Mitchell County Board of Supervisors Packet Summary — 2026-08-18
Meeting: Board of Supervisors Meeting
The Mitchell County Board of Supervisors convened on August 18, 2026, with all members present. The proceedings document records actions and updates involving the FY27 budget, an Iowa DNR agreement, public health services, county operations, appointments, and licensing.
Key Meeting Actions
- August 11 minutes: The board approved the minutes of the August 11 meeting by unanimous vote.
- Iowa DNR agreement: The board approved a 28E Agreement with the Iowa Department of Natural Resources by unanimous roll-call vote.
- Deputy medical examiner: The board appointed Jacob Staudt as a Deputy Medical Examiner by unanimous roll-call vote.
- Liquor license: The board approved a liquor license for Otter Creek Apple Farms LLC by unanimous roll-call vote.
FY27 Budget Amendment
The board opened a public hearing on the FY27 budget amendment at 11:11 a.m. The proceedings state that no oral or written comments were received, the required public notice had been published, and there was no discussion among board members or members of the public in attendance.
The hearing closed at 11:12 a.m. The board then approved Appropriations Resolution #1380-26 by unanimous roll-call vote.
Public Health and Home Health
Laura Huisman provided updates on Home Health, Environmental Health, sanitation, and a Combat Cancer Initiative grant with Marion County.
The proceedings state that Home Health will continue despite the Public Health alignment and will not merge. State funding will no longer go directly to the county and instead will go to the district's lead county.
Huisman also reported that:
- Flu vaccination clinics are being planned.
- Mitchell County recently received a 5-star rating, described in the proceedings as being based directly on ratings from county residents.
- She proposed that the board discuss increasing the county mileage rate to match the federal mileage rate.
County Operations and Department Updates
Treasurer's Office
Shannon Paulus reported that taxes were expected to be printed and mailed during the week of the meeting. She also raised a phone-related staffing need, explaining that she had understood phones would be replaced rather than reduced and requesting two additional phones for her office.
County Engineer
County Engineer Rich Brumm reported that the rock run was underway. He also discussed equipment costs, stating that blades would cost roughly $10,000 per truck.
Department 15
The board discussed splitting Department 15 into two departments. Rather than making the change immediately, the board indicated it would wait until the next fiscal year.
Other County Updates
Deb Scharper discussed the Frontotemporal Degeneration Proclamation and the importance of openness and public discussion.
County Attorney Murphy was not available for the meeting, while County Sheriff Justin Trees had nothing to present.
Supervisor Marzen reported on Conservation, the Board of Health, training with John Robbins and Paige Martin, and ReGov. The other supervisors had nothing to report, and the proceedings record no public comments.
Meeting Conclusion
The meeting began at 10:45 a.m. and was made available by video through “Go to Meeting.” The board approved the agenda by unanimous vote at the outset.
Chair Todd Frein adjourned the meeting at 11:32 a.m.
Civic Translator summarized publicly available meeting materials from the Mitchell County Board of Supervisors.
