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Supervisors discuss transfer of secondary-road committee duties to DOT, procurement policy concerns for FEMA grants
Summary
Board members described a recent legislative change that removed the county-level secondary road fund committee requirement, transferring responsibilities to the Iowa Department of Transportation; county staff and EMA representatives said the county needs a written procurement policy to secure FEMA and other grant funds.
Board members discussed a recent legislative change and administrative steps the county must take to remain eligible for certain grants and to clarify procurement rules.
A staff member summarized an apparent change in state legislative language (described in the meeting as a “house file” whose number was not specified) that eliminated the county-level secondary road fund committee. That duty was transferred to the Iowa Department of Transportation (DOT), which is now offering to house the secondary road fund committee under its umbrella. Staff told the board the change did not alter county funding formulas but will require administrative steps to reestablish certain county processes and to work under the DOT’s new structure.
Separately, Emergency Management (EMA) staff and the board discussed procurement-policy requirements tied to federal grants such as EMPG and FEMA-funded programs. Mark Thomas (EMA representative) explained that grant awards through the state require an up-to-date procurement policy because federal code changes require documented procedures. The EMA policy currently references the commission; staff said it can be adapted to cover the whole county with some “wordsmithing.”
Supervisors asked staff to gather example policies from other counties and to prepare a countywide procurement policy draft. The board noted the change was administrative rather than a change to funding formulas but said adopting a written policy would be prudent to avoid delays in grant reimbursement.
No formal board action was taken at the meeting on this topic; staff were directed to assemble example policies and to coordinate with county attorneys and finance staff to produce a draft for future consideration.
