Monona County supervisors authorize road-closure powers for engineer, approve tax abatements and IT bid

The Monona County Board of Supervisors on May 12 unanimously adopted a package of routine administrative resolutions authorizing the county engineer to certify project work and to temporarily close county secondary roads, approved two property-tax abatements petitioned by the City of Mapleton, and accepted a bid to upgrade courthouse door-access software.

Chairman Bo Fox, Supervisors Tom Brouillette and Vincent Phillips met in the courthouse boardroom in Onawa and voted 3–0 on each item. The board first accepted a motion (moved by Supervisor Brouillette, seconded by Chairman Fox) to adopt Resolution SR 26-25, which authorizes County Engineer John Rasmussen to execute certificates of completion and final acceptance for Farm-to-Market and federal or state aid construction projects in Monona County.

The board then adopted Resolution SR 26-26 on a motion by Supervisor Phillips, delegating to County Engineer Rasmussen authority to temporarily close sections of Monona County secondary roads “when reasonably necessary because of construction, reconstruction, maintenance or natural disaster,” as the resolution cites Iowa Code Section 306.41. The resolution requires closures to be signed in accordance with the Manual on Uniform Traffic Control Devices and states that any numbered road closed for more than 48 hours shall have a designated detour route.

Additional engineer authorizations approved included Resolution SR 26-27 (NRCS project certifications and reimbursement requests), Resolution SR 26-28 (authority to apply for federal or state disaster-relief funding cited in the resolution as the Disaster Relief Act (PL 93-28, as amended) and Code of Iowa Chapter 29C) and Resolution SR 26-29 (certification and reimbursement authority for Hungry Canyons Alliance projects). Each resolution passed unanimously.

As Drainage Trustees, the board reviewed work on Oliver Lake Lat 1 with ISG and MOR Engineering representatives. ISG informed the board that graduate engineer Eric Sibenaller left ISG on May 8; the trustees indicated they wish to retain ISG on the project. The trustees also scheduled a McNeill reclassification meeting for May 29, 2026, and approved drainage claims (vote 3–0).

Sheriff Kevin Ewing opened sealed bids for law-enforcement vehicles during the meeting. Woodhouse submitted bids of $47,888 for a 2026 Police Inter Utility Ford Explorer and $52,565 for a 2026 Durango Pursuit AWD; Karl Automotive Group bid $53,740.20 for a 2026 Chevrolet Tahoe. The sheriff said he will prepare a bid tab; no award was made at the May 12 meeting.

After reconvening the board at 10:46 a.m., the supervisors heard from IT Director Jim Wigton and approved Quality Telecommunications’ bid of $8,050 to upgrade the courthouse door-access program (motion by Fox, seconded by Phillips; vote 3–0).

The board also adopted two tax-abatement resolutions petitioned by the City of Mapleton. Resolution 2026-09 directs the Monona County Treasurer to abate past general taxes and certain special assessments for MTMV Parcel #8543-24-1-02-007, previously owned by Harold G. and Dorothea C. Bochmann, reporting taxes owed of $348 for 2023 and $315 for 2024 (amounts include penalties and costs). Resolution 2026-10 directs abatement for MTMV Parcel #8543-24-1-51-080, previously owned by Lawrence Powell, reporting $115 owed for 2024 (including penalty and costs). Both abatements passed unanimously.

The board completed routine business by approving the minutes of May 5, 2026; approving county claims; authorizing a General Ledger journal correction for Conservation accounts; canceling the June 2 meeting due to the primary election; and acknowledging the Monona County Sheriff’s Report of Fees Collected for April 2026. The board adjourned at 11:23 a.m.

The meeting record shows actions taken by formal motion with unanimous votes and a small number of administrative items carried without extended debate. Vehicle procurement remains pending until the sheriff completes bid tabulation.

(For provenance: the board recorded Resolutions SR 26-25 through SR 26-29 and Resolutions 2026-09 and 2026-10 in the meeting minutes; bids and the Quality Telecommunications award are recorded in the same minutes.)