Supervisors accept $3.3 million loan for new 911 comm tower

By Rick Morain    
Jefferson Herald

The Greene County Board of Supervisors on Jan. 17 accepted a proposal from Northland Securities of Minneapolis, MN, to purchase $3.3 million of general obligation (G.O.) loan notes for the new E911 peace officer communications tower and accompanying equipment.

The par amount of the bonds as of Jan. 12 is $3,020,000, with a true interest cost of 3.06 percent, down from the original 3.45 percent estimate made Dec. 16. The bonds have a 10-year repayment schedule.
Heidi Kuhl of Northland Securities, who was present to discuss the purchase with the board, estimated the debt service levy rate for the 10-year period would be 42 cents per thousand dollars of taxable valuation on property within the county.

The $3.3 million amount is the maximum par amount of the bonds; that amount could possibly drop lower than that estimate.
The resolution empowered Board Chair John Muir and County Auditor to proceed with the loan agreement and required steps on behalf of the county.

PUBLIC HEARING SET FOR BUDGET    

The board set the date of its Monday, Feb. 6, meeting at 9 a.m. on a proposed amendment to the current 2022-23 fiscal year budget, which ends June 30. Numbers for the amendment have not been finalized, but they include changes to both revenues and expenditures.

County treasurer Katlynn Mechaelsen reviewed her department’s proposed budget for the 2023-24 fiscal year. She estimates revenues for that year at $155,000, nearly identical to this year’s revenues. Expenditures for the department are pegged at $306,100, compared to this year’s $285,400, an increase of $20,700, all from wage and benefits increases.
The board took no action on the request pending development of the 2023-24 budget in the next several weeks.

LOCAL DEPARTMENT BUDGET PROPOSALS

Several departments presented their proposed budgets for the 2023-24 fiscal year, which begins July 1 at a meeting last week Jan. 12

• Sheriff Jack Williams presented the sheriff’s and law enforcement center’s (LEC’s) proposed budget for 2023-24. The sheriff’s department budget provides for the purchase of two vehicles with related equipment.
Sheriff’s department salaries are set in different ways. The county compensation board has recommended 13 ½ percent increases for the sheriff, and that percentage would also apply to the chief deputy and the captain. Increases for the department’s other employees, some of whom are in the departmental labor bargaining unit, would range from four to five percent.
The total expenditures from all funds for the sheriff’s department (including general, rural, forfeiture, K9, and local option sales and service tax), are projected at $1,861,000, an increase of close to $63,000, mostly for increased wages and benefits. Williams estimates department revenues of close to $254,000.
The LEC operating budget as proposed by the joint 28E entity board that governs the facility foresees expenditures of $159,000, down $8,500 from this fiscal year’s $167,500 figure. The city of Jefferson reimburses the county for percent of the operating expenditures.

• County Recorder Deb McDonald estimates her proposed budget’s revenues for 2023-24 at $92,500, while expenditures would total close to $173,000, an increase of $12,000 above the current $161,000. The increase is reflected in wages, related benefits, and office equipment.

• The human services budget, given to the board for review, estimates revenues at $9,000 and expenditures at $3,664 in the county’s budget. The main expenditure each year from human services is $1,964 to Carroll County for cost-share expenses.

• Mike Bierl, veterans’ services and general assistance officer, presented budgets for both departments. Bierl said all Iowa counties receive an annual $10,000 grant from the state for veteran outreach and related costs. He estimates the veterans department budget for next fiscal year at $59,200, up about $2,000 from the current year’s figure.

• Bierl estimates next year’s general assistance budget at $21,800, the same as in the current year’s budget.
The board took no action on the department budget requests pending development of the 2023-24 county budget in the next several weeks.

NOTABLE ACTION

• Mechaelsen also noted, at Monday’s regular meeting, that the number of identification cards issued by her office, both driver’s and non-driver’s, have steadily increased over the past three years, from 2,739 in 2020 to 3,026 in 2022. The county receives $7 for each card issued.

• The board approved non-discrimination agreements with both the Iowa Department of Transportation and the U.S. Department of Transportation.

• The county substance abuse prevention semi-annual report for the period from July 1, 2022, through Dec. 31, 2022 was approved by the board.

• Supervisor Dawn Rudolph reported that she learned of a common woodlot property of a few acres owned by the county, and asked whether there were more that the county should investigate and try to return to the tax rolls.

• Chuck Wenthold provided the board with a map drawn by the Iowa Utilities Board that shows the status of easements in the county for the proposed Summit Carbon Solutions pipeline project.

• County Attorney Thomas Laehn said there are 79 criminal cases pending in the county. He added that he hopes to have a draft of a new county courthouse and grounds policy ready for board review next week.

• County Engineer Wade Weiss told the board that the Verdin company, which performs the annual maintenance on the Mahanay Tower bells, proposes that the maintenance contract be changed to a new priority reserve list. When a technician plans to be in the area, a maintenance visit could be scheduled. Weiss will be visiting with Verdin about some other concerns and will then discuss options again with the board.
The supervisors now meet every Monday and Thursday at 8:30 a.m. in the board room on second floor of the courthouse, to accommodate development of the county’s 2023-24 budget.