By JACKIE TAYLOR | July 6, 2022

The commissioners approved bills Tuesday morning, as Monday was Independence Day, in the amount of $889,846.20. The amount included KwiKom’s grant to install fiber optic on the west side of the county.

KwiKom approved the county’s request to hold back 10 percent of the grant of $580,000.

The commissioners also approved the Sheriff’s monthly fee income report of $2,575. 

The sheriff reported 22 total prisoners with 20 in-house and two farmed out.

The commissioners approved Resolution 2022-24 that retired Josh Haynes’ Rural Fire Department call out number of 9302.

They also approved Res. 2022-25 approving stop signs on Iliff on the north and south sides of 2000 Road. Also approved was a stop sign at a T-intersection on Inman Road.

AMR Operations Supervisor Louis Aloi reported 32 calls in the last four days - mainly due to the heat.

Fire Chief/EM Randy Hegwald reported 23 incidents over the last two weeks with 279 year-to-date.

The commissioners signed the contract with Getter Farms redoing a road at Radcliff and Ragains Roads raising the road bed, adding rip rap to the sides and paving the surface. 

The road construction will be done by the end of the year.

The commissioners learned that the railroad is aware of the project, but according to County Counselor Gary Thompson, “Nothing the county is doing should impact the railroad.”

He estimated the cost of the project to be $132,000 and “was the best deal short of closing the road.”

Thompson told the commissioners that the Fire Marshal inspected the Justice Center Tuesday and he said if there were no problems, the county could get an occupancy permit quickly.

Health Nurse Missy Lancaster reported her budget was complete coming in at $540,000, rather than the $700,000 she had initially reported. County Clerk David Lamb said the $540,000 was up by $125,105 over last year’s budget, but that amount was due to grants the Health Department was receiving.

Centerville resident Brenda Conner spoke to the commissioners during public comment concerning the streets in Centerville needing mowed, trees encroaching over roads, uninhabited lots that are infested by animals – namely fox, and other road issues on the west side.

She said numerous residents have had several chickens killed by fox that live in piles of trees that she said the county cut last year; she talked to Wildlife Area officers who told her residents could kill a fox if the animal had one of their chickens in its mouth.

Conner asked for help moving the limb pile off of the lot as well as showed the commissioners pictures of several properties that needed to be dealt with due to unsightly messes.

She said two bridges on 1700 Road are rough, enough so going over them sets off bus alarms; asphalt laid after the bridge was put in raised the roadbed creating the drop down and the bump.

Planning and Zoning Director Darin Wilson received permission to go out for request-for-information bids to help the county with zoning plan issues.

After discussion, the commissioners approved the request as they and the Planning Commission can gather information on which way the county wants to go with zoning. The commissioners were concerned with too much zoning, but P&Z Commission members said they needed help with zoning where wind and solar power was concerned, and more.

P&Z Chair Rich Morrell said there are large gaps in the current zoning plan Linn County has in place and they need help from an outside agency to pull things together.

Executive session for legal and personnel reasons was held.