Des Moines County supervisors approve bridge grant, vendor for veterans gatherings and routine leases

The Des Moines County Board of Supervisors on June 23 approved several routine contracts and grant paperwork, including a federal CHVP bridge grant agreement for a Beaverdale Road structure, selected a vendor to host Veterans Affairs’ monthly "coffee and conversation" gatherings and approved 12-month lease renewals for two care-and-service facilities.

Supervisors voted to accept an IDOT-administered CHVP grant that will fund roughly 80% of eligible costs for the Beaverdale Road bridge, part of a bundled application that also includes structures in Washington and Muscatine counties. Brian Carter, county roads engineer, told the board the paperwork is federal in form and requires signatures but contains no unusual changes from prior briefings.

The board also approved Veterans Affairs’ recommendation to contract with Allstar Maid Diner at 112 West Division Street in West Burlington to host the monthly veterans meeting. Veterans Affairs staff said the program runs about 9 a.m. to 11 a.m. on the second Wednesday of each month; venue-proposal costs described in the packet included venue fees and beverage pricing. The auditor’s office will prepare form letters to notify unsuccessful proposers, and staff said members of the veterans committee will personally call the successful vendor and thanked all applicants.

In other business, the board approved:

- A 12-month FY27 lease for the Cottonwood Rivercross Care Facility with annual rent of $20,000 ($1,666.67 monthly).
- A 12-month renewal for Optima Life Services’ recovery center lease with no changes from the prior year.
- A resolution approving a two-lot minor subdivision on Minneapolis Road that resolves a landlocked parcel; the approval includes a condition that any future home on the new lot obtain proper septic permits.
- A cigarette permit for Riverart and a contract renewal (MOU) for county software through the Iowa Department of Management; staff said terms are unchanged from last year.
- A personnel action recording 2.44 hours unpaid for Drew Tucker, CNA, which the board approved.

The board moved to table a payroll-reimbursement claim (approximately $1,990.44) to allow members time to review route and cost details. Reimbursement claims totaling about $1,886 were approved in a separate vote.

The meeting also included routine department updates from public health, emergency management and conservation staff. Christopher Miller of the health department highlighted grant-funded outreach (including a Combat Cancer grant and an expanded lead grant) and scheduled summer clinics for preschool and K–12 grades; Shannon Prada of Emergency Management reported two successful outdoor warning-siren tests and asked residents to report storm damage via an online portal.

The board approved the documented items by recorded roll calls during the meeting and confirmed minutes of the June 16 meeting with an abstention recorded for one member. The board then heard an extended public presentation and question-and-answer period on a separate proposed data-center/mining project (see separate article). The meeting adjourned after public input.