Board of supervisors hear presentations
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By Jeff Snyder
MOUNT AYR, Iowa — The Ringgold County Board of Supervisors held its weekly meeting on Tuesday rather than their normal Monday time slot.
Among the county departments presenting to the board was Ringgold County Engineer Jared Johnson. One of Johnson’s primary responsibilities is the management of the county road systems and the associated right of ways and property that abuts these roads. Johnson updated the supervisors on projects that are either pending or are currently under way. Secondary road work is typically more intense as winter takes its toll on the rural roads.
The board commented that some of the roads in question were in better condition for this time of year than is typical of a harsher winter. The county has seen very little snow or any precipitation for that matter which is reflected in current conditions.
As a side note, the board discussed a recent fire that took place in nearby Decatur County where the county lost several of its critical pieces of road maintenance equipment. This loss could hinder the county’s ability to instigate needed road repairs. The board discussed the potential for offering our neighbor in Decatur County the use of some of Ringgold County’s equipment until such time that replacement equipment could be acquired.
The next presenters were representatives of the health insurance plans currently in place for county (Iowa Government Health Care Plan) Denise Ballard and Jennifer McMillian went over the current plans structure and what impact the annual renewal would have on the county’s budgets. There was unanimous approval of the proposed rate change that amounted to a reasonable 2.54 percent increase. The presenters indicated that the county’s claim activity was in line with expectations and helped to keep the rate change to a minimum.
The board made a motion to approve the proposed rate which was hereby seconded. The board unanimously accepted the proposed change. No plan changes were proposed.
The next presenter was Skylar Burdette, representing the Ringgold County Historic Preservation Commission. Burdette went over the 2025 CLG Annual Report and went on to discuss the current year’s planned projects.
The preservation society is required to report formally to the board in order to maintain their status as a SHPO grant qualifier. Burdette went on to explain the plans for this year, including a preservation project that is in the early stages to preserve and restore the first HyVee grocery store that was built in Beaconsfield, population 14 as of the latest census. HyVee opened this location as their first store in 1930. The building is listed on the National Register of Historic Places.
The preservation committee is currently working with HyVee regarding this project and is hoping they share in the preservation committees desire to preserve this historic location.
The committee is also arranging partnerships with outside resources that will assist the preservation committee to identify future projects, including concentrating on the Mount Ayr town square where there are potentially numerous historic buildings.
