The Guthrie County Board of Supervisors met in regular session Tuesday.

The Board approved a 5% raise for all county employees for the 2019 fiscal year, as recommended by the County Compensation Board. The Supervisors also approved a 3% increase in the employees’ portion of their health insurance premiums. This would raise single plans from 15-18% and family plans from 20-23%. These changes will go into effect on July 1st.

Transfer Station Executive Director Jotham Arber then presented a monthly report on tonnage and revenue. Additionally, he discussed more efficient garbage procedures and the possibility of extending health insurance to part-time employees. Employees would have to pay the full cost of the premiums and the change wouldn’t affect the county budget. There was no formal action taken on this topic.

Finally, representatives from the Regional Airport Authority Board (RAAB) presented their budget requests. The Board is mainly concerned with the deteriorating runway, which received a grade below 50% from the Iowa Department of Transportation. The runway is 30-years-old and was constructed on bad aggregate. McClure Engineering, the firm hired to analyze the level of deterioration, is estimating a cost of $3 million to re-do the runway. The Board believes it wouldn’t be completed until the end of the summer at the earliest. The Supervisors approved a continuation of $20,000 per year to the RAAB.

The meeting concluded with a budget workshop.