The Cherokee County Board of Supervisors met in regular session on Friday, January 2, 2026 with Bryan Petersen, Dave Skou, Ray Mullins II and Cheryl Ellis (via telephone) present. Shane Bellefy was unable to be in attendance. There were no representatives from the press. Laura Jones was also in attendance. Unless otherwise indicated, all votes were offered as follows: Ayes – Mullins, Ellis, Skou, Petersen; Nayes – none; Abstentions – none.
Kris Glienke, Board Clerk, called the 2026 Organizational Meeting of the Cherokee County Board of Supervisors to order at 9:00 a.m. and led the Pledge of Allegiance.
Glienke called for nominations and a motion to elect the Board Chairman for 2026.
Motion by Skou, seconded by Ellis to elect Petersen as Chairman for 2026. Motion carried.
Petersen presided over the remainder of the meeting in the Chairman position.
Motion by Skou, seconded by Mullins to approve the agenda. Motion carried.
Motion by Mullins, seconded by Skou to approve the minutes of the previous meeting. Motion carried.
Chairman Petersen called for nominations and a motion to elect the 2026 Vice Chairman.
Motion by Skou, seconded by Mullins to elect Ellis as 2026 Vice Chair. Motion carried.
Motion by Ellis, seconded by Skou to appoint Kris Glienke, County Auditor, as Clerk to the Board of Supervisors for the 2026 year. Motion carried.
Motion by Mullins, seconded by Skou to set the regular meeting time of the Cherokee County Board of Supervisors for 9:00 a.m. on Tuesdays in the Boardroom of the Cherokee County Courthouse and to set an agenda deadline for 12:00 noon the Friday before the meeting. Motion carried.
Motion by Mullins, seconded by Skou to designate the Cherokee Chronicle Times and Marcus News as the official newspapers for 2026. Motion carried.
Motion by Ellis, seconded by Skou to set the employee mileage rate at 50 cents per mile for the 2026 calendar year. Motion carried.
Motion by Mullins, seconded by Skou to approve the 32 member Eminent Domain Commission for 2026. Motion carried.
Motion by Skou, seconded by Mullins to approve Resolution #2026-01 “DNR Master Matrix for 2026”. Roll call vote: Mullins-aye, Ellis-aye, Skou-aye, Petersen-aye. Motion carried and resolution adopted.
The supervisors updated their committee assignments as follows:
County Fairs –Petersen, Skou/alternate
Solid Waste Commission – Mullins, Skou/alternate
Cherokee Area Economic Development – Petersen, Mullins/alternate
USDA Rural Revolving Loan Committee – Petersen, Mullins/alternate
EMA Commission – Skou, Bellefy/alternate
EMS Committee – Skou, Bellefy/alternate
Local Emergency Planning Commission – Skou, Bellefy/alternate, Don Fiser/ad hoc representative
E911 – Skou, Bellefy/alternate
Ambulance CRMC – Skou, Bellefy
Board of Health – Skou, Mullins
SIMPCO – Bellefy, Mullins/alternate
Siouxland Regional Transit Services – Bellefy, Mullins/alternate
RPA – Bellefy, Mullins/alternate
Western Iowa Housing – Bellefy, Mullins/alternate
Third Judicial Representative – Bellefy, Mullins/alternate
Cherokee County Residential Services, Inc. – Ellis, Petersen/alternate
Plains Area Mental Health – Ellis, Petersen/alternate
MHI Citizens Advisory Board – All Supervisors
Mid Sioux Opportunities – Ellis, Petersen/alternate
Northwest Early Child Iowa Board (NECI) – Ellis, Petersen/alternate
Youth Emergency Services Center Board – Petersen, Ellis/alternate
REAP – Skou, Mullins
Courthouse Committee – Skou, Bellefy
Court Facility Security Committee – Skou, Bellefy
Safety Committee – Ellis, Mullins
IT Committee – Skou, Ellis
County Employee Personnel Committee – Ellis, Petersen
County Shop – All Supervisors
Motion by Mullins, seconded by Skou to approve the 2026 Board Committee Assignments as listed. Motion carried.
Motion by Ellis, seconded by Skou to reappoint Dr. Timothy Rice as Medical Examiner for a two (2) year term ending December 31, 2027. Motion carried.
Motion by Mullins, seconded by Ellis to reappoint Dr. Bailey Gray as Board of Health member for a three (3) year term ending December 31, 2028. Motion carried.
Motion by Skou, seconded by Mullins to reappoint Chad Brown to the Cherokee County Conservation Board for a five (5) year term ending December 31, 2030. Motion carried.
Motion by Ellis, seconded by Mullins to reappoint Matt Todd as Cherokee County Weed Commissioner for a one (1) year term ending December 31, 2026. Motion carried.
Motion by Mullins, seconded by Skou to reappoint Rick Angell to the Cherokee Aviation Authority for a four (4) year term ending December 31, 2029. Motion carried.
Motion by Skou, seconded by Mullins to reappoint Peter Cosgrove, Lee Foresman and Mark Lockwood as Board of Adjustment Members for five (5) year terms ending December 31, 2030. Motion carried.
Motion by Ellis, seconded by Mullins to approve Resolution #2026-02 “Designating Duties to Prepare and Adopt the Fiscal Year 2026/2027 Budget” and designate Kris Glienke as Cherokee County Budget Director. Roll call vote: Mullins-aye, Ellis-aye, Skou-aye, Petersen-aye. Motion carried and resolution adopted.
There were no comments from the public.
Motion by Skou, seconded by Mullins to adjourn the meeting at 9:14 a.m. Motion carried.
All board agendas and minutes are available online at cherokeecounty.iowa.gov .
Kris Glienke, County Auditor
Bryan Petersen, Chairman
Published in the Marcus News on January 15, 2026

City of Marcus 2025 Wages

BALLARD, JAIDYN 419.75
BRAUN, JEFF 963.38
BUNT, PATRICK 4,753.29
BUSCH, PEYTON 1,535.64
CAREY, DALLAS 37,596.59
CARVER, NOLAN 1,462.14
CRONIN, TANNER 52,529.76
DAUM, MARJO 5,046.16
DRECKMAN, DOUGLAS
60,720.77
DRECKMAN, MATTHEW
49,790.81
DRECKMAN, DARCY 1,375.20
EBERT, CONRAD 480.00
EDWARDS, GARY 390.00
FLIKEID, BRIAN 53,183.60
GRAVENISH, BROOKE.1,365.64
GROVES, RILEY 202.50
HARVEY, ROBIN 59,096.44
HILL, RAEGAN 1,402.75
JENNESS, ROBIN 450.00
KOTZ, STEFFANI K 1,473.75
KRIER, RAYMOND 1,223.26
LUX, BRIELLE 1,375.00
LUX, ALEAH 1,430.00
MILLER, AYDEN 1,656.38
OLSON, ISABELLE 7,250.00
OLSON, ALYVIA E 957.00
PETERS, ELLEN 1,900.74
PURVIS, MADISON M 1,331.00
RUSKAMP, ADELYNN 2,134.14
SCHMILLEN, CODY 1,202.26
SCHMILLEN, STEVEN 330.00
STAAB, HAILEY 2,196.29
STEPHENS, JACQUELINE
10,991.50
TRUDELL, KATHLEEN.3,631.71
WETTER, ASHLEY 1,480.52
WETTER, CAITLIN 1,746.25
WHITED, AUSTIN 390.00
Published in the Marcus News on January 15, 2026