At their meeting on Tuesday, Karl Helgevold updated the Wright County Board of Supervisors on behalf of the Emergency Operations Center on COVID-19 cases in Wright County. He noted that they are still working on testing large employers, which he said means those with over 200 employees, working close together. One county resident asked for more transparency on where the testing was happening. Helgevold said, “We’re finding positives all over the county. It is not isolated to one employer or part of the county.”
As of press time on Tuesday, the state dashboard that tracks COVID-19 cases said that Wright County has 124 cases. Helgevold said that the last uptick was due to the outstanding tests that they had done last week. Chairman Dean Kluss said, “At the end of the day, the important thing to understand is that the numbers are going up, and the virus is out there. It is important to maintain social distancing and hygiene.”
The board reviewed the two quotes for annual county audits. Auditor Betty Ellis noted that one of the firms that bid on the audit, Gardiner and Company, employees a team of accountants, whereas the other bidder, Rachelle Thompson, works alone. Gardiner also has more experience working with counties. After consulting various department heads who work with the auditors, the board decided to go with Gardiner at the cost of about $116,250 for three years, plus some additional fees. Thompson had bid around $96,000 for the three years.
Andy Yackle, Director of Buildings and Grounds, came before the board to give an update on starting work on the Professional Building and courthouse. The project will start June 1st with the end date in September. Work to the professional building includes removing the tower, putting on a steel roof, replacing gutters and adding security cameras and lights. The courthouse repairs include roof work, fixing gutters, facias, soffits and painting the clocks. They will also be adding glass to the gable ends.
Adam Clemons appeared to ask for approval of a new office manager in the engineer’s office. They conducted four or five interviews he said, though they were disappointed by some cancellations due to coronavirus. Though they didn’t release the name of the suggested hire, Clemons noted she has 16 years office management experience. Her salary will start at $45,000, to be reevaluated at six months.
The board approved the final promissory note between WC Economic Development and local economic development branches by signing off on the loan with Clarion Economic Development. This loan consists of one lump sum of $25,000 that Clarion ED will distribute to small businesses as microloans. The loan will be for a period of 15 years with a 0% interest rate. The cities of Woolstock and Dows are also included with this area.
In other business, two appointments to county boards were approved. Donna Brown was appointed to the Conservation Board for another 5-year term ending June 30, 2025. Also, Lisa Kluss was appointed to the EMS board with Chairman Kluss abstaining from that vote. The board approved drainage district assessments for 2020, and Kluss signed a letter of appointment for authorization to do business with NRCS and FSA office.
At the end of the meeting, David Johnson, Drainage Attorney, appeared before the board. They then went into closed session following Iowa Code 21.5(c) to discuss strategy with counsel in matters that are presently in litigation or where litigation is imminent.
