By Rich Wicks | Times Vedette
Conservation Director Brad Halterman provided a departmental update during the Guthrie County Board of Supervisors meeting on Sept. 16. Halterman told of the farmers market events that were held at the Guthrie County Historical Village (GCHV) in Panora every other Saturday.
“It was a big success,” he said. “We had the last one last Saturday.”
Halterman said overall, the GCHV saw good attendance this summer and remains open until mid-October.
“It was a pretty busy summer down there,” Halterman said. “Our annual Haunted Village is Sunday, Oct. 12 from 5 to 7 p.m. It’s a pretty huge event. A lot of volunteers make that happen.”
Halterman reported on usage of Guthrie County’s camping areas and trails.
“We’ve had a pretty steady camping season,” he said. “The holiday weekends were really busy. We’ve seen a lot of activity on the Raccoon River Valley Trail throughout the summer.”
Halterman noted that water will likely be shut off in the county parks around Oct. 15, but he said that date is “weather dependent,” meaning that the shut-off may happen sooner if a freeze is expected.
Board Chair Maggie Armstrong talked about her participation in the National Association of Counties (“NACo”).
“I had an introductory call to the Rural Action Caucus,” Armstrong said. “They meet quarterly. We had a great conversation about what we see here and how we’re not the only ones dealing with the same issues. It’s more of an idea exchange.”
As part of the consent agenda items, the supervisors approved two payroll change notices for new staff. Amanda Claussen was hired as a part-time dispatcher at a rate of $21 per hour. Noah Sargent was hired as a fulltime roadside technician at $28.37 per hour.
The supervisors meet regularly on Tuesdays at 9 a.m. The public is welcome to attend in person or via remote technology. To join remotely, call 323-792-6123, then use meeting code 547029216#.