The Greene County Board of Supervisors met Monday in regular session.

During open forum, County Attorney Thomas Laehn told the Board that due to the supervisory order from the Iowa Supreme Court delaying all jury trials to February 1st because of the pandemic, he is expecting more criminal cases to be backlogged in his office. Currently, Laehn said his office has about 90 pending criminal cases. He also clarified the countywide mask mandate that was approved last week. Laehn said that it can’t be enforced due to the governor’s public health proclamation superseding any requirements the county has in their mandate to be enforced. 

Resident Chris Henning asked the Board if they were going to have video access during their regular meetings to correspond with the audio that they are currently doing through Zoom. She said she and others would have an easier time understanding the meetings and could easily address the Supervisors if there was an issue. Supervisor Chair John Muir preferred that if someone had an issue to address with the Board to do it in person as the circumstances allow during the pandemic. Laehn assured the Board they were not violating open meetings law at this time. The Board decided to continue providing audio through Zoom.

County Engineer Wade Weiss gave an update on the Mahanay Memorial Carillon Tower. He said the seven bells that were damaged from a lightning strike have been repaired. He also mentioned that they are allowing six and seven axle dump trucks on county bridges, with the exception of the E-53 bridge east of Jefferson. 

Following a completion hearing for work done in drainage district 187, the Board approved the recommendation to pay $23,000 in retainage to A1 Excavating from Joice, Iowa, along with $2,233 in estimated crop damage. They scheduled an annexation hearing for about five landowners to be annexed into DD187 for 9am on January 18th. The Board also approved the County Recorder’s report of fees for October of $17,907. 

Finally, the Board held a discussion about a proposed contract with Midland Power Cooperative for a purchase agreement for their facility in Jefferson. The purchase price is $600,000, with another $20,000 in interest payments. The County is proposing to pay that over four years at $150,000 per year, with a closing date of April 15, 2021. Laehn told the Board about some changes he made to the contract. He said Midland would allow them to make changes to the property to make it a law enforcement center and eventually build a new jail facility, along with allowing Midland to retain two easements for access to their storage facility and an electrical line to a generator on the property. The Board agreed with the changes, but no formal action took place.