[{"_1":2,"_110":-5,"_111":-5},"loaderData",{"_3":4,"_26":27},"root",{"_5":6,"_17":10,"_18":19,"_20":21,"_22":10,"_23":-5,"_24":-5,"_25":10},"user",{"_7":8,"_9":10,"_11":10,"_12":-5,"_13":-5,"_14":15,"_16":-5},"roles",[],"isAuthenticated",false,"isPremium","planName","subscriptionStatus","featureFlags",{},"insightsBudget","isDevelopmentHost","userPreferences",{},"recaptchaSiteKey","6LcvOJcUAAAAAHsB-gPGfGktcRlKpH7OTIU_dMTD","isImpersonating","impersonation","affiliateStatus","isFreedomPortal","routes/v2/article/layout",{"_28":29,"_30":31},"notFound",true,"relatedArticles",[32,74,86,98],{"_33":34,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":40,"_41":42,"_43":44,"_45":46,"_47":48,"_49":50,"_51":52,"_53":54,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":60,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":66,"_67":56,"_68":69,"_70":56,"_71":72,"_73":72},"mediaId",6269933,"mediaKeyId","3039811-2398a10d5932601a083c2a50865340ca","parentId",3039811,"title","Votes at a glance: Pottawattamie County Board actions (meeting)","audioSeconds",206,"startMs",194000,"endMs",400000,"viewUrl","/Search/View?dp=1&key=3039811-2398a10d5932601a083c2a50865340ca&start=194&end=400","thumbnailUrl","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/3039811-2398a10d5932601a083c2a50865340ca/thumbnail_194000.jpg","articleUrl","/articles/6269933/Pottawattamie-County/Iowa/Votes-at-a-glance-Pottawattamie-County-Board-actions-meeting","mediaUrl","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6269933-2c3ec65af9e41c459be233a7b30cf7bb/orig.mp4?Expires=1773608105&Signature=VGrBukgJTnZnQw-VaaOATGviKo9IL~XBWRAi76jrcPjBQT~yIVpxFa9Jl-8gBqtnlUmrZgu6wUDl0DfVLT3vAJzJwhdjPbKGtFDuq-J2oJEq~O-QcokkSPa5miX0EJY2yEmbPIjDnE0hBCbrjEhsNxrt244xOPCHlTC3PfJwBQQ3SPj7rw9wnQ6q2n6Eu~Fhul9GikOs6yfpTZvtOdtaayhDspupznGumbIZUf3D3-Lwn51iuoeW5Ea5z66elLa0MIusNm1rYxdrht0yqLMCdyqCRO-0fNutKmOGGXEYnmvWjzpq24TfdOUJir7rI8mg9hPvaT8iw0TP3fo5NpjX9A__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","author","Pottawattamie County, Iowa","date","2025-04-15T19:43:23Z","article","Votes at a glance from the Pottawattamie County Board of Supervisors meeting:

- Rezoning: The board opened a public hearing and set a second consideration date for Ordinance 2025-2, an amendment that would change approximately 2.8 acres from A2 (ag production) to A2 (urban transition) to allow a prospective small retail use at the parcel identified in the file. The planning commission had recommended approval. The board set the second consideration for April 22, 2025. Outcome: motion to open public hearing and set second consideration — approved.

- Letter of support: The board approved and authorized the chairman to sign a letter of support for a countryside-market grant application for a grocery-store project in Minden/“Mindana” (application name in file). Outcome: approved (motion passed; mover and seconder recorded in minutes; staff to coordinate follow-up).

- Display-fireworks permit for 27538 Dogwood Road (applicant: Connor Gillespie): After public comment and staff discussion, the board voted to deny the permit. Outcome: denied (motion carried).

- Employee Assistance Program (EAP) contract: The board approved switching the county EAP to BestCare (Methodist BestCare) ahead of open enrollment; the contract term was discussed as a one-year arrangement and staff will circulate non-draft executed paperwork. Outcome: approved (motion passed).

- Consent agenda and proclamations: The board approved the consent agenda and read proclamations recognizing National Public Safety Telecommunicators Week (April 13–19, 2025) and National County Government Month (April 2025). Outcome: approved (ceremonial proclamations).

