Adair County Board of Supervisors appoint township trustee, & approve construction project contracts

May 17th, 2023 by Ric Hanson

(Greenfield, Iowa) – The Board of Supervisors in Adair County, Wednesday morning (May 17, 2023), approved a few matters on their agenda before receiving a Quarterly Environmental Health update from Jotham Arber, Cass/Adair/Guthrie County Director. The Board approved a liquor license renewal for the Wallace Center of Iowa, a Child Abuse Prevention Grant drawdown, and the appointment of Skylar Rawlings, from Greenfield, as Grand River Township Trustee. They also acknowledged receipt of an Engineer New Field Entrance letter, with regard to a rural driveway in Harrison Township 27.

In his report to the Adair County Supervisors, Jotham Arber said Perc (Percolation) Tests resumed last month. A percolation test is a soil test designed to evaluate the soil’s capacity to accept a subsurface sewage disposal system (septic system). The test has two parts, the soil evaluation and the site evaluation.

The tests take about six-hours to complete. He said also they developed a “Well Book,” for homeowners guide to taking care of their well, for current and new owners, who have wells on their property.

The books will be available free of charge at the Auditor’s Office, well drillers and eventually, realtor’s offices. Jotham Arber said there are 29 well water tests scheduled for this month, in Adair County. The free tests are for arsenic, lead and five other, possible contaminant levels.

And, Jotham said also, there are a lot of septic systems that are coming to the end of their lives in Adair and the three counties covered by the Environmental Health Department. Many systems, he said, are 40-or 50-years old, well past their expected performance use.

And, Adair County Engineer Nick Kauffman presented for Board Chair Jerry Walker’s signature, following Board approval, Right-of-Way Contracts for the following culvert projects:

N29 in Prussia Township
W14 in Jefferson Township
and W11 in Union Township

Kauffman then went on to provide the Board with his weekly report on Adair County Secondary Roads Department Maintenance and Activities. He mentioned they received a letter from a rural resident complimenting road crews on their ditch cleaning efforts. And, he said they received bids for road salt, which were down from last year’s prices, which Kauffman said is unusual.