By Zach Jensen,
Supervisor Shirley Vermace shares her concerns about the Winneshiek County Board of Supervisors’ pending recommendation to the Iowa DNR on the proposed construction of a biodigester in rural Ridgeway. (Photo by Zach Jensen)
The Winneshiek County Board of Supervisors gave itself approximately a week to decide whether to recommend the construction of a proposed biodigester facility in rural Ridgeway to the Iowa Department of Natural Resources. The board took no action on the matter during Monday’s meeting, and the project will automatically be considered approved if the board makes no decision early next month.
Full Bohr Dairy, located at 3251 275th St., submitted a rezoning request to the county in April and, in May, the Winneshiek County Planning and Zoning Commission voted against recommending the project’s rezoning request to the board of supervisors. The board then voted 3-2 on Aug. 8 to approve the rezoning request, and they have until Sept. 6 to submit their recommendation to the DNR. However, during Monday’s board of supervisors meeting, supervisors Shirley Vermace and Mark Faldet didn’t feel they had enough accurate information with which to make a recommendation.
Vermace said members of the public who have expressed concern to the county over the project have claimed the dairy’s paperwork, including an agricultural engineer’s evaluation of the property, is full of alleged inconsistencies.
“Before I can go around this ethically, I don’t think we have enough information as a group to recommend anything until we get factual answers on some of the questions and concerns raised,” Vermace said Monday. “And, if you haven’t read through some of them, I’d encourage my colleagues to really dive into this a little deeper so that we’re not doing anything that goes against our own comprehensive plan.”
Faldet agreed with Vermace, adding he thinks the supervisors should consult an attorney before taking further action on the issue.
“If what was presented by some of the citizens is true, then obviously the manure management plan is not correct, the herd size is not correct, (and we) possibly need a (new) water application,” he said. “I don’t think we should be recommending anything that is so fraught with inconsistencies.”
Supervisor Steve Kelsay questioned the validity of the claims the application contained inconsistencies.
Winneshiek County Environmentalist Doug Groux prepared the dairy’s scoring for the state’s Master Matrix — a system to evaluate construction permits for confined animal feeding operations.
“It’s done by an engineer, and the engineer presents the matrix to the DNR and the county,” Groux said. “The county reviews the matrix, and they decide if they agree with the score or not. A passing matrix is 440 points, and there’s three subcategories which you have to pass. So, on the original matrix, they had 455 points, and they had exceeded all three subcategories.”
Vermace said, if she correctly understood the information she has received, the engineer in question “missed some of the errors and inconsistencies in the application.” Specifically, Vermace the operation was approved for 925 head of cattle, according its manure management plan, but she said the farm allegedly has 1,394 head.
“Just that alone makes me question, did that engineer read through that application? The numbers given are not consistent,” Vermace said.
Winneshiek County Auditor Ben Steines said the board of supervisors could wait one week to decide on its pending recommendation but, after 30 days, the farm’s application would automatically be approved due to inaction — that 30-day period ends on Friday, Sept. 6.
Vermace insisted it would be irresponsible for the supervisors to make a recommendation on the issue amid lingering questions of accuracy.
“I think we’re not doing our job for our communities, if we turn the other way on some private company’s issues without thinking about what the greater communities want,” Vermace said.
Further discussion and action on the matter were tabled until the Sept. 3 meeting.
Other business
• Former county conservation board member and past county supervisor John Beard made a brief presentation objecting to a recent suggestion that Supervisor Chair Dan Langreck be appointed to the conservation board in order to improve communication between the board of supervisors and the conservation board.
• Vermace announced she and Kelsay and Faldet earned Iowa County Supervisor certifications.
• The supervisors board unanimously approved the hiring of Brittany Provost of Burr Oak as office staff for the Winneshiek County Veterans Affairs office.
• Discussion on the procedure to replace a recycling supervisor was tabled until Sept. 9.
• Discussion on a settlement agreement between Jeff Peel and Winneshiek County was tabled until the board’s next meeting to give the supervisors time to discuss conditions of the settlement with Winneshiek County Attorney Andy Van Der Maaten, who was absent from Monday’s meeting.
• Following a public hearing on the county’s sale of the former Decorah Hospital, known as the Smith Building, for $1 to the Northeast Iowa Community Action Corporation, the supervisors unanimously passed a resolution approving the sale. Vermace, who also serves as an NEICAC board member, abstained from the vote.
• During a public hearing, Diana Johnson of Upper Explorerland Regional Planning Commission, which manages the Community Development Block Grant funds for the Festina sewer project, requested the project’s completion date be extended to April 30, 2025. The supervisors unanimously approved the extension.
• An agreement in which the county is leasing farmland to Daryl Hovden was renewed for one year. The property consists of 40.64 acres across from the county shop in Freeport, near Decorah’s water treatment facility. Total annual rent on the property is $12,851.
• County Engineer Michael Kueny reported that subdivision data had been gathered, and a cost study will be forthcoming. He said the county needs to maintain early subdivision roads, while those installed after 2013 are maintained through homeowners association funds. “Until 2013, there were varying requirements imposed on HOA’s that have been cataloged this summer — but not consolidated for the board and other courthouse staff to easily reference what the county, by contract, is required to do for residents,” Kueny said after the meeting.
• The supervisors tabled a discussion on a Northeast Iowa Trust Fund pledge letter until the next meeting.
The next meeting of the Winneshiek County Board of Supervisors will be held at 9:30 a.m., Tuesday, Sept. 3, in the courthouse annex.
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