The Cass County Board of Supervisors today (Thursday), approved a 28-E agreement for Cooperative Law Enforcement services with the Cities of Anita and Griswold. The agreement means a Deputy from Cass County will provide coverage to each respective community, at a cost for both cities $60,000 each. The hours each deputy will work remains the same in both communities. The Board also approved an increase in the number of deputy sheriff positions from seven to eight, in order to cover the County’s commitment in providing law enforcement protection. The Fiscal Year 2014 budget will be amended later to fund the position through June 30^th, 2014. Receipts from the cities will be used to fund the deputies’ salaries and vehicle costs.

In other business, the Board received an update from County Engineer Charles Marker, with regard to various, on-going Secondary Road and Bridge projects. Marker also addressed complaints and comments he’s received from residents in the County, with regard to why more rock isn’t being applied to the gravel roads which are in need of work following the drastic changes in the weather. He said some of the calls he’s received are from people wondering why their property tax dollars aren’t getting things done sooner.

His answer is that there are 650-miles of rock road in Cass County. Property taxes provide the department with slightly more than $1.55-million dollars. The County pays $10.60 per ton for rock at the quarry. The minimum amount applied to a given road is 300 tons per mile. Marker said he would need $2-million property tax dollars to rock all the roads in the County each year. That figure does not include snow removal, salaries for the employees, hauling and blading.

He said the County can only afford to put rock on the gravel roads once every seven-years, he acknowledged, that more needs to be done more often, but there’s not enough money. Marker said that’s why people are seeing a gradual deterioration of rock roads. It’s because they can’t put on enough rock on the roads given the funds available. He said he’s lucky to be able to rock the roads every three-years, with a minimum coating of rock.

He said his district road crew foremen are keeping an eye on the roads in their area, and are working to repair and maintain the worst roads as they become problems, as best as possible.