Hancock County Board of Supervisors Packet Summary — 2026-08-31
Board of Supervisors Meeting
The Hancock County Board of Supervisors is scheduled to convene at 9:00 a.m. Monday, August 31, 2026. The tentative agenda includes county personnel policy, zoning and land-use matters, National Association of Counties membership, maintenance and Secondary Roads updates, and a separate session as Drainage Trustees.
Key Items on the Agenda
Personnel Policy Supplement
At 9:15 a.m., the Board is scheduled to review and consider Conservation’s supplement to the Hancock County Personnel Policy, with Conservation representative Ike Zebedee listed on the agenda. The packet does not provide details about the proposed supplement or the specific personnel-policy provisions it would affect.
Zoning Commission Membership
At 9:45 a.m., the Board is scheduled to consider the resignation of a Zoning Commission member. The agenda also calls for discussion and possible consideration of appointing a Zoning Commission member.
Potential Public Hearing on Abandoned Alleyway
At 9:50 a.m., County Attorney Rachel Martinez is scheduled to discuss with the Board whether to set a public hearing concerning an abandoned alleyway behind 2860 Oak Avenue in Garner, identified as being in Block 3 of Lackore and Howard's Addition, Hayfield.
The agenda connects the potential hearing with consideration of signing a quit claim deed under equitable estoppel. The packet does not specify a proposed hearing date or provide additional details about the property matter.
National Association of Counties Membership
At 10:05 a.m., Tammy Tincher of NACO is scheduled to give a presentation. Following the presentation, the Board is expected to discuss and possibly consider membership in the National Association of Counties (NACO).
The packet does not state a membership cost or include additional information about the proposed membership.
Land Use and Zoning
Possible Moratorium for Emerging Land Uses
At 10:20 a.m., the Board is scheduled to discuss and possibly consider a moratorium intended to provide time to create a zoning ordinance addressing four types of development:
- Data centers
- Solar farms
- Battery storage
- Crypto mines
The agenda does not specify a proposed length or geographic scope for the potential moratorium, nor does it provide terms for a future zoning ordinance. The item is framed as a possible temporary measure while an ordinance is developed.
Department Updates
Maintenance
At 9:30 a.m., Maintenance representative Matt Swanson is scheduled to provide updates on maintenance. No specific projects or proposed actions are identified in the packet.
Secondary Roads
At 9:35 a.m., County Engineer Jeremy Purvis is scheduled to provide the County Engineer’s update on Secondary Roads. The packet does not identify particular road projects, expenditures, or proposed actions associated with the update.
Drainage Trustee Business
After adjournment of the Board of Supervisors portion of the meeting, the supervisors are scheduled to convene as Drainage Trustees at 10:45 a.m.
The Drainage Trustees agenda includes:
- Approval of the tentative agenda and review/approval of minutes.
- A public forum for drainage matters.
- Consideration of drainage work orders.
- An update on drainage work orders and drainage projects.
- Consideration of drainage invoices.
- At 11:00 a.m., discussion with the Iowa DNR concerning drainage in DD #130, DD #82, and DD #122 through Eagle Lake.
The packet does not provide dollar amounts for the drainage invoices or details about the work orders and projects to be considered.
Public Participation
A public forum is scheduled for 9:05 a.m. during the Board of Supervisors session, with a separate public forum included during the Drainage Trustees session.
The agenda states that public comments are otherwise limited to the Public Forum unless an agenda item is marked with an asterisk. The drainage public forum is marked as allowing public comments during that agenda item.
What to Watch at the Meeting
Several agenda items leave substantive details for discussion at the meeting. Key questions include what changes are contained in Conservation’s personnel-policy supplement, whether the Board will move toward filling the Zoning Commission vacancy, and whether it will set a public hearing concerning the abandoned Garner alleyway.
The proposed moratorium covering data centers, solar farms, battery storage, and crypto mines is also a significant land-use item because the agenda explicitly links the potential moratorium to providing time for development of a zoning ordinance. The packet does not specify the moratorium's proposed terms, leaving its possible duration and scope unresolved in the agenda materials.