Why it matters: The rezoning timeline advances a land-use change that could allow a small retail use on the parcel at issue; the fireworks vote shows the board is applying discretion under Iowa law and responding to neighbor safety complaints; the EAP contract affects employee benefits ahead of open enrollment.","mediaType","Video","parentTitle","Board of Supervisors - Open Session - April 15, 2025","oneSentenceSummary","The Pottawattamie County Board of Supervisors set a second consideration date for a zoning map amendment (Ordinance 2025-2), approved a letter of support for a grocery-market grant, approved a new EAP contract, and denied a display-fireworks permit after neighbor testimony.","taxTitle","taxId",25020,"location","headline","","shortSummary",{"_33":75,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":76,"_41":77,"_43":78,"_45":79,"_47":80,"_49":81,"_51":82,"_53":83,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":84,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":85,"_67":56,"_68":69,"_70":56,"_71":72,"_73":72},6269938,"SWIPCO outlines regional transit and housing work affecting Pottawattamie County",1205,1046000,2251000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=3039811-2398a10d5932601a083c2a50865340ca&start=1046&end=2251","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/3039811-2398a10d5932601a083c2a50865340ca/thumbnail_1046000.jpg","/articles/6269938/Pottawattamie-County/Iowa/SWIPCO-outlines-regional-transit-and-housing-work-affecting-Pottawattamie-County","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6269938-615ddb6e5b28b7b433fad2314f0a134e/orig.mp4?Expires=1773608105&Signature=WmtPn27GHkIriEL46BiczFq0BeTp1P3pUs6lOgNELHsmf0xaTswj32mfByE1tZNCfn0K4dRVo~GmzRws6cZZFsa4mUZs15VSXnpo3aZ-PQ9dm2XWGE0Qjch5Omt9xyPU1BrFdNnu3WIv8e5W9CNvLF9yOd6dbBpstX3AF5e6OI8reRFFNCGN8InBIFUAnNwJmm6WH9amGJgSJMamO3yRIbbBaSdtbdeB-z70Z9lpMpEHzrJuRuSsYWIptfLnGIVyqNDD7uWa72ueRfeQfz57rCadjohT-DQuDAvAG9d-3UN4SP1TN02mOqrJPBDeff6cEZDaXbAT1pcRprXkaY-AIQ__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","John McCurdy, executive director of the Southwest Iowa Planning Council (SWIPCO), and Mark Lander, director of SWITA (the region’s transit arm), updated the Pottawattamie County Board of Supervisors on agency programs that affect the county, including transit operations, housing assistance and community development projects.

McCurdy said SWIPCO serves eight counties; SWIPCO employs about 100 people across the region, with 24 staff who live in Pottawattamie County and a payroll exceeding $1 million locally. He described recent county-focused work: downtown façade grants and zoning updates in Walnut, rental-code and dangerous-building inspections in Oakland, a childcare community-development block grant collaboration with Lakeland Foundation and Peace Haven, and shared nuisance-enforcement concepts for smaller towns.

Mark Lander gave ridership and service details for SWITA’s county operations: about 20 drivers are based in Pottawattamie County; SWITA ran 148,112 trips last year totaling roughly 444,000 miles and about 22,000 revenue hours. McCurdy and Lander said the agency operates four work routes and five vanpools in the county and estimated approximately 65,000 rides annually tied to work routes and vanpool services in and out of the county. Lander described employer-subsidized vanpools (noting a $600 monthly subsidy per vanpool) and said SWITA operates a 24/7 service model for some routes.

Why it matters: SWIPCO’s planning, code and transit services deliver regional transportation options and targeted community-development support; the county’s membership and local staff presence mean some regional investments have direct local impact.

