THURSDAY, FEB. 6, 2025 • VOLUME N0. 124 • ISSUE NO. 21 • 1 SECTION • 8 PAGES
Serving Colfax • Mingo • Baxter • Western Jasper County
Elected officials in Jasper County see salaries increase by about 3-5% Supervisors decide lower raises than what was suggested by compensation board
Supervisors reclassify Indian Street to a Level B road County engineer suggests more cases like this are to be expected in the future
By Christopher Braunschweig Jasper County Tribune
By Christopher Braunschweig Jasper County Tribune
Elected officials in Jasper County will be seeing a pay raise by the next fiscal year. Like in years past the board of supervisors used the recommendations from the compensation board as a foundation. The supervisors ultimately settled on salary increases that were less than what was suggested. Allison Udelhoven, the secretary of the Jasper County Compensation Board, attended the Jan. 27 board of supervisors meeting to speak on behalf of the recommending body. She presented the minutes of the Dec. 17 compensation board meeting and detailed rationales for each wage increase. The compensation board recommended the supervisors have their salaries increase by $2,500 and to maintain the $2,5000 stipend for the board chair. If approved, the supervisors would have an annual salary of $49,500, or $52,000 for the board chair.
Christopher Braunschweig/Jasper County Tribue Jasper County elected officials had their salaries raised by the board of supervisors. After taking suggestions from the compensation board, the supervisors provided 3-5 percent raises for the county attorney, auditor, recorder, sheriff and treasurer.
Typically, supervisors decline to give themselves raises. Unsurprisingly, the supervisors voted to not increase their own pay this year. In 2024, the board broke tradition and did give themselves an almost $5,000 raise, increasing their annual salary from $42,020 to $47,000. Additionally, the board chair had received a $2,500 stipend. The stipend was removed this time around. Supervisor Thad Nearmyer argued the stipend is fair compensation since the chair often puts in
Seal coat and microsurfacing plans near Neal Smith approved Jasper County First phase of the project covers parts of W. 129th St. S. and S. 96th Ave. W. By Christopher Braunschweig Jasper County Tribune Plans to apply seal coat and microsurfacing to roads near Neal Smith National Wildlife Refuge were approved by the Jasper County Board of Supervisors last week, which is all part of the first phase of an accessibility project funded in large part through a Federal Lands Access Program (FLAP) Grant.
According to county documents, the affected roads include West 129th Street South from Iowa Highway 163 to South 96th Avenue West and South 96th Avenue West from West 129th Street South to Pacific Street. County Engineer Michael Frietsch said the streets will be undergoing major upgrades. “We’re going to be taking the RESURFACE | 3
a lot of extra work. Then again it was Supervisor Brandon Talsma who suggested the stipend be removed. Talsma said he would do the work regardless of whether the stipend was on in place. “Well, the work probably deserves to be paid for,” Nearmyer said. Regardless, the supervisors would go on to approve Talsma’s suggestion in a 3-0 vote. This was “the easy one,” Talsma said. SALARIES | 3
Despite pushback from nearby property owners, the Jasper County Board of Supervisors moved forward with the reclassification of Indian Street. Following the third consecutive public hearing discussing the matter on Jan. 28, supervisors approved the reclassification in a unanimous vote after considerable debate with property owner Skyler Morris. By reclassifying street from a Level A road to a Level B road, it ensures the roadway will receive little maintenance. Jasper County Engineer Michael Frietsch
said the affected section of Indian Street starts 0.8 miles south of North 67th Avenue East, or roughly south of Mariposa Park, and then it heads east-southeast toward Immigrant Avenue. Altogether, this section of Indian Street is about 0.56 miles in length. In the past there was an open bridge over Alloway Creek in that section, but Frietsch said that bridge has since been removed and there are no plans to replace it. For several years this section of Indian Street has more or less been treated as a Level B road and has not received an abundance of maintenance. RECLASSIFY | 3
Looking to help those who are hungry Community Health Needs Assessment identifies food insecurity as a top issue for county By Jamee A. Pierson Jasper County Tribune Editor’s note: This is the fourth in a series of articles exploring the results of the Jasper County Community Health Needs Assessment. Food insecurities are a top concern for the residents of Jasper County with both survey and town hall respondents identifying it as an issue. According to the Jamee A. Pierson/Jasper County Tribune Community Health Needs Food insecurity is a top issue for Jasper County includAssessment (CHNA), Jasper ing getting fruit and vegetables each day. County has a higher rate of households receiving Sup- which topped the list at 17.17 slightly lower than the state plemental Nutrition Assis- percent, people have a hard at 7.62 percent. It doesn’t tance Program (SNAP) than time paying for medical ap- meet the Healthy People the State of Iowa. pointments at 16.9 percent 2030 target rate of 6 perOf those surveyed, 17.52 and utilities at 15.51 percent. cent. percent reported not havOf the food insecure A correlating factor of low ing enough money to pur- population, 30 percent are food access is low income acchase healthy food and ineligible for assistance cording to the CHNA. Low 17.17 percent said they have programs including SNAP, food access is defined as livhad trouble paying for food Women, Infants & Children ing more than one mile in within the last year. Also, 86 (WIC), school meals, Com- an urban setting or 10 miles percent of people who par- modity Supplemental Food in a rural setting from the ticipated said they were not Program (CSFP) or The nearest supermarket, supereating the recommended Emergency Food Assistance center or large grocery store. amount of two servings of Program (TEFAP). Accord- This indicator is relevant bevegetables and two servings ing to Healthy People 2030, cause it showcases how popShaw of fruits each day. food Media insecurity coincides ulations and geographies One reason healthy food with negative health out- face food insecurity. is not on the menu is 82.48 comes in children and adults Jasper County has sevpercent of people said they and may cause kids to have en grocery establishments. do not have enough mon- trouble in schools. That rates 18.51 per 100,000 ey to purchase more nutriJasper County’s food intious food. Along with food, secure rate, 7.5 percent, is NUTRITION | 3 est. 1851
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Christopher Braunschweig/Jasper County Tribune The Jasper County Board of Supervisors approved the seal coat and microsurfacing plans for roads near the Neal Smith National Wildlife Refuge.
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