Divided board approves addition to safety facility project

A split Jones County Board of Supervisors approved in a 3-2 vote to allocate $530,000 in county funds to add training and meeting rooms to the already-approved Jones County Safety Facility project.

The debate among the supervisors to either keep the project within its $1.6 million budget or add the additional half-million took several weeks and required Jones County Whitney Hein to find money in the county’s coffers to fund the additional work.

The safety facility will be built in Anamosa to house emergency vehicles, voting equipment and other county property. However, also on the table was an addition to the project to also include county training rooms, meeting rooms, a restroom and additional storage space. The Supervisors last year allocated $1.6 million in American Rescue Plan Act funds to pay for the facility and its engineering costs, but the addition would put the county over its budget.

When considering this additional space, Supervisors asked county officials – including Sheriff Greg Graver and Auditor Whitney Hein – if the meeting and training space was a want or a need. Both replied that the space was indeed a need for their departments. Graver said his deputies, for example, sometimes need to attend training in Dubuque County and the new facility would provide first responders in the county a sufficient place to hold trainings and other gatherings.

On Tuesday, July 8, the Supervisors in a 3-2 vote approved allocating the additional $530,000 – which the county had on hand in various accounts – to pay for the facility.

Supervisors Jon Zirkelbach, Joe Oswald and Jeff Swisher voted in favor, while Board Chairman John Schlarmann and Darrick Hall dissented.

“I had several calls in favor of it,” Swisher said. “Numerous calls. I did get a call opposed, but I think the investment in our future with first responders is No. 1.”

Hall explained his no vote and said it’s important for the county to stick to its budgets.

“I’m out,” Hall said on the addition to the project. “I had some good letters and conversations with people, but I have had more people I interacted with who said to hold the line on what we agreed to at $1.6 million.”

Schlarmann agreed with Hall.

“I support paramedics, fire, sheriff … but I wanted to pump the brakes,” he said regarding his dissention.

Zirkelbach commended Graver for being fiscally responsible and helping the county come up with the funds to cover the cost of the facility.

“It would be different if we were to borrow this money,” he said. “A good share of it is coming from the Sheriff Department’s budget … He is good at returning money at the end of his fiscal year. We’ve seen that over the years, a lot of that has to do with sacrifice with one less deputy – not due to his choosing, but the market is tough to find deputies. I don’t think we are hindering our future abilities because the money is there (in the accounts).”

The 3-2 vote was to sign a contract with the contractor for the project – Garling Construction – that includes construction of the original metal building along with an extra bay for $1.6 million and the additional $530,000 for training and meeting spaces.

To pay the additional $530,000, the board followed Hein’s suggestions and allocated $165,000 from the county’s capital projects fund, $55,000 from the general basic facilities line and $310,000 from the general basic’s unassigned funds.

County seeks new road grader

Jones County Engineer Derek Snead asked the supervisors to support his search for a new road grader.

Snead said the department has a grader that was purchased in 2008 to replace. The cost to do so, he estimated, “is most likely north of $450,000 and probably close to $500,000.”

Snead said his department has transitioned from using 10 graders every winter to plow snow to 11 or more.

“It’s common practice for us to have 11 out in a storm, or possibly 12,” Snead said. That is dependent on the storm and the personnel we have on hand.”

Snead said the department for a handful of years in the aughts struggled with purchasing used or slightly used graders because some suffered engine and transmission issues. The 2008 model is the last from that bunch, Snead said.

The supervisors approved a measure to set a public hearing to request bids from vendors for a new grader.

In other business, the supervisors:

• Approved the fiscal year 2025 financial report for Heritage Agency on Aging.

• Approved a preliminary plat in Caspers Acres in Cass Township, which contains one lot.

• Approved a final plat for Barner’s Third Addition, a subdivision in Fairview Township, which contains two lots.

• Approved a fence compensation contract with Doug Fairbanks in conjunction with a grading project on 215th Avenue.