Supervisors discuss need for painted lines on county roads, consider easement for communications tower and review LP bids

by Lissa Blake

It was a short agenda for the Allamakee County Supervisors Monday morning, August 13.

During the public comment section, Gloria Payne of the Allamakee County Historic Preservation Commission thanked the Supervisors and explained the Commission’s first meeting in the Board of Supervisors room was happening later that day.

Payne asked Board Chair Larry Schellhammer to sign a Certified Local Government National Register Nomination Evaluation Report Form required in order for the Commission to get the West Paint Creek Synod Lutheran Church added to the National Register of Historic Places. She explained the committee, chaired by Greg Gilbertson, has put a lot of time into preparing the 33-page application, and there is a meeting October 12, where they will find out more. She said the Old East Paint Creek Lutheran Church was added to the National Register in 1968.

In other matters, the Board continued its conversation with Maynard Johnson regarding his concerns relating to the need for additional white lines to be painted on some of the county’s roadways.

Johnson, who first came to the Board with his concern three years ago, said he has been visiting with school bus drivers, who really rely on the white lines in the fall when it gets dark earlier. Supervisor Dan Byrnes commented that even the white lines that are painted each summer can be worn off by early spring, due to salt and snow plow traffic. He said if they painted white lines on all county roads, it would have to be redone every year.

County Engineer Brian Ridenour next provided Johnson and the Board with a copy of the Manual on Uniform Traffic Control Devices, which outlines the federal regulations with regard to lineage on roads.

The standard dictates that only roads which are traveled by 6,000 vehicles or more per day require centerlines and edge lines. Allamakee County has no roads that qualify, although Town Line Rd. comes close.

After providing an overview of the legal criteria for white lines, Ridenour explained the county currently has painted white edge lines on curves and areas where they have been requested, in some cases where there have been accidents where someone’s vehicle has gone off the edge of the road. Ridenour said his department tries to look at countywide safety, but the cost of doing white edge lines on all county roads would be another $70,000. The current cost of doing centerlines and some of the edge lines is $60-70,000.

When Schellhammer asked what other areas Ridenour would paint given the budget, he said there is a countywide safety program, which indicates the need for additional painting on curves, many of which are located on Forest Mills Road. When Schellhammer asked which surface holds paint better, concrete or blacktop, Ridenour said because of its texture, painted concrete will hold the lines better, even with snowplow traffic.

Johnson said three years ago when he first raised the issue, he was told the extra 10-cent gas tax would help fund additional painting, but he has not seen that happen. Schellhammer said he would not be opposed to the county identifying additional areas that need to be done. Supervisor Dennis Koenig said the issue is a “work in progress,” and Schellhammer promised to “keep working at it.”

In other matters, the Board approved a Temporary Construction and Access Easement for Interstate Power and Light Company for access to 1.43 acres needed to update the current 38-year-old tower. Alliant Energy previously was granted permission by the county to construct a 250-foot tower.

Ridenour explained if any damage is done to crops put in by farm renter Maury Regan, Alliant will reimburse Regan. When Schellhammer asked who decides the value of the crop, Ridenour said Alliant has its own real estate consultant. Ridenour said County Attorney Jill Kistler has reviewed the agreement.

The Supervisors also opened and reviewed bids for LP. The bid for 30,000 gallons was awarded to AG Vantage FS at a rate of $1.049 per gallon, upon Ridenour’s recommendation. Other bidders included Fauser Energy Resources of Postville, at $1.18 a gallon and Waukon Feed Ranch and Welch Inc., which both provided bids of $1.13 a gallon. Ridenour explained the 30,000 should cover needs at the county’s road department, County Conservation offices, solid waste recycling and the Allamakee County Public Safety Center.

Under department head updates, Allamakee County Conservation Director Jim Janett said the Driftless Area Visitors and Education Center had heavy visitation during Lansing’s Fish Days event and that a Saturday program was well attended.

Schellhammer asked Janett if he could provide the Board with some figures detailing the Center’s first year of operation in the near future.

Laurie Moody, County Weed Commissioner, explained she recently had contacted Lane Kozel, entomologist from the Iowa Department of Agriculture and Land Stewardship about some invasive weeds along the county’s roadways.

Kozel recently spent time with Moody touring the county and looking at problems, which included a large amount of wild cucumber or echinocystis lobata, a white flowering vine, which engulfs trees and shrubs.

Moody said for some reason, the problem is worse in the southwest and west portion of the county, and she plans to do an educational article for the newspaper in the near future regarding what landowners can do to mitigate what she called a “very aggressive” weed.

County Zoning Administrator Tom Blake reported he has been visiting with concerned citizens regarding a nuisance property located north of Waukon on Silver Springs Road. He said he has spoken with the county attorney regarding developing a possible nuisance ordinance, which the county does not currently have. Moody said with a written ordinance, if the county had to clean something up, it could assess the property owner for the work being done.

Blake added the Allamakee County Board of Adjustments will continue its hearing on whether or not to grant a conditional use permit to NEIT Properties, LLC, Leased parcel (owners Max and Virginia Marzden, 1584 Iowa River Drive, New Albin, IA) located in the SW 1/4 NE 1/4, Section 16 T100N, R4W, Allamakee County, IA to allow construction of a communication tower in the A1 district. Blake said the Board gathered information at its previous meeting, but wanted more time to review the matter. The discussion will continue Thursday, August 16 at 4:30 p.m. at the Allamakee County Courthouse. 

Ridenour said the county recently seal-coated streets in the north part of Waterville that turned out well and gave updates on the Green Valley Bridge and Mays Prairie. He said they are currently doing full-depth patching on the Lansing Harper’s Road.

Moody added she has been visiting with the Iowa Department of Transportation regarding implementing a spray program for wild parsnip.