At the May 16 meeting of the Mitchell County Board of Supervisors, Mitchell County Engineer Rich Brumm reported that St. Ansgar Rescue and St. Ansgar Fire Department would be closing a road for a joint training operation of a multiple-casualty incident. A bus and a truck would be placed in the ditch/field drive south of an address on Red Ball Road, where there is a curve between Mitchell and St. Ansgar. The bus will be on its side.
The road would be closed on June 9 beginning around noon. It would reopen on June 10 around 4 p.m. There will be advance notice posted at the intersection.
“Everybody would be able to get out,” Brumm said.
The Board of Supervisors approved closing a section of Red Ball Road for the training exercise.
Beaver suggested having a public service announcement so people who see the exercise would not think it was a real incident.
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“It saves (the) phone ringing at my shop,” he said. “It’s much easier to deal with that ahead of time. Believe me, I know. I’ve been down that road with cop training and we don’t post it and then people get a little excited because they think it’s the real deal.”
In other secondary roads business, the department is looking to close out projects. The previous week there was minor flooding in the northeast corner of the county. Thunderstorms brought heavy rain in a short amount of time.
“We found some plugged culverts that can’t take all the rain when it comes down,” Brumm said. “We did some repairs.”
Secondary roads continues to get paint maps and rock run maps in place for the summer.
• In other business, Mitchell County Sheriff Greg Beaver reported that his budget remains on track. There are end-of-the-fiscal-year bills that must be taken care of. Beaver said he may attempt to prepay the outfit of the new department pickup that will arrive in July for around $11,000.
“If I can get that taken care of out of this budget, it’ll take a little pressure off of next year’s budget,” Beaver said.
Beaver posed a question for Mitchell County Attorney Aaron Murphy.
“If we have a problem bar (or) liquor establishment, and it continues to be a problem, is there anything this count attorney can do in regards to liquor licenses?” Beaver asked. “I have researched it.”
Murphy replied that he would do his own research.
“I don’t want to go on record saying too much, because I’m not confident in my answer enough to say it,” Murphy said. “I’ll put it on my list.”
“I’ll take a look and try to put a stop to some things that are happening,” Beaver said. “If we can’t do it another way, that would probably be the last resort – if it gets to that point, we’ll name the establishment then, but until then just let us try to handle it.”
• Mitchell County Environmental Health/Planning and Zoning Sanitarian Amanda Baer reported a replacement had been found for when she is on maternity leave. Training began that day.
“Then when I’m gone she’ll be taking over,” Baer said.
• The Board of Supervisors approved HVAC pay request application number 12 in the amount of $8,813.74.
• In addition, Supervisor Jim Wherry reported surveying the Mitchell County Courthouse mechanical room.
“Some of the controls have been installed,” Wherry said. “The dirt separator is installed. The pipes are not insulated yet. (I) went to the jail mechanical room. Not a lot of work has been done down there since the last visit.”
Wherry also went to the attic, where additional pipework has been done. Temporary cooling has been provided to pertinent areas of the jail facility.
“So there is a workable environment there,” Wherry said.
He also reported there were plans dependent upon weather to open up the roof and get the large air handling unit into the attic.
Jason W. Selby is the community editor for the Mitchell Country Press News. He can be reached at 515-971-6217, or by email at jason.selby@globegazette.com.
