Webster County hearing on DD 34 Lateral A draws widespread landowner opposition over cost; no motion made to proceed

The Webster County Board of Supervisors, acting as trustees for Drainage District Number 34 Lateral A, held a continuation hearing on Jan. 13, 2026, where written and oral comments from landowners overwhelmingly objected to a proposed improvement because of high projected costs. The public hearing closed at 12:11 p.m.; no motion to proceed was offered.

Dozens of written submissions were entered into the record before the oral comments began. Several landowners and representatives argued that the engineering amendment released in 2025 contains inconsistencies with prior reports and that parcel-level cost breakdowns were incomplete. Hunter Fores, whose email and spreadsheet were read into the record, warned that ‘‘the cost substantially overshadow whatever benefit might be achieved by the proposal’’ and asked that the amendment and cost sheet be provided to landowners; he urged the board to deny the project based on the available figures.

Crystal Lloyd, Webster County’s budget and finance director and former drainage clerk, said the amendment and attachments would be posted and that the engineering report was prepared by a different firm than the earlier 2017 report. ‘‘This is an improvement per Iowa code. It needs to be desirable or necessary and feasible to move forward,’’ Lloyd told attendees, citing the statutory standard the board must consider. Lloyd also described payment options read into the record, including paying in full, splitting payments with taxes (September and March) with no interest, or executing 10- or 20-year waivers that would accrue 6% interest, and confirmed the current spreadsheet used a $1,400,000 baseline for lateral A1 only.

Engineers and farmers gave competing frames on whether the project’s benefits justify its cost. Luke Huggins of McClure Engineering said the amendment used more current, statewide pricing and vendor input and that ‘‘these are what the numbers are to the best of our abilities now,’’ adding the firm stands by the updated estimates. By contrast, several landowners used cost-benefit calculations to show lengthy payback periods: one written example estimated paying roughly $167,000 for an 80-acre parcel would yield only about $3,288 in additional corn revenue at a recent price point, producing a negative return in the near term and decades-long payback horizons under conservative price assumptions.

AJ Blair, speaking for landowners he farms for, argued the existing tile system is more than a century old and that improved drainage could restore some acreage to production, but he and other farmers said the present cost projection makes the proposal untenable. Others, including Lloyd Stewart, who had initially signed a petition, said he no longer supported moving forward because the expense now appeared ‘‘ridiculous’’ for landowners.

Attendees also questioned process and timing: Andy Grossquist asked why an engineering firm was retained before widespread landowner support was determined. County staff and Lloyd explained the municipal process under code calls for a petition to be filed and an engineer to be appointed to prepare a report, after which the supervisors hold a hearing; the district pays engineering costs. Lloyd confirmed she would post the amendment and the cost spreadsheet and include submitted emails in the hearing record.

After public comment, the supervisors sought a motion to authorize improvement of the tile line; none was made, so no formal action to proceed occurred. The board then moved to adjourn. The hearing record, including the amended report and cost spreadsheets, will remain on file; petitioners or landowners may revise the petition or submit a new petition if they wish to pursue a different scope or cost-sharing arrangement.

Authorities and motions recorded at the meeting included the approval of the previous meeting minutes by voice vote and the formal closure of the public hearing at 12:11 p.m. The board did not adopt any improvement or enter into an agreement during the Jan. 13 session.