Refreshing county’s boards and commissions may force out longtime members

Renewed interest in Jasper County’s boards and commissions may force longtime board appointees into retirement due to the board of supervisors’ push for new members.

The initiative came to a head during the Jasper County Board of Supervisors meeting on Jan. 25 when chairman Brandon Talsma debated whether to reappoint longtime conservation board member Carol Kramer. The supervisor argued other citizens want a chance to serve.

All members in the county’s boards and commissions typically serve one-, two- or four-year terms, Talsma told Newton News.

“I’m not necessarily in favor of reappointing Carol. I greatly appreciate all her years of service but conservation is one of the boards where we have people – a lot of people – wanting to serve,” he said. “And I can’t say if it’s right to keep reappointing the same person for 25-30 years when there’s other people who might bring a new perspective.”

Kramer, 85, is a former teacher and has served the conservation board for more than 30 years. In addition to being the first woman and the first Native American to be appointed to the conservation board, she is also the longest sitting member on the five-person board.

“These are not lifelong appointments. Someone who wants to serve shouldn’t have to wait until a board member dies or steps down to get their chance,” Talsma later told Newton News in an interview. “It takes work to find people who want to sit on county boards, and that work hasn’t been done for many years. Now the supervisors are looking for a better approach on how we appoint people.”

More than a dozen people have applied to sit on the conservation board since the supervisors announced it was accepting applications earlier this month, Talsma added. Jasper County Supervisor Doug Cupples said Kramer has been on the board for a while, but she has been “a great candidate.”

Uncertainty about Kramer’s position came as a shock to Jasper County Conservation Director Keri Van Zante, who works closely with the board to run her department.

“There aren’t many people who care as much as she does,” Van Zante said.

Kramer’s long history and experience – not just within the county, but on a state level – has proven invaluable to the conservation department, Van Zante said.

“She is very well connected in the community and has been very helpful in raising funds for our department,” Van Zante said.

Support for Kramer was also voiced by fellow conservation board member, Andrew Stone, who attended the meeting to inquire about the new board policies.

“New blood is always good but when you have something that works sometimes you have to leave it alone until it isn’t working,” Stone said. “Sometimes I’m amazed by her perspective compared to mine.”

Supervisors tabled their vote to reappoint Kramer in order to look into other candidates before making their final decision.

“We owe it to people to do our due diligence and to look at what new applicants bring to the table,” Talsma said.

Residents who were only applying to sit on the board for a single issue alone would need to be avoided, Van Zante cautioned.

“Sometimes people just apply to the board because they want what they want. They may try to join for one issue alone and may not know what they’re getting into,” Van Zante said.

Kramer, who was not expecting any discussion about her reappointment, will be appearing before the board of supervisors to advocate for her seat during its Feb. 1 meeting.

In her 30 years on the board, Kramer has expanded conservation’s focus on education, as well as acquiring land for protection and preservation. She has considered retirement before but cited her desire to see the ground breaking for the Jasper County Environmental Education Center – which she started work on more than 25 years ago – as her reason for staying.

“My work isn’t to be honored, it’s to be done,” Kramer said.

Contact Abby Knipfel at 641-792-4687 ext. 6531 or aknipfel@shawmedia.com