Todays News

Supervisors OK using capital improvement funds for sheriff’s office/jail roof repairs

As many of the county elected officials and employees had been up late the night before waiting on and/or tabulating results from Tuesday's midterms, Wednesday morning's Board of Supervisors meeting was a quick one, clocking in at around 25 minutes before a closed session at the tail end.

Most of the agenda items were relatively routine with minimal discussion, but Buildings and Grounds Director Lucas Baedke did present to the council on a proposal to repair the roof at the sheriff's office/jail property after a recent inspection by the insurance company.

"The roof is in OK shape. We need some, basically, maintenance done to it. Everything we've pretty much done to it now has kind of been reactionary, and I'd like to get in front of it and be proactive on some stuff," he said.

The quote in front of the board was for $58,600 including tax, and Baedke noted that the cost would be reduced by about $4,000 once the tax is removed. It would be possible to keep it within the buildings and grounds budget, but it could get tight if something else comes up -- hence the suggestion to utilize the capital improvement fund. He projected that it would increase the life expectancy of the roof by about five years, while a full replacement would likely cost north of $300,000.

"The last month or so, with a lot of rain, we need some work done," Baedke said.

Other potential capital improvement projects around the courthouse, he added, are less urgent and can wait longer. Sheriff Joel Phillips told the board there are spots where rain often leaks through the roof.

"As everybody knows, once rain gets inside of a building, it doesn't fix itself. So this is one thing I've been pushing Lucas pretty hard on to get these leaks fixed because they don't go away," Phillips said.

The current balance in the building improvement/capital projects fund is approximately $150,000, and Baedke commented that he wasn't sure if he needed formal approval from the board to proceed with the project as he could likely just submit it as a claim for a future meeting. Nonetheless, the board unanimously granted him the authority to move forward by a 3-0 vote.

In response to a question from Supervisor Christian Goodman, Baedke said the work would start "as soon as possible" with hopes of completion before the end of the year.

During the public forum portion of the meeting, Baedke shared news of an upcoming open house at the courthouse on Nov. 19 to mark the 140-year anniversary of the courthouse's dedication from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Goodman reminded the audience of Operation Green Light for Veterans from Nov. 4-11, and Auditor/Recorder Nan Benson thanked everyone who helped the midterm election run smoothly on Tuesday from county officials to temporary poll workers.

In other business, the board:

Honored Conservation Director Emily Herring for 10 years of service.

Approved the consent agenda as listed.

Approved the second reading of a proposed ordinance repealing Ordinance No. 25 for the Marshalltown Gateway Centre Urban Renewal Area.

Adopted a resolution designating Marshall County as a hybrid entity under HIPAA and designating the Marshall County HIPAA Privacy Officer.

Held a public hearing on the vacation of a portion of Davidson Avenue with no written or verbal comments.

Approved zoning ordinance No. 2026-VAR-6038 for a small piece of property near Bethel Grove Church outside of Liscomb.

Contact Robert Maharry at (641) 753-6611 ext. 255 or rmaharry@timesrepublican.com.