(Atlantic, Iowa) – The Cass County Attorney and Sheriff’s Offices are looking to share a full-time employee. County Attorney Vanessa Strazdas and Sheriff Darby McLaren appeared before the Board during the Supervisor’s meeting this (Tuesday) morning, to explain the need for another employee. Strazdas said her office is now “Understaffed and overwhelmed,” due to the recent departure of an employee who wishes to be a full-time mom.

Strazdas said she has $20,000 in her budget for a part-time employee, whose primary purpose would be to handle the mounds of paperwork an attorney’s office handles. Sheriff McLaren said he has $15,000 in his budget he could use, and there is, according to Strazdas, an opportunity for possible federal funding.

The individual who is hired, would be paid $18 to $25 per hour, depending on experience. The Board took no action on the request during their meeting, Tuesday. Instead, they asked for more, detailed information on how the person would be shared, such as the hours in each department, and who their boss would be, and what the role of the Union would be.

In the mean time, they suggested advertising for the position this Friday, and having all the relevant information ready for the Board’s next meeting on September 30^th. In other business, the Board passed a Resolution with regard to the Title VI (Title 6) Program, between the Iowa Department of Transportation and Cass County Secondary Roads. It had to be approved as a condition for the County to receive any Federal financial assistance from the United States  Department of Transportation, and requires bids for projects to be by equal opportunity (that is, non-discriminatory), and comes under the auspices of the 1964 Civil Rights Act. Cass County Engineer Trent Wolken is the County’s Title 6 Coordinator.

The Board discussed with Rich Hansen, Assistant to the County Engineer Trent Wolken, Zoning Ordinance changes previously discussed by the Cass County Zoning Commission, and actions the County might take with regard to any future inclusion of a Carbon Dioxide pipeline. And, they heard from Cass/Guthrie Environmental Health Director Jotham Arber, who spoke about Radon levels.