The Mitchell County Commissioners called their meeting to order Monday morning at 8:30 and promptly adjourned into a thirty minute executive session with GIS personnel Melinda Latham and Clint Offutt. At the end of the executive session, the commissioners announced that no action had been taken.
Larry Emerson, Public Works superintendent, was present and announced that he had success with an alternate solution for the high cost of drilling piling holes for the new bridge in the Micah Tice neighborhood. Emerson had reported last week that the company scheduled to drill the holes would amass a bill in excess of thirty thousand dollars to do the work. Emerson had visited with Scott Hartman of Bobcat and Hartman could sell the County an augering machine that would fit on the front of their excavators for nine thousand dollars. Hartman assured Emerson that this machine would be very capable of drilling the eighteen inch holes needed for the pilings. There is a shipping fee of three hundred dollars and it could be delivered early next week. The commissioners voted three to zero to invest the nine thousand three hundred dollars in the auger rather than contracting to have it done for thirty thousand dollars.
Emerson also reported that he had finally made contact with someone from AT&T to relocate the phone lines that are connected to the bridge that is to be demolished and replaced. He said they will rig a temporary crossing until the bridge is finished and at that time will install a permanent connection across the bridge.
Emerson also reported they are beginning to screen sand to have available to make asphalt when the time comes. The crews are also getting the mowers ready for the mowing season which is fast approaching.
Following Emerson were Sondra Hone and Kristen Kadel. Ms. Hone presented the commissioners with a revised job description for the County Health Nurse. It was the consensus of the commissioners that it was a very big job.
A discussion of the time frame of advertising, interviewing, and selecting a new County Health Nurse followed. It was obvious that it will not be possible to have a new person on the job by the time Hone's resignation becomes effective on May 2, 2014. The commissioners inquired if Kristen Kadel would be interested in serving as an interim County Health Nurse since she is the senior personnel on staff. At that time Kadel requested a fifteen minute executive session. Kadel and Hone met with the commissioners and County Clerk Chris Treaster in executive session. When the regular meeting was resumed it was announced the Kristen Kadel accepted the interim position as County Health Nurse.
Kadel discussed a fourteen thousand dollar grant they would be receiving to conduct at-home, well baby visits by the county health nurse personnel. Kadel shared that because of their staff being spread very thin they hoped to find someone to whom they could contract out these visits. She reported that last year in the Jewell-Mitchell county area 80 to 100 babies were born. The grant covers these two counties with the at- home visits having an emphasis on families with first born children. Kadel told the commissioners that she believed an ideal candidate would be a "grandmotherly" type of person because experience has proven that older ladies seem to create less apprehension in the new mothers and that makes the visits much more productive.
Next on the agenda was Brian Streit, Courthouse Maintenance superintendent. Streit requested a fifteen minute executive session to discuss non-elected personnel. At the conclusion of the executive session it was announced that no decisions had been made.
The commissioners discussed a letter received by the Mitchell County Historical Society. Plans are being made to open the cornerstone of the Beloit Post Office. The cornerstone was laid on September 28, 1913 and the building was completed in 1914. The Historical Society is seeking the Commissioners support on the project of opening the cornerstone. No action was taken.
A Neighborhood Revitalization Grant in the amount of sixty nine thousand sixty dollars was approved for Darrell and Penny Simpson.
Ed Debesis requested approval for extra time worked due a temporary shortage of staff. The Commissioners approved his request.
With no further business before them, the meeting was adjourned.