The Cass County Board of Supervisors met Wednesday, in Atlantic. During their meeting, the board heard from Supervisor Frank Waters, who sits on a review committee tasked with recommending changes to the County’s indigent burial policy. Waters said the committee proposed three changes to the current policy: Add a cremation alternative with maximum contribution $1,500; change the maximum payable amount for a burial to $2,000; and set the maximum costs for a grave opening at $550.  The proposal was taken under advisement. 

The Supervisors also approved a livestock confinement facility Construction Evaluation Resolution, which is required by Iowa Code. Only counties that have adopted a construction evaluation resolution are allowed to submit to the Department of Natural Resources an adopted recommendation to approve or disapprove a construction permit application regarding a proposed confinement feeding operation structure. The move makes it possible for those same counties to contest the DNR’s decision regarding a specific animal confinement facility application. 

Auditor Dale Sunderman says by adopting a construction evaluation resolution the board of supervisors agrees to evaluate every construction permit application for a proposed confinement feeding operation structure received by the board of supervisors between February 1, 2012 and January 31, 2013 and submit an adopted recommendation regarding that application to the DNR. The evaluations will be conducted and graded using the master matrix created by Iowa Code, but their recommendation to the DNR may be based on the final score on the master matrix or may be based on reasons other than the final score on the master matrix. 

And, the Cass County Board of Supervisors heard from the head Librarians in all six city libraries in the county (the Cass County Library Association). They reported on the services provided by those libraries, and requested that the current annual county funding of $60,600 be maintained for Fiscal Year 2013. The request was taken under advisement.