Melinda Diego and Enriqueta Wanatee are checked in to receive their ballots for the June 2 Iowa Primary by poll worker Diane Eberhart at the Reinig Toledo Civic Center. Poll worker Terri Goodhart is in the background. COVID-19 safety precautions included face shields for poll workers, no touch identification tion readers and sanitizer stations.

A difficulty in finding enough personnel related in part at least to the CLOVID-19 precautions and the record-setting mail-in vote turnout resulted in reducing the number of polling places in the county from 14 to eight, Laura Kopsa, county auditor and commissioner of elections told the board of supervisors Monday morning.

She recommended granting the one-time boost in appreciation to those working which supervisors approved on a 3-0 voice vote. The poll workers received $10.50 per hour and care-persons and machine persons pay was raised to $13 hourly. Those receiving higher pay have more responsibilities on election day according to Karen Rohrs, elections administrator.

Supervisors set June 8 at 10 a.m. for the time to canvas the June 2 primary results.

Current Budget

Barb Mason, Toledo, has her “I voted” sticker applied to her protective face mask by poll worker Karen Musgrave at the Reinig-Toledo Civic Center after casting her ballot in the 2020 Iowa Primary on Tuesday morning, June 2. Election officials were equipped with protective face shields and armed with disinfectants as precautions for COVID-19 were in place with many voters also wearing face masks.

Amended

A series of adjustments to the fiscal year 2020-231 county budget led by a $6 million addition for general obligation bonds and related costs to pay for a new emergency / law enforcement radio system were approved by resolution Monday morning. Voting in favor were members Dan Anderson, Larry Vest and Kendall Jordan.

The amount totaling $6,090,085 for the radio system is to be reimbursed to offset it according to Kopsa.

Other expenditures approved in the resolution include grants received for public health not budgeted- $244,685; county environment and education- increased cost for museum utilities $550; administration $43,500 including administration, $25,000 for COVID-19 related expenses, $3,500 budget director salary and human resources- $15,000 for COVID-19-related expenses; and radio project from LOST funds $200,000.

The meeting had been scheduled to be conducted by telephone only. Meetings have been held through the electronic ZOOM internet system because of ongoing COVID-19 precautions.

Eathan Husak receives his Iowa Primary ballot on Tuesday morning, June 2, 2020, at the Reinig-Toledo Civic Center from poll worker Diane Eberhart with fellow poll worker Jan Boll at left. Those working at the polls wore face shields, with disinfectants at all stations as COVID-19 precautions.

However, to allow for a public presence, the board room was divided with the board meeting on one side of closed glass doors and the public allowed to be before the ZOOM camera on the other.

Despite this provision, no one was present to comment.

Re-opening Remains

In Question

Supervisors did not address how future meetings will be conducted nor when county buildings will be reopened. All offices except the Tama County Courthouse have been closed with only employees having access, The Iowa court system generally guides courthouse activity and it has remained accessible to the public.

The Administration Building and other county office locations have been closed since mid-March.

In other business the supervisors:

•approved use of the Tama County Courthouse lawn for July 14 for the annual Tama county Bible Reading Marathon.

•approved renewal of the Fox Ridge Winery, rural Traer, native wine, outdoor service and Sunday sales license.