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HARTINGTON — When it comes to paying taxes, Cedar County folks don’t mess around — nearly every tax dollar owed for 2022 and 2023 has already been paid.
Cedar County Treasurer Jean Wiebelhaus told County Commissioners Tuesday the county has collected over 98% of all taxes due for the 2022 and 2023 taxing years.
To date, only 69% of the 2024 taxes have been received, but that’s pretty good, she said, since county residents still have a few months before those taxes would become delinquent.
Also Tuesday, Emergency Manager Kevin Garvin requested the board approve a mutual aid agreement with Yankton County, S.D., and Knox County.
“We have done this before, but now it is official,” said Garvin.
The aid agreement between the counties includes fire aid, EMS and emergency management. However, the deal excludes law enforcement due to differences in state law.
Garvin also brought a concern about the storage of some cable wire to the board, saying extra cable has been damaged from recent weather.
“We noticed after the last hail storm that some of the spare cable we have sitting on the tower site took a bit of hail damage,” said Garvin.
County Commissioner David McGregor agreed some sort of protection for the cables will be necessary in the future.
“It wouldn’t be that big of a deal to put a slab of cement where they were and reset them down there, and somehow build an awning over them,” said McGregor. “They have to be able to get those reels out there as they use them.”
No further specifics were discussed. County highway superintendent Carla Schmidt requested a relaxation of standards for a bridge project near Menominee. County Commissioner Dick Donner gave the go ahead, but the crew will still have to wait for the board of classifications and standards meeting before they continue.
Donner also said that he will be meeting with Great Plains Communications representatives to discuss the subcontractors working on fiber optics in northern Cedar County. He expressed concern the workers were not handling the project well.
“They are not doing what they are supposed to be doing,” said Donner. “The permit says they will be boring under the road, but they are not doing it.”
The public hearing for a road closure on the Dixon and Cedar county line will be Aug.10 at 10 a.m. Dixon County held its hearing on the matter on July 8.
Schmidt said she received a letter from the state, saying the state will be working on Highway 57 from Coleridge to Belden beginning in the summer of 2026.
Also Tuesday, the commissioners decided to reject all gravel bids they had received in June and revisit the topic at their July 24 meeting.
Cedar County transit manager Nikki Pinkelman met with commissioners to tell them the state is requesting a one-year budget. In the past the state had required she submit a two-year budget.
“(The state) decided now this year, with budgets changing, cuts and new state laws, that they want oneyear contracts instead,” said Pinkelman.
She requested the budget be changed to include $413,626 from federal funds, $128,780 from state funds and a local match of $127,878. She said the budget will be revisited in October to determine if they may receive more funds from those entities.
“This is the minimum amount of money you’re going to get (from the state and federal government), and you may get more,” said Pinkelman.
Her suggested budget changes were approved and adopted.
The board also approved a special designated liquor license for a fundraiser at the Bow Valley dance hall to hold an All for Ollie benefit on Aug. 16. The event will have a kid’s carnival, supper, live auction, karaoke contest and a cornhole tournament.
Also Tuesday, Cedar County Zoning Administrator Tim Gobel presented Commissioners with four building permits.
They were:
• Howard Gubbels, for a 16x16 house addition for an office at his Randolph area home.
• Dale Jensen, for a 12x18 foot deck at his home in Pct. 4.
• Jason Arens, for a 61x114 structure to house livestock.
• Tom Lackas for a 280 square foot deck for his house.
