The Greene County Board of Supervisors met Monday in regular session.
Most of the meeting was a discussion for the Supervisors to either appoint or hold a special election for county auditor. At last week’s meeting, the Supervisors announced the impending retirement of the current County Auditor Jane Heun on July 14th. The Supervisors are leaning toward appointing the current Deputy Auditor Billie Jo Hoskins to fill the vacancy as County Auditor after Heun’s retirement for the rest of her term through the end of 2024. A resolution for the Board’s intent on Hoskins’ appointment is expected to be on next week’s meeting agenda.
It was also mentioned during the discussion that once the resolution for the intent to appoint is published, citizens have 14 days to petition to call for a special election. Otherwise, following the official appointment, citizens have another 14 days to call for a special election. Either time, the petition must include signatures of at least ten percent from last year’s gubernatorial election (or 354 signatures). Heun noted a special election would cost about $5,000 to be held.
In other business, the Board approved an agreement with Access Systems for $4,600 for a new copier for the county attorney’s office and they heard the final update from Jefferson City Administrator Mike Palmer. He said the West Lincoln Way asphalt overlay project remains on schedule to be done before July 25th as part of the route for the Register’s Annual Great Bike Ride Across Iowa (RAGBRAI) as it goes through Jefferson. He also mentioned that the front entryway to City Hall is almost complete, and they are just waiting to get the new handrails installed. Finally, Palmer is retiring on July 7th and the new administrator, Scott Peterson, will officially start this Thursday.
During reports, Greene County Zoning Administrator Chuck Wenthold said NationalGrid Renewables is waiting for their conditional permit application to be reviewed before it is submitted to the Board of Adjustment and then a public hearing will be scheduled. The 100-megawatt solar panel project was denied by the Board of Adjustment earlier this year due to not having all requirements fulfilled in the emergency response plan.