Pocahontas County supervisors approve $3.21 million road contract, appoint drainage commissioners and authorize solar tax review

The Pocahontas County Board of Supervisors on March 3, 2026, unanimously accepted Mathy Construction Company’s $3,209,254 bid for DOT-let road work, appointed drainage commissioners for a reclassification and approved several administrative and drainage-related items during a regular session at the courthouse in Pocahontas.

Assistant Engineer Haley Toms presented eight bids for three DOT-let road projects under Contract #76-C076-082; Supervisor Brent Aden moved to accept Mathy Construction Company’s bid and Supervisor Kyle Smith seconded. The motion passed with unanimous support from Chairman Louis Stauter and Supervisors Peter Seehusen, Clarence Siepker and Kyle Smith.

The board also approved a right-of-way purchase agreement for the east side of project PROS-C076(79)-5F-76 (a bridge-to-box culvert project south of Fonda). Supervisor Kyle Smith moved to approve and sign the ROW purchase; Supervisor Brent Aden seconded and the motion carried unanimously.

Bolten and Menk requested appointment of drainage commissioners for a DD84 reclassification. Supervisor Peter Seehusen moved to appoint Troy Stockwell, Jeff Ives and Jerry Hammen as drainage commissioners; Supervisor Clarence Siepker seconded and the board approved the appointments unanimously.

Auditor Nita Hinrickson asked whether the board wished to proceed with an engagement letter with the law firm Ahlers & Cooney to review the Solar Replacement Tax agreement now that the Solar Ordinance has passed. Supervisor Kyle Smith moved to proceed with the engagement and Supervisor Brent Aden seconded; the motion carried unanimously. The board noted the Solar Ordinance Summary Notice has been approved by the County Attorney and will be submitted to the local paper for publication.

Other business included routine maintenance and administrative items. Derek Essing reported inspecting a minor crack in the courthouse and said he will fill it when temperatures rise. The board approved a Memorandum of Understanding with the Assessor on a motion by Supervisor Clarence Siepker, seconded by Supervisor Kyle Smith.

Several small drainage payments and related items were handled: Supervisors tabled JT DD181 beaver tails invoices totaling $520.00 until next week (motion by Siepker, seconded by Smith), and approved JT DD63 beaver tails for $280.00 and Tri DD1 beaver tails for $200.00 (motions by Peter Seehusen, seconded by Kyle Smith). Assistant Engineer Toms said she will check on two drainage ditches reported by Supervisor Aden that have dirt piles and will follow up on information for the continued DD91 informational meeting requested by Supervisor Seehusen.

On agricultural matters, the board unanimously approved six Manure Management Plans: Tim Flaherty Home Place (ID#62728, NW SW, Section 26, Roosevelt Township), Brian Kinkade (ID#65166, NE NE, Section 32, Marshall Township), Ken Woodford Finishing #2 (ID#67029, SE SW, Section 5, Cummins Township), A & W Site (ID#67013, NW SE, Section 1, Cummins Township; owner Hawkeye Ag LLP; contact Scott Jacobsen), Brannigan Site (ID#67014, NE NE, Section 23, Dover Township; owner Summit Farms, LLC; contact Scott Jacobsen), and PI-328 (ID#65793, NW NE, Section 20, Bellville Township; owner Prestage Farms of Iowa LLC). The motion to approve the list was moved by Supervisor Brent Aden and seconded by Supervisor Peter Seehusen.

Supervisors provided brief weekly reports—Seehusen reported on CFR, Siepker on department head meetings and UDMO and Linking Families, Stauter on YES, Smith on department head, jail and ditch concerns, and Aden on MIDAS—and all reported attending an ICAP meeting. With no further business the board adjourned after a motion by Supervisor Peter Seehusen and second by Supervisor Kyle Smith.

The board minutes record the motions, seconds and that each motion carried with unanimous votes; no roll-call tallies beyond “Ayes all” were recorded in the version of the minutes provided.