County supervisors reorganize for 2022

The Adair County Board of Supervisors reorganized for 2022 Monday, Jan. 3, electing Matt Wedemeyer of rural Casey as chairman for the upcoming year and Jerry Walker of Bridgewater as vice chairman.

In 2021, the supervisors dealt with COVID-19 all year long, passed a solar ordinance, kept up on many construction projects executed by the secondary roads department, received reports on a NextEra Energy transmission line being built from south of Adair to a wind farm in Audubon County, reopened the courthouse to business as the pandemic became more under control, entered into an agreement with a new I.T. provider, examined wages for the upcoming fiscal year in detail and participated in the reprecinting and redistricting processes.

Outgoing 2021 chairman Steve Shelley, who first came onto the board in January 2006, said COVID-19 and keeping a balanced budget were always at the forefront of his mind throughout the year.

“Keeping the budget going, I think we’re doing very well,” Shelley said. “We have a growing county economically. It’s a joy to have growing economics in the county because it makes our jobs a lot easier. The cash flow keeps up with inflation, so that’s a gift that some others do not have.”

Wedemeyer, who first started on the board in January 2009, explained that the chairman’s duties are mainly to run weekly meetings, which will stay at 9 a.m. Wednesdays in 2022, and perform a few other duties.

“I’m excited to be chair and excited for this time of year because budget season is always my favorite time of year. You have people coming in [to request funds], some who you only see once a year, and you go over reports and what they need,” Wedemeyer said. “It’s always a challenge with pay increases and hyper-inflation we have going on right now trying to keep up with everything.”

Wedemeyer said probably the “biggest challenge” for 2022 for the board will be “keeping the budget in line.”

“I don’t see anything else coming at us,” Wedemeyer said. “We just keep the coronavirus under control with the measures we’ve put in place and we need to keep the budget under control, because that’s our main job as the board.”

In other county business, the board:

• Set the annual organizational resolution, gave the chairperson the power to sign documents, set travel policy guidelines, set 11 holidays county employees will observe in 2022, approved the master matrix resolution, the fiscal year 2022 audit services, designated the Adair County Free Press and Adair News as official newspapers, appointed the supervisors to the same boards as in 2021, appointed an ADA coordinator, approved the condemnation, conservation and board of health members, appointed Dr. Timothy Piearson as medical examiner with deputies as Dr. Glen Hansen and Molly Hennigar, appointed Nathan Jensen as weed commissioner.

• Empowered Nick Kauffman as county engineer, set right-of-way and temporary easement purchase parameters, compensation rate for fencing, the Title VI non-discrimination policy, authorized Kauffman, Sawyer Hansen or Janelle Meisenheimer to issue permits, set the bridge weight limit resolution and heard a report on recent maintenance and activities.