By Jim Magdefrau

VINTON – The Benton County Board of Supervisors dealt with littering, as well as bids for new trucks for secondary roads at their Tuesday, Aug. 29, 2023, meeting at the Benton County Service Center in Vinton.

The board waived taxes on parcels 87039050, 24052650 and 24092925.

Approved a Class C Retail Alcohol License for Blairstown Sauerkraut Days Beer Tent.

Supervisor Tracy Seeman gave an update on the communication towers. Fencing at all of the sites won’t start until Sept. 4.

Engineer

The county engineer, Myron Parizek, had the board accept and award vehicle bids on a half-ton 4-wheel drive pickup truck, as well as a 1-ton cab/chassis pickup truck. The bid from Thys Automotive, Belle Plaine, was accepted for the half-ton truck. The winning bid for the 1-ton vehicle was from Ervin Motors, Vinton.

In other discussion, Seeman checked with Parizek about the purchase of rebar (reinforcing bars).

Parizek also reported that he heard that starting Sept. 5, 13^th Ave. (old Highway 131) intersection with Highway 30 will be closed. This had been used as a detour for work on Highways 21 and 30. The interchange with Highway 21 and Highway 30 is due to open soon. There are little things that need to get finished up right now, he told the board, such as signage and road markings.

Littering

A citizen was at the meeting to talk about people dumping in ditches, specifically dumping brush in the right-of-way of a road south of Urbana. He wanted to know if this was legal. Parizek said the county has an ordinance on dumping. Auditor Hayley Rippel found the ordinance on littering.

Ordinance 21 reads, “Littering Prohibited. 1. It shall be unlawful for any person to scatter, place, or burn any refuse, or hazardous and/or industrial wastes upon or along any public right-of-ways, stream, body of water, or upon any other public place within Benton County unless permitted by Law.”

The citizen said he would check with the sheriff’s office on this.

MEETING AUDIO