by Lee van der Linden
The Wright County Courthouse grounds could have improved electrical outlets in the near future. The supervisors gave tentative approval to help pay for the improvements May 13.
Brittany Howieson, vice president of the Clarion Development Alliance, said the outlets that are located on the courthouse grounds were installed by the chamber of commerce decades ago. The outlets were originally installed to provide electricity for holiday lights. She said it would cost $10,000 to $15,000 to upgrade the outlets, which would allow use by food trucks. She is hoping to have the upgrade paid for through a combination of county, city and CDA funds, along with grants and donations.
Howieson said the courthouse is an asset to the City of Clarion, and expanding its use would be valuable for economic development. The supervisors had already approved moving the Festival in the Park to the courthouse grounds next month.
“I don’t think you will find any opposition here,” Supervisor Dean Kluss said.
The supervisors also approved increasing the amount of money used for improvements in the Resource Center. The board approved an increase from $200,000 to $290,000 in federal money from the American Rescue Plan Act; the increase will be spent on a handicapped bathroom in the building.
“We are still well below the cost” of buying a new building for the Resource Center, Kluss commented. The supervisors had looked at buying a different building last year before moving ahead with the remodeling plan.
Dows Mayor Larry Klatt visited the meeting to ask for help in cleaning up the former gun club site located northwest of his town. “Nothing is going on with this property,” Klatt said, and he would like to see dying trees cleared from the property. The City of Dows sign is located on the property.
The supervisors and Klatt agreed that the three-acre tract was donated to the county conservation board, but Klatt said “they do not want to deal with it.” A conservation official said the gun club planted scotch pines on the land “against our advice,” and those trees are now in decline.
Klatt was encouraged to attend the May 15 meeting of the conservation board.
In other business, the board:
—heard from Kluss about last week’s visit to the Tri-Rinse facility in Belmond. He said the company, which washes and maintains agricultural seed boxes, is currently running two shifts, and would like to add a third. Kluss said it was a “very impressive” operation;
—heard there was no flood water running over the rural roads after last week’s heavy rains;
—and approved the third reading of the amended floodplain ordinance.
Supervisor Rick Rasmussen expressed concerns about the finances of Upper Des Moines Opportunity. He said UDMO has plenty of donations for specific projects, such as coats for kids, but is running short of money for operations. Rasmussen said the board is trying to avoid laying off employees, but is looking at reducing office hours.
During the open forum, Bob Ritter read an online story about sustainable aircraft fuel written by Todd Hultman, a grain market analyst for DTN Progressive Farmer. Ritter then segued into telling the supervisors that rules about setbacks for carbon capture pipelines need to be enacted in the county. Kluss reminded Ritter that any changes need to be proposed by the Planning and Zoning Commission.
Ritter said he knew that Kluss agreed with him about the need for more regulations, but Supervisors Rasmussen and Karl Helgevold “are on the other side of the fence.”
