Jasper County forms agreement with Lynnville to continue roadwork

Unknowingly, the secondary roads department was stabilizing a granular road southwest of Lynnville when the county engineer discovered there was about 696 feet of roadway that continues as a gravel road before transitioning to paved, and it is technically owned by the nearby city.

The Jasper County Board of Supervisors on May 23 voted 3-0 to approve a memorandum of understanding with Lynnville to participate in the costs of stabilizing the section of Terrace Avenue, which eventually transitions into Woodland Drive as it gets closer to town.

The total cost to stabilize the road was $9,500. Jasper County will cover $3,000, or roughly one-third of the total cost. Jasper County Engineer Michael Frietsch said Lynnville will not be charged for labor and equipment costs. The city’s payment to Jasper County is due by June 30, 2024.

“So we approached Lynnville and said, ‘Hey, we really don’t want to leave this section out, can we go ahead and proceed and also go ahead and get a cost to cover for materials to the tune of $6,500?’ And they did verbally agree to that. So this memorandum of understanding is putting this in writing,” Frietsch said.

In other action, the board of supervisors:

• Extended its agreement with Summit Foods for another year beginning July 1. Summit Foods provides meals to the inmates of Jasper County Jail. According to the agreement, inmate meals cost roughly $1.09 per metal, about $1.27 for snacks, about $1.84 for supplements and about $5.52 for religious meals.

• Authorized the use of law enforcement at events, concerts, races and rallies in the Iowa Speedway. Deputy Sheriff Duane Rozendaal described the agreement as similar to a 28E that allows the services of sheriff’s office deputies for events. Rozendaal said the legal document was reviewed by the county attorney.

• Approved a resolution for the Jasper County right-to-use lease asset policy. Jasper County Auditor Jenna Jennings said the county is keeping track of all leases costing more than $5,000, as well as their lifespans. Jennings said the policy should have been implemented in July 2021, but it got missed.