By JIM MAGDEFRAU
Vinton – The Benton County Board of Supervisors approved a resolution for bids for its animal shelter property at their meeting on Tuesday, Dec. 9, 2025, at the service center in Vinton.
Derek Marsh, Assistant County Attorney, met with the board about a resolution to accept sealed bids for the real estate sale of county property (animal shelter). The bid minimum is $10,000. Bids will be opened on Feb. 10, 2026. The deadline for bids is Feb. 6. The board reserves the right to reject any or all bids. The bid package will be posted by January. The resolution was approved.
In other business, Supervisor Ron Tippett presented the Iowa State Association of Counties amicus curiae brief request. He said it deals with eminent domain and other issues that will come up, such as solar and batteries, which some of the utilities are working on. They also talked about data mining. These are things that take a lot of power. This can affect county zoning ordinances, according to Marsh. It deals with supreme court action in Shelby and Story Counties, regarding pipelines. They are seeking $500 from each county. So far, 44 counties have joined this. The supervisors felt this was something they can look at a later time. They felt there is no need for it.
Alyssa Comer and Mary Beth Stevenson, ECICOG (East Central Iowa Council of Governments), met with the board about the FY 27 Middle Cedar WMA (Watershed Management Authority) budget request. Paula Trujillo also met with the board regarding current projects, focusing on small scale growers and gardeners in the urban area.
Riverview Center met about the FY 27 budget request. The focus on helping survivors of sexual violence. They run education and preventative and awareness programs. They work with a lot of local non-profits to provide resources to survivors. They have an active Sexual Abuse Response team in Benton County.
The board approved out-of-state training for Monica Cox, Public Health Nurse to attend NACCHO (National Association of County Health Officials) Preparedness Summit in Baltimore, MD.
The board closed the meeting talking about the FY 27 budget. Auditor Hayley Rippel advised that guidance needs to be given to department heads. Supervisor Chairman Tracy Seeman said he is leaning on zero raises, as recommended by the Benton County Compensation Board. Supervisor Bruce Volz said he was on board with that. Seeman said he wants a letter drafted by the assistant county attorney to the two unions, asking them to not honor their contract this year with pay raises. He said, “We bent over backwards here a few years ago and gave them a 10 percent — a 7 percent raise — that was not in their contract.”
Tippett said the county has big expenses coming, including insurance and the county’s radio system. The county employees need to know up front how much they are going to have.
Volz observed, “There’s so many things that we can’t control that’s going to go up. And so for the things that we can, we have to look at really tight.”
Seeman said the budget will need to stay the same until the county knows how much money is coming in.
The board also talked about the condition of the exterior walls at the sheriff’s office and leaks into the basement of the courthouse.
Jim Magdefrau 