Van Buren supervisors approve multiple staffing appointments, adopt county code ordinance and authorize tax exemptions

The Van Buren County Board of Supervisors approved a series of staffing appointments and administrative resolutions during its Dec. 8 meeting in Keosauqua.

On motions that passed unanimously (Ayes: Meek, Waugh, House), supervisors appointed Dr. Richard Breckenridge to the Board of Health (term to Dec. 31, 2028); Zachery Kisling to the County Conservation Board (to fill a vacancy through Dec. 31, 2025 and a full term through Dec. 31, 2030); Paula Mohr to the Historic Preservation Commission (to fill a vacancy through Dec. 31, 2026); and Terry Moore to a three-year Keosauqua appointment ending Dec. 31, 2028. The board also approved the minutes of its Nov. 24 meeting.

The board adopted Resolution #12-08-2025A designating one administrator and one assistant administrator for the Veteran Affairs office and appointing Barbara Winslow as Veteran Affairs Administrator and Marcella Hannam as Assistant Administrator (roll call: Meek Aye; Waugh Aye; House Aye).

Resolution #12-08-2025B, also adopted unanimously, set the number of deputies, assistants, and clerks for multiple county offices and approved named appointments. Among those named were Geoff Morris as Chief Deputy Sheriff; Adam McIntyre, Colin Smith, Spencer Rider and Tyler Stoltz as deputy sheriffs; Robin Kovar as office manager for the Sheriff’s office; Laura Thomas as Deputy Auditor; Bethany Smith as Auditor’s clerk; Thomas Gage as part-time assistant county attorney; Taylor Weatherington as Deputy Recorder; and Megan Becker and Luke Kerr as Deputy Treasurers. The board also approved Leslie Payne, Tyler Stoltz and Jaymee McClain as process servers in the Sheriff’s office effective Dec. 8, 2025.

The board approved Resolution #112-08-2025C accepting the Assessor’s recommendations for homestead tax credits, disabled veteran homestead credits, homestead 65+ exemptions and military exemptions for assessment year 2025, with named exceptions. For example, a military exemption application for Megan Black-Campion (parcel 480130300450) was disallowed due to no DD214 on file, per Iowa Code §426A.13(1); the Auditor was directed to notify claimants denied or excepted and advise them of appeal rights.

The board waived the third reading and adopted Van Buren County Ordinance #2025-1, re-adopting the county’s existing code of ordinances after the Clerk reported no written or oral public comments.

Auditor Lisa Plecker reported revisions to the Chief Elected Officials Shared Liability Agreement for the newly formed Eastern Iowa Workforce Development Area; the board authorized Supervisor House to electronically sign the updated agreement.

Payroll and claims for the period (detailed claim numbers listed in the minutes) were approved by motion. The board also acknowledged an ownership transfer for a confinement feeding operation (from John Conaway/Gooden Finishers to Phillips Farms Kahoka II, LLC — Webster Site Facility #58124) and accepted one-year Manure Management Plan updates from four facilities.

The meeting concluded with reports from supervisors on external meetings (including SIEDA and the Heartland Insurance Risk Pool) and with a discussion of a draft operator agreement for the county recycle center, which was tabled until the Jan. 2, 2026 meeting. The meeting adjourned at 10:46 a.m.

Next steps: the Auditor will notify applicants listed as denied or excepted on exemption filings and the board will revisit the recycle center operator agreement Jan. 2, 2026.