Winnebago County sheriff urges DOT discretion on plow operations; seeks longer union sick-leave call-in window
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Summary
Sheriff Steve Heberly asked the board to support a regional letter to the Iowa DOT seeking discretion for plow deployment during interstate closures, and asked the board to back changing the sheriff's-office sick-call window from 30 minutes to two hours to help staffing; counsel said any change to contract-covered terms requires union agreement or an MOU.
Sheriff Steve Heberly told the board he and other regional sheriffs have sent a letter to the Iowa Department of Transportation asking the DOT to consider allowing plow drivers more discretion — such as leaving plows at residences or otherwise changing deployment practices — when interstates close and traffic diverts to secondary county roads.
Heberly said the goal is to reduce calls for emergency rescue on county roads by getting ahead of predictable weather-driven incidents. "I'm doing my due diligence to put myself forward to say, look," he told the board, "you know? ... We're trying to get ahead of the curve before something dire happens." He described situations when travelers diverted from closed interstates become stranded on county roads and the sheriff's office is unable to reach them quickly.
Members discussed feasibility, liability, and the limits of DOT operations. One member noted that many DOT drivers serve interstate routes and would not necessarily be positioned to live near county secondary roads. The sheriff framed the request as informational and said the letter had been shared with local legislators; the board did not adopt a formal county directive to the DOT during the meeting.
On staffing, Heberly asked the board to support changing the call-in rule for union-covered sheriff's personnel from 30 minutes before a shift to two hours so the office would have more time to arrange coverage for jail and dispatch. County counsel said such a change affecting terms under a collective bargaining agreement would require the union's membership to approve an MOU or the union to alter its contract language; counsel said the board could approve an MOU if the union membership agreed. Heberly said the Teamsters' contract runs through 2030 and that he had been trying to secure union engagement. Board members expressed sympathy for the operational need but acknowledged the legal limits of unilateral action.
No change to the union contract was made at the meeting; the sheriff said he would continue outreach and the board will help facilitate conversations with the union and emergency-management stakeholders.
