ellis-aye, Bellefy-aye, Skou-aye, Petersen-aye. Motion carried and resolution adopted.
Motion by Mullins, seconded by Skou to adopt Resolution #2025-10 to Approve the Fiscal Year 2025/2026 Budget and Certification of Taxes as published. Roll call vote: Mullins-aye, Ellis-aye, Bellefy-aye, Skou-aye, Petersen-aye. Motion carried and resolution adopted.
Ramona Nitz, Cherokee County Soil and Water Conservation District Chair, reported that their department is willing to work with the county on annual verification of properties in the slough bill program if the County Assessor continues to send out applications and provides a list of landowners in the program. Chairman Petersen thanked Nitz for her research on this process and advised that the supervisors will discuss the slough bill program at a future date.
Kelly Puhrmann, County Engineer, presented a five-year construction program and DOT budget for consideration.
Motion by Skou, seconded by Bellefy to approve the FY26 DOT Budget as presented. Motion carried.
Motion by Ellis, seconded by Bellefy to approve the FY26-30 Five Year Construction Program as prepared by County Engineer staff. Motion carried.
Puhrmann reported that spring construction work has begun with bridge and road projects underway.
The zoning ordinance discussion was postponed one week.
Gary Lundquist provided a report on activities at the Cherokee County Sanitary Landfill.
The supervisors provided committee reports and reviewed meeting schedules.
There being no further business, Chairman Petersen called for a motion to adjourn the meeting.
Motion by Ellis, seconded by Skou to adjourn the meeting at 9:46 a.m.
All board agendas and minutes are available online at cherokeecounty.iowa.gov .
Bryan Petersen, Chairman
Kris Glienke, County Auditor
Published in the Marcus News on May 8, 2025