(Adair Co.) The Adair County Board of Supervisors heard concerns from two local residents regarding the board’s oversight of the County Engineer and Secondary Roads Department during its meeting Wednesday morning.
Rob and Tony Mensing addressed the board, emphasizing that Iowa law places responsibility for establishing policies and directing the secondary roads system with the Board of Supervisors, while the County Engineer is responsible for determining how the work is carried out.
The Mensings questioned whether the board is providing adequate oversight, transparency and direction, citing concerns about road projects, project costs, public hearings and the handling of road improvements.
The Mensings also raised concerns about information provided by the County Engineer, saying they believe the board has not adequately addressed inaccuracies or disagreements in public meetings.
They stressed that the board has the authority and responsibility to oversee the engineer and should be more involved in setting priorities, reviewing projects and explaining decisions to taxpayers.
The Mensings encouraged supervisors to improve public transparency and communication, including making meetings easier for residents to follow and providing better access to meeting recordings.
Supervisor Jodie Hoadley thanked the Mensings for giving them the opportunity to view this through their eyes and admitted that they do have some work to do.
You can listen to the full audio of this discussion below:
In other news, Supervisor Jodie Hoadley updated the board on the planned MISO electric transmission projects near Hebron. The plans include an approximately 80-acre substation east of Hebron, a 187-mile, 765-kilovolt transmission line and a 22-mile, 345-kilovolt line connecting to the Arbor Hill substation. The projects are intended to strengthen and modernize the electric grid.
