The Guthrie County Board of Supervisors met in regular session Tuesday.
The Board heard from Chris Whitaker with the Planning and Zoning Commission on the Smith Acres Minor Subdivision. Whitaker informed the Board that the Commission had voted 3-1 in favor of not recommending the plan, but that there hadn’t been any one strong reason why the plans were voted down. The Board took some time to discuss the topic, as they didn’t want to go against the Commission’s recommendation, but also were interested in allowing growth in the county, as the four lots were located in a prime position for development, and growth of this size hadn’t been brought to the Board for a number of years.
A decision was tabled until a later date in a 4-1 vote, as multiple Supervisors wanted to speak with the Commission to see why the plans for the subdivision were voted down. Board Chair Supervisor Brian Johnson was the lone vote for making a decision at that time, as he believed that even though the Commission had made the recommendation, the Board had purview to make the ultimate decision. Whitaker also discussed the difference in zoning and city/county codes/ordinances.
The Board then heard an update from Guthrie County Sheriff Marty Arganbright and Deputy/Jail Administrator Jesse Swensen. The Sheriff’s Office recently had been able to take in eight prisoners from Polk County and is set to accept eight more. Arganbright also mentioned that his office is in talks with the Greene and Audubon County Sheriff’s Offices to take in prisoners from them as well, since their jails are close to capacity. Both Arganbright and Swensen mentioned a few small kinks here and there, but that they were easily fixed, and things were going smoothly.
Guthrie County Engineer Josh Sebern then updated the Board on some grant applications and construction progress. The Secondary Roads Department is applying for a Transportation Safety Improvement Program grant, as there is a curve on Wagon Road approximately three miles south of Panora that has seen 13 reported accidents in the last decade, and has had the cable barricade repaired three to four times in the last two to three years. Sebern mentioned that he’d like to get some lighted chevrons to help improve awareness for drivers, and that they would be applying for $41,000. The Board approved the application, and a resolution for installation should the grant be awarded.
Sebern also updated the Board on the progress of the grant application for repairs on White Pole Road, saying that it has been progressing nicely, and that in next week’s meeting, he would be bringing a 28E agreement between Guthrie County and the other five counties applying for the grant jointly. He also noted that letters of support for the project had been received from Iowa Senator Jesse Green and Representative Carter Nordman, as well as the Stuart Chamber of Commerce, City of Stuart, West Central Valley School District and many businesses along the road, and mentioned that there should be letters of support coming from the City of Menlo and some other entities as well.
In his construction update, Sebern advised the Board that a large bridge over the Middle Raccoon River is in need of repairs. He explained that the cost was so high, because there would need to be surveys by the Department of Natural Resources, along with historical, environmental and archaeological surveys to make sure the ecosystem was protected.
The Board also approved a Mission Statement and Value Statements for the County, as there hadn’t been any before.