Franklin County authorizes grant application for tuckpointing, tentatively awards spraying contract and approves routine items

Franklin County supervisors authorized the auditor to prepare and sign paperwork to apply for the Iowa Rural Heritage Revitalization Grant for the courthouse tuckpointing project if the county is eligible.

Speaker 1 said county staff had prepared materials (and referenced copies provided by Mary Ansbaugh) and warned that some grants disqualify applicants if project work has already begun; Speaker 2 asked staff to confirm eligibility with the Iowa Economic Authority before submitting. Speaker 3 moved and Speaker 2 seconded a motion authorizing the auditor to apply for and sign any applicable paperwork if the county qualifies; the board approved the motion on voice vote.

On procurement, the board opened a single bid for ditch and roadway vegetation spraying; the bid listed per‑mile and per‑bridge prices for broadleaf, tree/shrub control and total vegetation treatments. The board moved to tentatively award the 2026 ditch and roadway spraying contract to the bidder (motion language specified award was tentative and conditioned on receipt of a signed contract, proof of liability insurance and an applicator license). The board approved the tentative award by voice vote.

The board also approved pay application number 2 from All Iowa Roofing as the last pay application from that contractor (staff said a final engineer certificate is pending) and approved the annual food pantry lease renewal. Finally, supervisors set scheduling for outside budget request presentations (historical society, senior center, FCDA, the fair, libraries and others) to occur Tuesday afternoon during departmental review.

Next steps: staff will confirm grant eligibility with state officials, collect required bid documentation from the spraying contractor, and provide grant and budget scheduling details to the board.