By Jim Magdefrau
VINTON – Work on next fiscal year’s budget took place at the Tuesday, Jan. 21, 2025, meeting of the Benton County Board of Supervisors. They met at the service center in Vinton.
Budget work included talks with the Riverview Center, Volunteer Center, Benton County Library Association and the Historical Preservation Board.
Also on the agenda were the paving project on 32nd Ave., from Highway 30 to Pete’s Hill Association, and budget amendment needs for the sheriff’s office.
Karen Kurt, executive director of the East Central Iowa Council of Governments introduced herself to the board. She said her group does a lot of planning on transit, transportation, comprehensive planning for cities, economic development, and watershed planning. They leverage state and federal resources for the region. They provide technical services. They promote regional collaboration. When there is a disaster such as the derecho, they will “kick into high gear” and work on recovery.
ECICOG works through a 28E agreement between, Benton, Linn, Johnson, Jones, Washington and Iowa Counties.
She also presented the annual report for projects in the region.
Mary Beth Stevenson and Alyssa Comer, of the watershed management authority for the middle Cedar River, gave an update. The authority has been in effect for 10 years and was in response to the 2008 floods.
In the group are Franklin, Hardin, Butler, Grundy, Marshall, Tama, Black Hawk, Buchanan, Benton and Linn Counties, the towns of Vinton, Traer and Grundy Center, and the cities of Cedar Rapids, Waterloo and Cedar Falls.
They work for common solutions for cities, counties and soil and water conservation districts. They have done a lot of work in Benton County. Twenty-six entities have signed on to the watershed group. They are working to get a new watershed coordinator. They are requesting $5,000 from Benton County.
Riverview Center
Melody Kosobucki of the Riverview Center met with the supervisors about their 2026 budget. They provide immediate and long-term crisis support to people impacted by sexual abuse. They also provide counseling. They work to get people on a path to healing and to move forward with their lives. They provide clothing to hospitals. They also collaborate with the sheriff’s office on education so people know how to be safe on the Internet.
Volunteer Center
Karey Chase, vice president of community impact for the East-Central United Way talked with the board about the volunteer center in Benton County. She explained the transportation program, projects of coats, pillows, Tree of Sharing and Thanksgiving food packages. They have two part-time staff now. They have office space in Belle Plaine. Their advisory council would like to see them look into serving smaller communities. Next year they’d like to provide tax preparation help.
Paving project
Rik Haendler and Haley McNulty met with the board on the seal coating of 32nd Ave., from Highway 30 to Petes’ Hill Association, plus road work for the Southern View area. Financing for this was discussed. Haendler said they’d like to partner with Benton County on getting this done and presented a petition. Engineer Myron Parizek talked about the time process for this. They also talked about which fiscal year this will take place. Parizek said a contractor would have to be hired. They talked with the board about the needed paperwork.
Library board
Kelly Henkle of the Benton County Library Association met with the board on their budget request. She is Vinton Library Director. They provide library services to member libraries in Belle Plaine, Keystone, Blairstown, Norway, Atkins, Newhall, Shellsburg, Vinton, Van Horne and Garrison. They also provide library services to Luzerne and rural residents. They are asking for the same amount as the current year.
She talked about subscriptions, circulation and programming provided at each library.
Budget amendment
Sheriff Dave Upah presented needs for an amendment of the current fiscal year budget. He said it appears the department will be short on wages. He said they need to hire four people and there’s not any money to pay them. It was stressed this is not for hiring additional staff, but to fill where they are short on staff. They will probably need three new vehicles with full gear for the new hires to drive. Rippel felt the new vehicles can be paid by (LOSST) Local Option Sales and Services funds.
For the vehicles, equipment and staff, it was estimated they would need $1 million.
There was also talk about the in-car camera system.
The amendment hearing is Feb. 4.
They will ask for sealed bids for three new vehicles in replace high-mileage vehicles. The new vehicles they currently have will be used by the new hires.
This led to discussion of the need to increase the contract rates for communities in Benton County. Letters will be sent to cities. New rates would take effect on July 1. The current hourly rate is $32.50.
Historical preservation
Robert Spangler and Phil Borleske of the Benton County Historical Preservation Commission said most of their money goes to training and projects. They said they need office space to do these things. Supervisor Ron Tippett said they’d know more about available office space by July 1. They also discussed the courthouse clock project.
Other business
There was a question on who pays for the service agreement for maintenance on the communication towers. Auditor Hayley Rippel asked if this will be paid by emergency management or the county.
Tippett said he’d like to send a letter from the board to department heads. He’d like to see the overall county budget decrease a little. He’d like to give the departments a bottom line. “We have to maintain what we have,” Tippett observed.
The compensation board will meet Tuesday, Jan. 28.
Jim Magdefrau 