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Supervisors consider placing historic barns under county conservation authority; conservation board to review MOU
Summary
The board discussed drafting a memorandum of understanding to place Madison/Masden Barns under the county conservation board's authority under Iowa Code chapter 350; the conservation board meets Feb. 26 to consider accepting management while the county would retain funding and governance in practice.
Jefferson County supervisors discussed a proposal to place the historic barns property under the county conservation board’s authority via a memorandum of understanding at the Feb. 8 meeting.
Speaker 1 said the draft MOU would transfer the property into the conservation board’s statutory umbrella under Iowa Code chapter 350 while allowing the county to maintain governance, operations and funding. "It takes the city out of the equation per se and gives control, in this case, to the conservation," Speaker 1 said, citing the code sections discussed by staff.
Participants said the conservation board would keep operational control (mowing, stewardship and governance) as before but the property would be subject to the conservation board’s regulations rather than city ordinances. Speaker 4 recommended presenting a persuasive package to the conservation board and cautioned the board had declined properties in other cases.
The conservation board meeting is scheduled for Feb. 26; supervisors asked staff to place the item on next week’s agenda so supervisors and conservation representatives can attend and review the MOU language. Public comments included thanks to staff and community members involved in the work.
Next steps: finalize MOU language, share draft with the conservation board and return to supervisors for approval if conservation board agrees to accept the property under chapter 350 provisions.
