Muscatine County supervisors reorganized for 2026 on Jan. 2, electing Danny Chick as chair and Kurt Kirchner as vice chair and approving a slate of board and commission appointments.

Speaker 1 moved to elect "Danny Chick to chair and Kurt Kirchner to vice chair," and the motion was seconded and approved by voice vote. Speaker 2 then turned the meeting over to chairperson Danny Chick. The board recorded unanimous approval on related procedural votes.

The board also set its 2026 meeting schedule, agreeing to keep regular meetings on Mondays at 9 a.m. after members said prior attempts at evening meetings had not increased public participation and had created scheduling confusion for staff. "Based on no other real compelling issue ... I would make a motion we maintain the Mondays at 9 as our normal meeting date," said Speaker 1.

On appointments, the board approved several reappointments and one new appointment: Matt Shutt was reappointed to a one‑year term ending Dec. 21, 2026; Sherry Seawright was reappointed to the Muscatine County Conservation Board for a five‑year term ending Dec. 31, 2030; Richard Bruce Boozer was reappointed to the Conesville Benefited Fire District for a three‑year term ending Dec. 31, 2028 (pending Louisa County approval); and Karen Harper and Michelle Garvin were reappointed to the Muscatine County Board of Health for three‑year terms ending Dec. 31, 2028. The board reappointed Joe Harper, John Koala and Chris Brace to three‑year terms on the Historic Preservation Commission and appointed Todd Stammerer to fill a vacancy on that commission for a term ending Jan. 1, 2029.

During the Historic Preservation Commission discussion, several board members said both applicants for the vacancy were well qualified. "Todd has always been very much into historical things," a board member said in support of Stammerer. After a motion and second, the board voted to appoint Stammerer.

The meeting concluded after the board approved the minutes of its Dec. 29, 2025 meeting and accepted payroll claims dated Dec. 25; there were no public comments.

The board's next regular meeting date and the list of supervisor appointments to outside boards will be revisited at the next session as staff prepares a finalized roster.