Benton County approves multiple 28E agreements for school officer, mental‑health liaison, city policing and dispatch services

The Benton County Board of Supervisors voted March 3 to adopt several Chapter 28E intergovernmental agreements that reshape how the county and nearby towns will share law‑enforcement personnel and dispatch services in fiscal year 2027.

The board unanimously approved Resolution #26‑12 to enter a 28E agreement with the Benton Community School District to assign one full‑time deputy as a school resource officer (SRO) beginning July 1, 2026. The recorded agreement makes the SRO an employee of the Benton County Sheriff’s Office and specifies that the district will reimburse 75% of the annual cost — listed in the agreement as $91,020.12 for FY2027.

The board also approved Resolution #26‑13 to fund a Law Enforcement Mental Health Liaison to coordinate mental‑health crises and provide training and referrals. The resolution and the agreement text project a FY2027 salary of $74,160; the three participating cities’ contributions are listed in the agreements (Belle Plaine 7.1% = $5,265.36; Urbana 4.7% = $3,485.52; Vinton 15% = $11,124.00), with quarterly payments required.

In a separate set of approvals under Resolution #26‑14, supervisors authorized individual 28E service contracts with Atkins, Blairstown, Garrison, Keystone, Luzerne, Mount Auburn, Newhall, Norway, Shellsburg, Urbana and Van Horne. Each city agreement includes an annual payment and a cap on average weekly or total yearly service hours; examples printed in the agreement text include Atkins ($60,840; up to 936 hours/year), Shellsburg ($67,600; up to 1,040 hours/year), Newhall ($50,700; up to 780 hours/year), and Van Horne ($50,700; up to 780 hours/year). Each agreement is to be filed by the Benton County Auditor’s Office with the Iowa Secretary of State per Iowa Code §28E.8.

Supervisors also approved Resolution #26‑15 to provide centralized dispatch services to Belle Plaine, Urbana and Vinton. The agreement describes a dispatch salary budget of $661,150 for FY2026 used as the basis for FY2027 cost‑sharing. The participating cities will pay a fixed per‑capita rate of $10.00 per resident (Belle Plaine $23,300; Urbana $15,540; Vinton $49,380), with Benton County covering the remainder.

All four resolutions were adopted by motion with Tippett as mover and Volz as seconder on the listed motions; the minutes record the board voting "aye" on the motions. Several of the printed agreement drafts note administrative details: the Sheriff’s Office will employ and supervise the SRO and liaison, BCSD will provide office space and other supports for the SRO, and quarterly invoicing or quarterly payment schedules are expected for city cost shares.

The approvals finalize the county’s FY2027 framework for shared law‑enforcement staffing and centralized dispatching but leave operational details — including hiring decisions, training schedules, and any use of grant funding to reduce costs — to later administrative steps described in the agreements.

Funding and filing steps noted in the agreements: the SRO and liaison are BCSO employees, BCSD and participating cities reimburse BCSO per the written schedules, and each 28E agreement is to be electronically filed with the Iowa Secretary of State.

The board also approved routine EMS claims totaling $27,073.78 and a set of other consent items at the meeting. The board adjourned at 10:02 a.m.