GRUNDY CENTER- The Grundy County Board of Supervisors approved a host of agreements for road and bridge projects and voted to donate $4,000 to the Upper Elementary renovation in Grundy Center during Monday morning’s regular meeting.
The road business included a cooperative agreement with Marshall County on bridge bundling for the competitive highway bridge program and a federal aid agreement for the bridge replacement project on D35 (Zaneta Road). The board also voted to accept $20,127.74 in detour compensation for the Highway 175 bridge near Morrison and $1,444.09 for a bridge on Highway 14 during that closure.
County Engineer Gary Mauer reported that both Iowa’s Ride and RAGBRAI will run through Grundy County this year: Iowa’s Ride, which runs from east to west, will run from Hudson to Steamboat Rock all the way across the county on D35 before an overnight stop in Eldora. RAGBRAI is running from Iowa Falls to Waterloo and will go south from New Hartford to Dike on T55 and down to D35 before heading east to Hudson.
“It’s a little more than I bargained for, but we’re getting them,” Mauer said.
Bob Johanns and Melody Hoy of the Maroon and White Committee stopped in to explain the Upper Elementary project and how it will better serve the needs of children in the community.
They reported that to build a new facility the size of the upper elementary, it would cost between $6 and $7 million, but the renovation is projected to cost closer to $2.5 million.
Supervisor Jim Ross asked Hoy and Johanns why they had been told in the past that the building was unsafe or unsound.
“Were those myths, or how do you dispel those things that were said?” he asked.
They noted that while the heating and cooling, electrical and plumbing will need to be upgraded, the structure itself is still intact. They also added that beyond just Grundy Center, the preschool/daycare facility will benefit children from surrounding communities in Grundy County, especially if their parents work in town.
A motion to donate $4,000 to the project carried unanimously, and Hoy mentioned the possibility of putting up some sort of fundraising thermometer to keep the public up to date on the progress.
Supervisor Barb Smith reported on some of the precautions the hospital is taking in response to the ongoing coronavirus outbreak, including limiting visitors and postponing support groups.
IN OTHER BUSINESS, the board:
· Approved the management representation letter to the state auditor.
· Approved a second tier canvass for the Dike-New Hartford bond vote.
· Ratified the Rural Iowa Waste Management comprehensive plan.
· Approved the payment of bills.
