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Muscatine County supervisors approve $1.24 million in claims, OK Windstream fiber permit and several maintenance contracts
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Summary
At their April 27 meeting, the Muscatine County Board of Supervisors approved $1,241,958.08 in claims, granted three utility permits including a Windstream Iowa Communications LLC fiber installation along the Louisa County line, set a June 1 public hearing on budget amendments, and approved a $20,000 service order and a $2,719 change order for county building projects.
The Muscatine County Board of Supervisors on April 27 approved $1,241,958.08 in claims and a package of routine permits and maintenance contracts, including a Windstream request to install fiber‑optic cable along 280th Street at the Louisa County line.
Chair called the meeting to order and supervisors voted by voice to approve the agenda and the claims docket. The chair announced the claims total as $1,241,958.08 before taking the voice vote to accept them.
County Engineer Bridal Orowsky told the board the three utility permits before the supervisors included a straightforward new residential electrical service from Eastern Iowa Light and Power and two Windstream Iowa Communications LLC requests to install fiber on county rights‑of‑way: one on 280th Street between Highway 61 East and 13779 280th Street (the county line with Louisa County) and a second route from Woodland Drive east‑northeast to Knoll Road and then south to the county line. "We have three utility permits today," Bridal Orowsky said, outlining the locations and noting one cell tower sits just inside Louisa County.
A supervisor moved to approve the permits; the motion passed by voice vote.
The board also set a public hearing on proposed fiscal‑year 2025–26 Muscatine County budget amendments for Monday, June 1, 2026, at 9 a.m. The hearing date was approved unanimously by voice vote.
Mike Nolan of Horizon Agriculture attended to present an updated master agreement for service orders. Nolan said the revision is a routine, year‑over‑year update that primarily adjusts hourly rates: "This is just what we've done based on a regular cycle ... we updated our hourly rates more or less," he said. Supervisors approved the updated master agreement by voice vote.
Related maintenance work won approval as well. The board approved a $20,000 service order for phase 2 repairs to the Muscatine County Community Services Building. Nolan said the work includes repointing exterior granite and adding coping at the roofline to address water infiltration; staff indicated the phase will wrap up in coming weeks.
Supervisors also approved change order 01 for the Muscatine County engineer zoning office project in the amount of $2,719 after crews discovered an undocumented, concealed septic tank during excavation. County staff recommended pumping and removing the structure and refilling the excavation. One supervisor criticized the lack of documentation for the county’s own septic infrastructure; a county representative responded that the building and associated conditions were inherited and that the recommended work was a reasonable cost.
The board approved the April 20, 2026 minutes with a minor spelling/capitalization correction for an email reference to "Tony Consol." Supervisors reported correspondence and committee activity, including a letter from Pat Dolfo concerning rezoning on Davis Avenue and brief updates from regional transportation and bi‑state meetings.
No members of the public signed up to comment; the board adjourned after completing business.
What happens next: The county will publish notice of the June 1 public hearing on budget amendments; awarded service orders and change orders move forward as budgeted and administratively authorized.
