Black Hawk supervisors approve routine claims, several preconstruction agreements and multiple budget adjustments

The Black Hawk County Board of Supervisors on Feb. 25 approved a number of routine claims and contract items, accepted a low bid for a bridge steel purchase, and took several votes on the county’s fiscal 2026 budget adjustments and levy-related items.

Claims and routine contracts: The board authorized total bill payments of $532,451.31 and directed the county auditor to issue payments as allowed under claims procedures. The auditor reported larger routine items on the register included courthouse construction payments funded with ARPA dollars and a payment for asbestos remediation. Advanced Environmental was listed for a remediation-related payment; the county auditor described those courthouse-related payments during the claims presentation.

Cybersecurity renewal: The board approved a one-year renewal of the county’s CrowdStrike endpoint-detection-and-response service and related security-operations center services provided through the Iowa Department of Management. Lauren Gordon, IT director, said this is “just a one-year renewal for the existing service that we have” and that the cost for the renewal will be $0 for the coming year because the State funded CrowdStrike through ARPA.

Road projects: Supervisors approved two preconstruction agreements for a Raymond Road HMA resurfacing project. The county will pursue estimated reimbursements for the Raymond agreement (the larger portion) and a shorter segment in front of the Gilbertville fire department; the Gilbertville portion was identified as approximately 800 feet with an estimated $10,000 reimbursement. The board also placed on file and authorized review of bids for a steel purchase tied to an off-road bridge project; the lone bid received was from Odin Enterprises Inc., Wahoo, Neb., at $50,988.76 (engineer estimate $58,650). The board voted to place that single bid on file for review.

Conservation board bonds and planning items: The board accepted and placed on file a petition from the Black Hawk County Conservation Board requesting the issuance of general-obligation bonds for conservation capital projects. The board also approved two minor subdivision plats for single-family home construction in agricultural-residential (AR) zoning, and it directed the county auditor to advertise public hearings for two rezoning requests (proposed ordinances 77-291 and 77-292) to be heard March 11, 2025.

Budget and levy decisions: Supervisors spent a sustained portion of the meeting on budget adjustments as staff presented a range of options to reduce the county’s projected general-basic-levy shortfall. County staff described multiple items the board approved or modified by motion:

- Increase library funding to the statewide per-capita average (the auditor’s worksheet listed an additional contribution of about $6,617); motion carried. - Allocate $25,000 for county fair/Cattle Congress marketing; motion carried. Staff noted statutory constraints require county fair funding to be agriculturally related; the county attorney’s office will confirm statutory language for future years. - Move 5 percentage points (from 75% to 80%) of the cost of sheriff patrol deputies from the general basic levy to the rural levy; motion carried. Supervisors said this change better aligns cost allocation for deputies who spend significant time in rural patrol. - Reduce the Board of Supervisors’ professional fees line by $10,000 and reduce supervisors’ publishing fees by $10,000; motions carried. - Approve a $40,000 reduction in the sheriff’s training/minor equipment/wearing-apparel budget line, as the sheriff proposed; motion carried. - Approve a $65,000 reduction to facilities maintenance professional fees and repairs, per the department head recommendation; motion carried. - Reduce the general-fund transfer to secondary roads to the FY25 budgeted level (a $31,923 reduction); motion carried. - Accept the sheriff’s recommendation to pay certain sheriff equipment from bond or fund balance (the motion carried), shifting approximately $70,000 of equipment to non-levy funding sources where eligible. - After discussion, the board voted not to reduce three insurance-related lines included in the general-supplemental-levy bucket (the county’s insurance-deductible funding, workers’ compensation and unemployment allocations were retained at proposed amounts rather than cut). Supervisors expressed concern that reducing those reserves could expose the county to large near-term costs if insurance deductibles or claims increase.

Personnel pay proposals: Staff described and the board discussed possible increases for elected officials’ pay (a previously proposed 10% for most elected officials was under consideration) and a recommendation to hold nonbargaining staff to a 3% across-the-board increase in the draft budget. Supervisors asked staff to prepare scenario worksheets (3.00%, 3.25% and a market-average scenario) for the next work session so the board could see the fiscal impact before finalizing the adopted levy and salary decisions.

Other items and next steps: The board approved travel and training for an HR generalist ($783.40) and set public hearings for rezoning requests to be heard March 11, 2025. Catherine Nicholas and staff will continue to refine budget worksheets and present scenario runs at a follow-up work session scheduled for Thursday, March (staff to confirm exact time after circulation). The board directed staff to keep working toward closing an estimated $236,000 shortfall under the general basic levy cap and to return with updated scenarios and clarifications on items noted in the meeting.

Votes at a glance

- Claims and payments ($532,451.31): Approved (motion carries). - CrowdStrike EDR/SOC one-year renewal (state-funded): Approved (motion carries). - Raymond Road preconstruction agreement (estimated reimbursement reported): Approved (motion carries). - Gilbertville (short segment) preconstruction agreement (approx. $10,000 reimbursement): Approved (motion carries). - Odin Enterprises bid for off‑road bridge steel ($50,988.76): Single bid received; placed on file for review (motion carries). - Conservation Board petition for GO bonds: Accepted and placed on file (motion carries). - Travel for HR generalist to Iowa Employment Conference ($783.40): Approved (motion carries). - Subdivision plats (Sprague; Gahlmeier): Resolutions approved directing auditor to certify (motions carry). - Rezoning hearings (Ordinances 77-291 and 77-292): Public hearings set for 09:05 and 09:07 on March 11, 2025 (motions carry). - Library funding increase to statewide average (additional ~$6,617): Approved (motion carries). - $25,000 Cattle Congress/fair marketing allocation: Approved (motion carries). - Deputies rural allocation moved to 80%: Approved (motion carries). - Board professional fees reduced by $10,000; publishing fees reduced by $10,000: Approved (motions carry). - Sheriff training/equipment reduction ($40,000): Approved (motion carries). - Facilities maintenance reduction ($65,000): Approved (motion carries). - Reduce transfer to roads by $31,923 (return to FY25 level): Approved (motion carries). - Move certain sheriff equipment costs to bond/fund-balance: Approved (motion carries). - Retain proposed insurance-deductible funding and not reduce workers’ compensation or unemployment lines: Motion to not reduce carried.

What the board did not finalize: final elected-official pay increases, the precise nonbargaining increase to adopt, and several follow-up items (courthouse security details, attorney’s office space charge) were left for future work sessions. Supervisors asked staff to return Thursday with updated budget scenarios and clarifications.

Direct quotes (selected)

“This is just a one-year renewal for the existing service that we have,” Lauren Gordon, IT director, said of the CrowdStrike renewal. “The cost will still be $0 for this year.”

“We have to upload our property tax askings by next Wednesday,” Michelle Walter said while explaining the schedule constraint for budget decisions.

— The meeting record shows several roll-call votes and unanimous ‘aye’ motions on the items listed above; where the transcript records a roll call or unanimous voice vote, the article reports the result as approved or carried.