Old Dubuque intersection officially closes

     As of Monday, Aug. 3, the Old Dubuque Road intersection with Highway 151 outside Anamosa is permanently closed to traffic.

     Southbound vehicles traveling on 151 will no longer be able to turn right at that intersection to access the City of Anamosa. Northbound traffic on the highway can still turn right onto 130^th Street, as well as use the median.

     This dangerous intersection closure was a joint effort between Jones County, the City of Anamosa and the Iowa DOT.

     The second half of the Lead Mine Road condemnation hearings were held during the July 28 Jones County Supervisor meeting.

     Several landowners were present to express their thoughts on the matter.

     Mike Courtney, whose property tends to flood quite frequently, said he didn’t have an issue with the county widening the roadway, but with widening the ditches.

     “If you raise the road, it’ll cause more flooding at my place,” he expressed.

     “We’re not raising the road,” clarified county engineer Derek Snead. “It’ll stay at elevation to allow water to cross. It’s all part of a hydraulic study required by the DNR.

     “We’re not raising the road to have a negative effect on the residents.”

     Courtney said it’d be harder to mow the right of way with steeper ditches.

     Amanda Ruggles, another landowner on Lead Mine, asked whether the trees would be allowed to remain. Snead said some trees would have to come out.

     The project cannot commence until Secondary Roads has secured all of the necessary right of way from the landowners.

     “We hope to have a lettering in October,” said Snead. “The contractor would have the ability to start this winter, at a minimum have the tree removed over the course of the winter.”

     Snead added that the majority of the grading and culvert work would start in the spring.

     “There will be no grading work in the winter because we can’t compact frozen material,” explained Snead.

     TJ Siebels inquired as to the budget for a project like this. Snead said the time Secondary Roads spends securing right of way and going through the condemnation process is not factored into the cost of the project. A safe estimate is between $850,000 and $900,000.

     “Nothing has changed with the estimate and construction costs,” he said.

     After the public hearing, the supervisors voted to fund the Lead Mine project and condemn all property necessary for the project.

In other county business:

     • The board heard from Jessica McWilliams and her mother Luanne, regarding damage to their property on Forest Chapel Road due to roadside spraying.

     The McWilliams claimed the county caused damage to their plants, flowers, and garden when spraying for noxious weeds. Jessica said their dogs have also gotten sick, one passing away, from the exposure to herbicides.

     The McWilliams requested compensation of $500 a year for four years of damage to their property. They also asked that Secondary Roads halt all spraying within 100 feet of their property, and offer advanced warning of spraying.

     Snead said it was not Secondary Roads who sprayed along their property, noting the records kept by Weed Commissioner Wes Gibbs indicate otherwise.

     “We have records for every day that Wes prayed,” said Snead.

     Supervisor Ned Rohwedder, who paid a visit to the McWilliams’ property prior to the meeting, said his interpretation was that the damage to the plants and flowers happened well before any spraying may have been done.

     The board said they would look into the matter.

     • The board approved the FY 2021 law enforcement and emergency communications contract with the City of Martelle at a cost of $4,200. This is a one-year contract.

     • The board held a public hearing and approved amendments to the county’s FY 2021 budget.

     Those amendments stem from changes to the Mon Maq Dam Project, the award of a substance abuse grant, grants for Public Health, the creation of a new position within Public Health, increased hours for Public Health officials, courthouse security during the pandemic, and the courthouse window and door project.

     • The board granted a third 30-day extension to Russell and Danica Hughes on property located on Highway 38 outisde of Monticello.

     The property was reported as a nuisance earlier in the year. The owners have been busy bringing it into compliance.

     “They’re working on covering the house with tin,” shared Land Use Administrator Michele Lubben. “And for the most part they’ve done many of the things we asked them to do.”