Supervisors asked about crossover with other agencies (for example weatherization and energy-efficiency programs) and about data and staffing; McCurdy said some housing trust-fund dollars do not flow to Pottawattamie County because the county is not currently a housing-trust member, limiting the scope of certain SWIPCO housing programs here. McCurdy said the agency is winding down large flood-recovery projects in other counties and refocusing on community development and housing readiness in smaller towns.","Southwest Iowa Planning Council (SWIPCO) representatives briefed supervisors on transit ridership, regional housing and planning services provided to Pottawattamie County and surrounding counties, including recent projects and local staffing and payroll numbers.",{"_33":87,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":88,"_41":89,"_43":90,"_45":91,"_47":92,"_49":93,"_51":94,"_53":95,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":96,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":97,"_67":56,"_68":69,"_70":56,"_71":72,"_73":72},6269943,"FirstNet Authority briefs Pottawattamie supervisors on priority broadband, push-to-talk and in‑building solutions",444,2255000,2699000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=3039811-2398a10d5932601a083c2a50865340ca&start=2255&end=2699","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/3039811-2398a10d5932601a083c2a50865340ca/thumbnail_2255000.jpg","/articles/6269943/Pottawattamie-County/Iowa/FirstNet-Authority-briefs-Pottawattamie-supervisors-on-priority-broadband-push-to-talk-and-inbuilding-solutions","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6269943-b8c8989bcf90f9cf60454f49a2b9911c/orig.mp4?Expires=1773608105&Signature=Ze0zqOqUjmoqIi0G56XZMa5SAvZhEjHEp7mAUnQ0G91Hc0A1SHcQx9rbzKYtq86rDSUhcQXvkoy2ncOclFIspV-rYpnTzO~j7nYxmRHQQ41fOzAsGYe0TxjkTfVFJNaerU6jcV08NM5LWKvap7Dx69pJQ6RVpXlLsdDShZGuN~H2avCEt~okEv5or6xw0DpecVDygJbl2QFCtG-xMg7QivNd46JjIvMuLGzv~wYWqP4J6lZZO5vQWK7BnmThPsbc8XGWk~EgKANAdiQYzYPg~pB8Q-YiW0A~R3ThwGX8QLQx1l06dQXCNZK62FDpzNbH81vgNoB-KPDGgieFWZeNoQ__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","Tom Lampe, senior public-safety adviser with the FirstNet Authority, gave the Pottawattamie County Board of Supervisors an overview of FirstNet’s public-safety broadband tools and how they can augment—but not replace—land-mobile radio systems.

“Public safety asked for their own network to deal with the data,” Lampe said, summarizing the purpose of the FirstNet build. He told the board FirstNet provides priority and preemption for public-safety users and noted the network uses Band 14 and a separate core to reduce congestion during high-demand events. Lampe said FirstNet has grown since the original build and that AT&T, the commercial partner, reinvests into the network; nationwide FirstNet accounts exceed 7 million users, he added.

Lampe described several operational tools that can affect county communications: a RapidResponse push-to-talk app that can create talk groups quickly on the cellular network; in‑building Cell Booster Pro units that FirstNet can provide at no cost to address indoor coverage when an Internet connection is available; and deployable “cell on wheels” units for large events. He also said some radios can be dual-capable—roaming to LTE when LMR coverage is weak—offering an interoperability pathway that may be less expensive than building additional radio towers.

Board members and county staff questioned integration details and limits. Lampe said encryption and interoperability require planning: integrating a push-to-talk cellular talk group with an encrypted LMR channel can require policy and technical changes because some radio channels are AES-encrypted. He also cautioned that FirstNet augments coverage; it does not automatically replace the county’s land-mobile radio infrastructure. Lampe said FirstNet can support satellite backhaul and that industry partners are testing satellite-Band-14 solutions for hard-to-cover locations.

Why it matters: County police, fire and emergency medical services rely on voice and increasingly on data. FirstNet’s priority, deployables and in‑building boosters can make it easier for responders to transmit video, CAD data and other time-sensitive information during major incidents and mass gatherings.

