Mills County board approves inspection contract for Tallgrass Pipeline

The Mills County Board of Supervisors voted to approve a contract with Snyder & Associates to perform inspections connected to Tallgrass Pipeline work. A board member moved to approve the inspection contract and the motion carried after a second and a voice vote in favor.

County attorneys and staff discussed the legal basis for the inspection, citing an Iowa statute that requires the board to order an inspection and provides that the pipeline company will pay the inspection costs. As one attorney put it in the meeting, "the statute provided everything that we needed," and the board confirmed they were comfortable with the contract language after attorney review.

Board members asked that the contract be signed and that staff proceed with arrangements. No detailed vote tally with individual names was recorded in the transcript; the board adopted the motion by voice vote.

The board took the action during its regular meeting; staff indicated inspections must be scheduled and arranged under the statute and the pipeline company will pay the contracted costs. The board did not specify an implementation timetable in the discussion recorded at the meeting.

Next procedural steps: staff and county counsel will complete contract signature and scheduling for the inspection work under the Snyder & Associates agreement.