Kossuth County supervisors adopt ATV and parks ordinances, approve claims and right-of-way work; staff and road updates delivered

Kossuth County supervisors adopted two amended ordinances and took several administrative actions during their May 13, 2025, meeting, moving quickly through routine items before hearing departmental updates and acknowledging a union proposal.

The board voted unanimously to adopt amended Ordinance 1-14c, regulating the operation of all-terrain vehicles and off-road vehicles, and amended Ordinance 5-12a, which sets rules and regulations for county parks and recreation properties. Both measures were approved after the board waived additional readings and passed final adoption by roll call.

Why it matters: The ATV/ORV ordinance and the parks ordinance define permitted vehicle use and camping rules on county property and will affect enforcement and visitor behavior at county parks, including Smith Lake campgrounds.

The board also approved a late (handwritten) claim that had been missed in the normal claims batch and granted Iowa Lakes Electric Cooperative permission to work in the county road right-of-way for line reconstruction and under-road boring related to building service. Supervisors acknowledged receipt of an initial collective-bargaining proposal from a public-safety employee union and set the administrative steps to proceed with bargaining.

Board action and votes

Votes at a glance: - Ordinance 1-14c (ATV/ORV regulation): motion to waive second and third readings; motion to approve ordinance; roll-call vote recorded as unanimous (Haas, Garman, Stecker, Wachter — yes). Outcome: approved and ordered published under Iowa law. - Ordinance 5-12a (parks, preserves, parkways, playgrounds and recreation centers): motion to waive readings; motion to adopt; roll-call vote recorded as unanimous (Haas, Garman, Stecker, Wachter — yes). Outcome: adopted and effective upon publication under Iowa Code section 331.302(8). - Handwritten claim payment: motion to approve (mover recorded); voice vote carried. Outcome: approved; claim will be paid outside the regular claims cycle because it was missed when submitted by email. - Iowa Lakes Electric Cooperative right-of-way request: motion approved by voice vote. Outcome: contractor authorized to work in the road right-of-way for the project described to the board. - Acknowledgment of union initial bargaining proposal: county staff acknowledged receipt of the union’s proposal and recorded it as the opening position for bargaining; no final agreement reached at the meeting.

What supervisors and staff said

Kendall, a parks/conservation staff member, described how camping time limits vary by campground and season, saying, "From April 15 through May 12, you could stay as long as you wanted," and explaining that a two-week limit applies in peak months at some campgrounds while permanent sites on the north side of Smith Lake have no time limit.

Doug, county engineer, summarized upcoming road work: contractors will begin patching and resurfacing after preconstruction meetings; a bridge north of Sexton is scheduled for work with a contractor identified as Scott Pearson Smith; crack filling on Bancroft–Forest City Road is complete; and the county expects Fort Dodge Asphalt to perform slurry leveling soon. Doug noted staffing vacancies in the engineer’s office for mechanic positions.

Union bargaining and budget context

Sam Christians, a labor specialist representing the union, identified himself and presented the union’s opening proposal. County staff said the county’s current budget and earlier planning constrained the county’s initial offer and that the board would formally acknowledge receipt of the union’s proposal and proceed to bargaining. The two sides exchanged brief high-level comments about total cost differences: the union’s proposal referenced wage and longevity increases that county staff characterized as substantially higher than the county’s initial offer.

Personnel and administrative updates

Clerk/staff reported that a new housekeeper, Kim Florey of Leslie, will start work on May 27, 2025 (the 27th, as May 26 is Memorial Day), and that a long‑time employee, Ron, will retire in June; the county has posted the vacated position and will use an existing salary schedule for the hire and the July 1 wage-schedule step noted in the board’s resolution.

Road and infrastructure context

Supervisors discussed that some planned event routes depend on bridge availability and that Fort Dodge Asphalt’s delay in completing annual slurry leveling last year had caused frustration. Doug said Mathy (contractor) is preparing to start resurfacing and that contractors have been notified about road policies and staging. The board also approved a request from Iowa Lakes Electric Cooperative to rebuild a power line and perform under-road boring at locations indicated in the county right-of-way.

Background and next steps

The board read the ordinances’ effective-date language in accordance with Iowa Code section 331.302(8); both ordinances become effective after passage and publication as required by state law. Supervisors asked staff to continue negotiating with the union and to return with further updates on bargaining, road projects and staffing. The county will pay the approved late claim immediately rather than waiting for the next regular claims cycle.

Meeting context: The session combined routine approvals and departmental reports with a collective-bargaining acknowledgment; vote items were handled by formal motions and roll calls where required, and the board used both voice votes and roll calls depending on the item.

Ending note: The board scheduled follow-up on the engineering work and union bargaining; staff will provide additional details and timeline updates as the projects and negotiations progress.