Sheriff says 10-year crash map shows hotspots near Hobarton corner; explains limits on camera enforcement

Sheriff Roger Fisher told the Kossuth County Board that a 10-year review of crash data shows multiple county hotspots and confirmed five personal-injury crashes and one fatality at the Hobarton/McGregor Road corner in that period. "If you notice the orange dots, those are the locations that we had 11 fatality accidents in the last 10 years in Kossuth County," Fisher said, describing the map he prepared from department records.

Fisher said the sheriff's office logged roughly 388 personal-injury crashes and 218 locations with stop-sign complaints over the same 10-year span, and he cautioned that Iowa law (chapter 321P) prevents counties from using cameras for stop-sign enforcement without a state permit. "We can't use them for enforcement, but we can use them for investigative tools," he said, noting cameras have helped solve criminal cases but cannot alone identify a vehicle's driver for enforcement purposes. He added that the county's limited reserve staffing constrains special enforcement: officers can be assigned to monitor problem spots but may be called away by other incidents.

The board discussed next steps including additional signs, temporary directed enforcement when staffing allows, and pursuing an engineering study or state permitting process for any automated enforcement. The sheriff recommended consulting the county attorney and the Iowa Department of Transportation for permitting requirements and data submission if the county pursued an enforcement camera permit.