The Cherokee County Board of Supervisors met in regular session on Tuesday, February 3, 2026 with Bryan Petersen, Cheryl Ellis, Dave Skou, Ray Mullins II and Shane Bellefy present. There were no representatives from the press. Tony Puffett, Jen Gaydo, Madi Stief, Helen Parks, Kelly Puhrmann, Justin Pritts, Kenny Schlenger, Clay Leavitt, Mike Scholten and Maria Schueder 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 Mullins, seconded by Skou to approve the agenda. Motion carried.
Motion by Ellis, seconded by Bellefy to approve minutes of the previous meeting. Motion carried.
There were no comments from the public.
Jen Gaydo, Madi Stief and Helen Parks, ISU Extension, reviewed financials and participation numbers for youth programs offered in Cherokee County. The supervisors voiced appreciation for the variety of programs offered to local youth through 4-H and summer programs.
Kelly Puhrmann, County Engineer, presented a right-of way permit for consideration and discussed staffing needs.
Motion by Skou, seconded by Bellefy to approve a right-of-way permit for Beck Engineering to place signs and utilize a detour on L51/C38 for the City of Cherokee West Main Street project. Motion carried.
Motion by Bellefy, seconded by Skou to authorize the County Engineer to advertise and fill a vacant operator position in the Secondary Roads Department. Motion carried.
Puhrmann provided an update on construction and maintenance activities.
Marcus Fire Department Chief Clay Leavitt and First Lieutenant Mike Scholten provided an informative presentation of the 2025 year in review comparison to previous years which included details of the department’s annual fire and ambulance calls; with 157 responses and 2282 on-duty hours for their 30-member unit. They also shared information regarding their Jr firefighter program which includes 5 members. The supervisors thanked the Marcus Fire Department for their commitment to providing vital services to the area residents and applauded them for their professional administration of the volunteer family of firefighters on their department.
Motion by Ellis, seconded by Skou to approve a separation of employment and $4,387.71 final payout of hours worked, vacation, and comp time for Jake Dyslin, Deputy Sheriff, effective January 20, 2026. Motion carried.
The supervisors provided committee reports and reviewed meeting schedules.
Review of the 2026/2027 budget continued.
There being no further business, Chairman Petersen called for a motion to adjourn the meeting.
Motion by Bellefy, seconded by Ellis to adjourn the meeting at 1:03 p.m. Motion carried.
All board agendas and minutes are available online at cherokeecounty.iowa.gov .
Attest: Kris Glienke, County Auditor
Bryan Petersen, Chairman
Published in the Marcus News on February 19, 2026