Monona County Board approves maintenance promotion, GPS for county vehicles and RAGBRAI camping; tables McNeill Phase II manual

MONONA COUNTY, Iowa — The Monona County Board of Supervisors on March 25 approved a staff promotion in the county maintenance shop, authorized GPS equipment for county vehicles and allowed RAGBRAI riders to camp on the courthouse lawn, while drainage trustees delayed action on the McNeill Phase II cleanout project manual.

Chairperson Bo Fox moved to adopt Resolution No. SR 26-19 to transfer Dustin Landon from Operator II to Operator III with a start date of March 29, 2026, raising his hourly rate from $26.20 to $27.35. Supervisor Vincent (Vince) Phillips seconded the resolution; the board recorded the motion and proceeded with related personnel steps, including authorizing an internal posting to fill the resulting Operator II vacancy.

The resolution and related staffing motions were part of broader Secondary Roads business that also included authorization to solicit quotes for culverts for the McNeill Drainage Ditch cleanout and discussion of foremen comp time, first-aid supplies, a safety grant and the county’s dust-control policy. The board voted to solicit bids to upgrade the courthouse electronic door locks after IT Director Jim Wigton presented the proposal.

At 8:40 a.m. the board voted to go into closed session under Iowa Code 21.5(1)(c) with County Attorney Haley Bryan present; the minutes show the board returned to open session at 8:54 a.m. and reported no action taken while in closed session.

The board recessed at 10:10 a.m. to convene as Drainage Trustees. Acting as trustees, they discussed Oliver Lake Lateral 1 (no action) and moved to table approval of the McNeill Phase II Cleanout Project manual, postponing final approval for further review. Trustees also voted to transfer current drainage projects from ISG to Agri Via and scheduled Agri Via to meet with trustees the following week to discuss next steps.

When the supervisors reconvened at 10:44 a.m., Zoning and Environmental Health Administrator Sandy Bubke recommended closing Nuisance Complaint #56; Supervisor Fox moved and Supervisor Tom Brouillette seconded the motion to close the complaint (recorded ayes: Fox and Brouillette). The board also approved a request from Ashley Ramm of the local RAGBRAI committee to allow event riders to camp on the courthouse lawn.

Bubke presented costs for GPS units for county vehicles; the board approved installing GPS (motion by Brouillette, second by Fox). The minutes record that a cost breakdown was presented but do not specify dollar amounts.

In routine business the board approved claims, approved minutes of the March 17, 2026 meeting, and authorized the chair’s signature on a payroll/status change increasing Keagan Gosch’s hourly pay from $18.00 to $18.50 following completion of SEAT I training. The board acknowledged receipt of the Monona County Clerk of Court report of fees collected for February 2026 and West Central Community Action’s financial statements dated Sept. 30, 2025, and adjourned at 12:07 p.m.

Votes at a glance: approve agenda (motion recorded ayes: Bo Fox, Tom Brouillette), enter closed session (ayes: Fox, Brouillette), exit closed session (ayes: Fox, Brouillette, Vincent Phillips), adopt Resolution SR 26-19 (resolution motion recorded and processed as documented), internal posting for Operator II (ayes: Fox, Brouillette, Phillips), solicit culvert quotes (ayes: Fox, Brouillette, Phillips), solicit bids for door locks (ayes: Fox, Brouillette, Phillips), recess to Drainage Trustees (ayes: Fox, Brouillette, Phillips), table McNeill Phase II manual (ayes: Fox, Phillips, Brouillette), transfer projects to Agri Via (ayes: Brouillette, Phillips, Fox), close Nuisance Complaint #56 (ayes: Fox, Brouillette), approve RAGBRAI camping (ayes: Fox, Brouillette), approve GPS on county vehicles (ayes: Fox, Brouillette), approve claims and minutes and payroll change (ayes: Fox, Brouillette), acknowledge reports (ayes: Fox, Brouillette), adjourn (ayes: Fox, Brouillette).

The board’s minutes do not include verbatim quotes in the record for these items. The closed session was held pursuant to Iowa Code 21.5(1)(c); the minutes state no formal action resulted from the closed session.