The Wright County Board of Supervisors were urged again Jan. 8 to pass ordinances about rural setbacks before the Iowa Utilities Board makes a decision about a carbon capture pipeline project.
Julie Glade said she wanted to encourage the supervisors “to send a message to Summit Carbon that Wright County is going to stand in solidarity with the other counties that have passed ordinances that will protect their citizens from a hazardous liquid pipeline” using setbacks.
Planning and Zoning Administrator Jeremy Abbas replied that Glade’s messages “have not fallen on deaf ears.” He said the P & Z board is planning to meet this month to consider such action.
Supervisor Dean Kluss said he is “still hopeful” that the IUB will not allow Summit Carbon to use eminent domain to cross property where the landowners have not signed an agreement.
The supervisors approved a list of people to serve on an eminent domain commission. The appointments are made annually. The 2024 appointments include Stan Watne, Dean Kluss, Larry Pals, Kent Kirstein, Verle Tate, Bob Deimerly, Troy Watne, Shannon Walker, Mitch Kluss, Bud Young, Colleen Barlett, Larry Klatt, Earl Kalkwarf, Sandy McGrath, Bob Powers, Rod Brooks, Carol Hoff, Austin Charlson, Kevin Reed, Mark Skogerboe, Sherri O’Brien, Michael Ryerson, Aaron Wagner, Tate Goeman, Gene Ryerson, and Kent Rutherford. There are still two openings on the board.
Twenty-seven people are needed for the board, and the members must be from certain occupations, such as banking and real estate. The commission, which normally does not have any work to do, may be called on if the Summit Carbon Solutions pipeline project is approved by the Iowa Utilities Board.
In other business, the board:
—heard that brush cutting was finished in the entire county last week;
—tabled action on filling the trustee opening in Troy Township until next week;
—heard that the sheriff’s office had taken in $2,359.39 in mileage fees, weapons permits, and copies in December;
—and moved budget meetings set for Tuesday and Wednesday to later in the week due to the expected snow storm.
The supervisors held a closed meeting concerning a railroad repair in Drainage District 36. The supervisors advised the drainage attorney to proceed as previously instructed.
