Heather Knebel.

I hope you are having a great summer! My family has been enjoying extra time together during summer break.

The Tama County Board of Supervisors had been made aware that the Landfill and Economic Development departments in Tama County have been paying higher insurance premiums than other county departments for the last 6-7 years. We were able to resolve the insurance premium discrepancy of our 28E departments within one week, and now employees across all departments have the same insurance premiums.

We are still in litigation with Salt Creek Wind. The judge handling the Temporary Injunction lawsuit has not yet ruled on the case. In the lawsuit, we asked for summary judgement, as well as for six counter claims, and we are awaiting a ruling on that as well. Salt Creek continues construction even though a stay had been in place. This month the Board of Adjustment held an appeal hearing on the previous Zoning Administrator’s decision to approve a two-year extension of time to build 60 wind turbines and 1 substation. The Board of Supervisors and Salt Creek Wind’s attorneys presented their points to the Board of Adjustment members. The Board of Adjustment, with a vote of 3-2, ruled that the decision of the previous Zoning Administrator be reversed, thus revoking the two-year extension. Salt Creek Wind continues construction on turbine sites and access roads even after the hearing. The Board of Supervisors have asked the courts for a restraining order and are awaiting that decision. There will be two more Board of Adjustment hearings in July addressing this topic. Watch the legal section in the local newspapers for details or reach out if you want the dates and information. As elected Board of Supervisors, we will do everything we can to ensure the County Ordinances are adhered to, as well as the law.

The Supervisors appointed three Board of Adjustment and two Zoning Commission members in June. We are very appreciative of the individuals that volunteer their time to be on these county boards/commissions.

The Board of Supervisors invited several different organizations to our meetings to partner with us in promoting mental health awareness. Our Chairman, Mark Doland, is leading the efforts to bring more mental health services to Tama County. I recognize this as a need and support his efforts in helping to bring these services to our citizens. Together We Can Inc. plans to be in Tama County on Fridays at Prairie Ridge in Tama starting July 11 from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. to offer free peer-led support and education to adults dealing with mental health issues.

Economic Development is still an ongoing topic with the Director resigning effective June 30. I am committed to finding a solution for economic development in Tama County and will be meeting with the Iowa Workforce Development and several other counties to find the best solution as we move forward. Please let me know if anyone has specific ideas or would like to take a leadership role in this area. I will be reaching out to business leaders for further discussion and their assistance in helping pave the way for the future of this department.

Information Technology (IT) continues to be a focus of mine, whether it be outside resources or an internal department, it is very important and needs to be prioritized. We have a lot of work to do and need to collectively come up with the best plan as we move forward in Tama County.

As usual, please reach out with any questions or concerns. Stay cool in this hot weather!

Supervisor Heather Knebel (R-Traer), the first elected female supervisor in Tama County history, represents District 3, including the townships of Spring Creek, Crystal, Perry, and parts of far northern Carlton (excluding Garwin) and Howard. She can be reached at 641-481-2532 or hknebel@tamacounty.org.