By Jim Magdefrau

VINTON – The Benton County Board of Supervisors signed a letter to the Linn County Public Health and Linn County Board of Supervisors disapproving of the construction of gas plant. The letter was drafted by Assistant County Attorney Derek Marsh, who said the letter deals with air quality in Linn and Benton County. The letter will also be sent to the zoning board in Linn County regarding the Morgan Valley project. Copies will also be sent the Iowa Department of Natural Resources and the Iowa Utilities Board.

A planning and zoning meeting is planned on Monday, Sept. 28 at 6 p.m. at Hotel Kirkwood regarding the Boland Farm.

The letter states:

TO: Linn County Public Health
FROM: Benton County Board of Supervisors
DATE: September 14, 2026

RE: Interstate Power and Light Company’s PSD Air Construction Permit

We the Supervisors of Benton County oppose the waiver submitted to substitute values of ambient air monitoring data from other sources by Interstate Power and Light Company (“IPL”) for the Morgan Valley Energy Center.

We have been advised of IPL’s PSD Air Construction Permit Application for the Morgan Valley Energy Center (“Application”). IPL is requesting a waiver because the “PM10, PM2.5, and CO modeling results indicate that maximum Project modeled impacts are greater than their respective monitoring de minims levels.” See Application, Sec. 6.3. 12 at pg. 6-9. IPL wants you to substitute monitoring data from a Davenport monitor for the CO levels and a monitor 7 miles away for the PM10 and PM2.5 levels. See Application, Sec. 6.3.13.1.1 at pg. 6-1 l & Sec. 6.3.13.3 at pg. 6-13. IPL wants to avoid the required one-year pre-construction air monitoring when these de minims levels are exceeded.

If IPL is already admitting that their de minims levels will be exceeded, then they should undergo the required pre-construction monitoring. This is very concerning that they are making a waiver request.

To grant such a waiver will impact both Linn County and Benton County residents who live near this facility. Our residents need to be the number one priority in making these decisions

We encourage you to deny IPL’s waiver request. A copy of our letter will be sent to the Linn County Board
of Supervisors.

Other business

October 13 at 9:30 a.m. was set as the hearing date for an amendment to the FY 2027 budget. This allows conservation to receive a grant. However, Supervisor Ron Tippett said he is against budget amendments right now in making the motion to set the hearing.

A Class C Temporary Liquor License was approved for Cedar Ridge Vineyard LLC, for five days at Bloomsbury Farm.

Gabe McGowan of secondary roads met with the board to discuss the county’s new safety glasses policy. He wants to revamp the policy. He wants the policy to go back to where it was, after he paid the full cost for two pairs of glasses.

Alisha Burmeister, deputy auditor, presented various plans for safety glasses. She felt the policy needs to be reworded on how much the county pays. Supervisor Chairman Tracy Seeman suggested the county pick up 75 percent of the cost. No action was taken. Seeman said they will figure something out.

The board discussed recycling bins. They county has bins in several towns, which are intended for rural residents. There is one outside of Garrison, one in Watkins, one in Van Horne at the maintainer shed, one in Belle Plaine at the grocery store, one in Shellsburg at the maintainer shed just outside of town, and near the courthouse in Vinton.

The county pays to have these bins serviced. There had been questions about who owns the bins. They are owned by Benton County. They also discussed the importance of breaking down boxes for recycling to avoid hauling just air in the boxes. Seeman said in the past they had problems with mattresses and box springs showing up at the bins. This was why they installed cameras at the bins, since there were things there that shouldn’t have been there.

Seeman observed it costs more money to recycle than it is to bury it. He is not for recycling. Now that everyone recycles, cardboard and glass are not worth anything. He hopes that someday they make money at recycling.

No action was taken.

MEETING