(Red Oak, Iowa) – A rural Montgomery County resident, Tuesday (today), claims the Board of Supervisors in Montgomery County, violated Iowa’s Open Meetings law, during their session on July 2^nd,. West Township resident Jan Norris said the violation was due to a closed session that was held without prior public vote.

Norris said minutes from the July 2^nd meeting do not reflect a vote, because none was taken.

Norris said “the threat of imminent litigation can be disputed. Dickinson County has not been sued since passing a pipeline ordinance in May, and even this Board wants to move forward with a hazardous pipeline ordinance, it will be months until a vote.”

Jan Norris speaks during the July 16, 2024 Montgomery County BOS mtg.

She said the Board’s actions are “Unfortunate,” and she has not yet decided what her next steps will be.

In other business, Montgomery County Emergency Management Director Brian Hamman provided the Board with damage repair updates, as they pertain to the May 2024 tornado and storms.

Brian Hamman

Hamman said as for Hacklebarney Woods Park, which sustained a great deal of damage, a number of issues are keeping the park closed.

Things still need to be cleaned-up he said, and that will take some time. Hamman said they won’t be holding another clean-up day because most of what’s left is heavy debris, especially in the picnic and camping areas. The bigger issue is communications, and the microwave tower that was destroyed.

A temporary fence was installed, mainly to keep animals out. The County’s deployable communications unit is at the radio shop, getting some equipment installed. In other business, the Montgomery County Board of Supervisors passed a resolution authorizing a temporary road closure and detour on H-34, for a Hot Melt Asphalt, widening and overlay project.