by Amanda Rink, Editor
March 17, 2025 – The Wright County Board of Supervisors met on Monday to address county matters, most notably a funding request from Community Family Resources and to hold a public hearing on the proposed road vacation of a county road.
Road Vacation – A road vacation relinquishes property rights of a county-owned road to abutting property owners. During the public hearing for the road vacation along Youngblood Avenue in Iowa Township, local landowners raised concerns about drainage infrastructure under the roadway.
Landowner John Goldman asked if the county would provide alternate access if the driveway leading to his property was removed. Goldman requested an engineer’s opinion on it and added, “It seems like a reasonable request to provide access to the north even if it’s tearing out the existing driveways.”
Another landowner requested to be given detailed records of the land, to be sure once he becomes the property owner he knows what he is getting into.
“We are ultra supportive of good drainage, and we have no reason to not share that information with you,” stated Supervisor Dean Kluss.
“I’m happy to be supportive of it, but I don’t know what I’m getting into,” expressed another landowner.
The Supervisors agreed to table the road vacation to allow time for the County Engineer to evaluate the landowner’s requests.
Community Family Resources – Shelly Zabel of Community Family Resources provided an annual update on the organization’s work in Wright County.
Zabel emphasized the group’s focus on reducing vaping, opioid misuse, and gambling risks within our community. According to Zabel, alcohol is the highest abused substance in Wright County followed by methamphetamine with marijuana coming in last.
She shared ongoing work with area 7th graders for a life skills training program. On behalf of Community Family Resources Zabel requested $7,200 in funding for the upcoming 2026 fiscal year to continue their work.
Secondary Roads – Assistant County Engineer Jeremy Abbas provided updates on road maintenance and upcoming projects. He discussed ongoing cold patching efforts, concrete rubble transportation, and progress on the C-70 bridge replacement which is ahead of schedule.
Additionally, Abbas confirmed that crews would assess drainage infrastructure near Youngblood Avenue to determine if additional access is possible.
Other Business
In other business the Supervisors:
– approved a policy with the Clarion Development Alliance for public use of the courthouse grounds.
– approved the transfer of a balance from a no-longer-used drainage district fund into a general fund.
– approved two-year contract for the shared naturalist with Franklin County.
– discussed recent property tax legislation from the state level that could impact general, basic, and rural services.
The Wright County Supervisors will meet again on Monday, March 24 at 9:00 A.M. This meeting, along with past meetings, can be viewed online at youtube.com/@WrightCountyIowaOfficial8312.
