The Jefferson County Board of Supervisors met Monday, February 23rd, to discuss upcoming road construction projects, fair board improvements, and county operations.
Road Projects and Load Embargo
County Engineer DeWayne Heintz reported his department has been relatively quiet while waiting for warmer weather to resume outdoor work. Last week, crews focused on cutting brush, patching roads, and pipe work.
Libertyville Road Project Update
Heintz said the county is waiting to hear back from Norris Asphalt on the timeline for the Libertyville Road project. Once a start date is confirmed, the county will try to provide as much advance notice as possible to residents and businesses.
During construction, Libertyville Road will be open for local access but closed to through traffic. Flaggers and pilot cars will be used to manage traffic flow, though the county encourages motorists to use detour routes when possible.
“There will be no hard closure, but it’s safer to minimize as much traffic as possible,” Heintz said.
For safety reasons, truck traffic to the quarry will not be allowed from Libertyville Road during construction.
The project has a three-month window with 65 working days available. Shoulder strengthening and drain work will be the most time-consuming portions of the project. Once those are complete, the remaining work should progress more quickly. Heintz noted the crews cannot work on multiple phases simultaneously.
No start date has been finalized.
227th Street Load Embargo
A citizen raised concerns about construction project traffic in relation to the Libertyville Road work, specifically regarding 227th Street.
Heintz discussed implementing a load embargo on 227th Street, by Kale Boulevard—a route not posted as an official detour but likely to see increased truck traffic during the Libertyville Road closure.
The road is currently posted for a 10-ton limit due to a low-water stream crossing that has developed stress fractures. Under Iowa law, the county has 90 days to officially embargo a road once the process begins. Trucks exceeding the 10-ton limit would be subject to tickets for illegal loads.
Fair Board Funding Request
The Jefferson County Fair Board President Brent Pacha addressed the supervisors to request the county’s annual donation. The board is currently remodeling the activity building at the Jefferson County Fairgrounds.
Pacha also discussed plans for a new barn and show arena, likely to be constructed at the current location. This multi-million dollar project could be completed within the next five years if enough funding is secured. The board is actively looking into grant opportunities to help finance the improvements.
County Operations Updates
New Phone System
The supervisors discussed upgrading the county’s phone system after talking with LISCO and KCTC about new options.
Board of Health Expansion
The supervisors considered adding Steve Burgmeier to the Board of Health, which currently has five members. To avoid an even number that could result in tie votes, the supervisors discussed expanding the board to seven members instead of six.
Safety Training Rescheduled
The courthouse was originally scheduled to close on Wednesday morning, February 25th, from 8 a.m. to 12 p.m. for safety training for county employees. However, on Friday, February 20th, they found out court proceedings got scheduled during that time frame, forcing the county to reschedule.
Supervisors are working to find a new date when court will not be in session so all county employees can participate in the safety training.
Proposed Property Tax Notice Hearing
The supervisors set a public hearing on the proposed property tax notice for March 23rd at 10 a.m. The levy hearing will give residents an opportunity to provide input on the county’s property tax proposal.