Next steps discussed included assembling a stakeholder group, reviewing the county’s current LMR and LTE footprint, and asking FirstNet staff to return with more precise coverage-mapping recommendations and possible pilot equipment for identified problem sites.","A FirstNet Authority official told the board that the public-safety broadband network can augment land-mobile radio systems with priority/preemption, app-based push-to-talk, cell boosters and deployable units; staff and supervisors asked follow-up questions about encryption, cost and local coverage gaps.",{"_33":99,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":100,"_41":101,"_43":102,"_45":103,"_47":104,"_49":105,"_51":106,"_53":107,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":108,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":109,"_67":56,"_68":69,"_70":56,"_71":72,"_73":72},6269948,"Pottawattamie County supervisors deny display-fireworks permit for Dogwood Road after neighbors raise safety concerns",1062,4691000,5753000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=3039811-2398a10d5932601a083c2a50865340ca&start=4691&end=5753","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/3039811-2398a10d5932601a083c2a50865340ca/thumbnail_4691000.jpg","/articles/6269948/Pottawattamie-County/Iowa/Pottawattamie-County-supervisors-deny-display-fireworks-permit-for-Dogwood-Road-after-neighbors-raise-safety-concerns","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6269948-6835e1770fb862dd491a183c51090264/orig.mp4?Expires=1773608105&Signature=eSgh~HffnFKyU9XYieiGTlMJ6G2Hnu2Kkzgg5cuHWlFPgbtsNHNQaxnj5jxwmmbQE~sh97bCSbsIIvFN7FYStqotRkHcOFelgVpgW2L7bk~MANh06KQ7rXvJD8q~qWH22P9OTfAQ4a5Me0~JOhV-jz~Y~wXepLbqEMYOhDNcx1ZDpLHDBCHyM-gteBowFe-kKXGPaSesUnnlFFtkJkjh6UCvYeA-GJrdxT26bLzWu~ZRU33FfDnQFotiBcYWlClwvNybtPwViRWwgejLRGmxxAEEMGoA0Y~u01p63xtF4EC0RZB9nIWtff1DgMoOhhS81G21Ub3uTGk85adLvOnvYg__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","The Pottawattamie County Board of Supervisors voted to deny an application for a display-fireworks permit for a July event at 27538 Dogwood Road, after neighbors described debris, proximity to dwellings and propane tanks, and what they said were past safety-rule violations.

Neighbors Melanie Hildebrand Wheatley and Ellen Scott told the board the fireworks used in a prior display were “commercial grade” and landed on adjacent property. “He had complete disregard for our safety,” Wheatley said, recounting mortar shells and debris she said were found across three acres of her land after the 2024 display. Ellen Scott said the show was “huge” and woke her at midnight when the display resumed.

The board heard from Matt White, director of Planning and Development, who said the county may grant display-fireworks permits under state law but that local application of the statute requires the board to judge whether an operator is “competent.” White told the board there is no set insurance amount specified in the cited Iowa law and that the county’s practices around inspections and fire-department involvement needed review.

Supervisors said they were persuaded by neighbors’ written complaints and on-the-record testimony describing a prior launch location that differed from the application, an absence of a requested formal water-truck at the earlier event and the potential wildfire risk in a dry season. A motion to deny the application carried; the board called for a review of the county’s permit process and suggested involving local volunteer fire departments in future permit decisions.

Why it matters: Display-fireworks permits can create acute safety and fire risks for nearby residences and farm fields. Neighbors asked the board to prioritize clear procedures, inspection sign-offs and explicit requirements (insurance, launch setbacks and fire-department coordination) before future permits are issued.

Following the vote, supervisors discussed next steps including (1) reviewing the county’s permitting checklist, (2) clarifying whether the county will require a signed approval from the local volunteer fire department as a condition for future permits, and (3) whether the county should standardize certificate-of-insurance minimums and required launch setbacks.

Evidence excerpt: Board minutes show resident testimony and the motion to deny. The board’s motion to deny was seconded and carried on a voice vote; the record shows supervisors voting in favor and the motion passing.","After testimony from nearby residents and an inspection-related exchange about past compliance, the Board of Supervisors voted to deny a display-fireworks permit application for an event at 27538 Dogwood Road.","actionData","errors"]

Article not found

Votes at a glance: Pottawattamie County Board actions (meeting)

SWIPCO outlines regional transit and housing work affecting Pottawattamie County

FirstNet Authority briefs Pottawattamie supervisors on priority broadband, push-to-talk and in‑building solutions

Pottawattamie County supervisors deny display-fireworks permit for Dogwood Road after neighbors raise safety concerns