OSAGE — Mitchell County supervisors approved up to $100,000 for a major computer-server upgrade, adopted a new county ordinance, hired a planning and zoning administrator and learned that the sheriff’s office will replace a police dog because of unresolved aggressive behavior.
The actions came during three Board of Supervisors meetings held between July 28 and August 11.
County Information Technology Director Brandon Halsne first approached supervisors July 28 about aging computer servers and the need to comply with applicable regulations.
Halsne initially estimated that a solution would cost approximately $135,000 and carry the county through the next five years. He returned August 4 after additional discussions with vendors and proposed using money from the county’s sub-project fund.
Supervisors unanimously authorized spending up to $100,000 on the server project.
Planning, zoning and environmental health matters also occupied supervisors during the three-week period.
On July 28, Supervisor Mike Marzen began organizing an interview team to select a new planning and zoning administrator. Supervisor Shannon Hendrickson volunteered to serve on the committee.
The board hired Paige Martin as the county’s new part-time planning and zoning administrator August 4. Martin accepted a position scheduled for 20 hours per week and began work August 5.
Supervisors discussed whether Martin would use a personal vehicle and receive mileage reimbursement or drive the county-owned vehicle shared by the sanitation and planning and zoning operations.
The board decided she would use the county vehicle when available and receive mileage reimbursement when using her own vehicle.
Martin was formally introduced during the August 11 meeting.
Supervisor Todd Frein also raised questions about emails the county had received concerning sanitation and planning and zoning matters.
Marzen said she had responded to the planning and zoning messages, while Home Health employees were addressing sanitation questions.
The Mitchell County Board of Health signed a one-year agreement with S&H Environmental Services of Manly to audit and inspect septic systems. County Home Health employees will handle the remaining environmental health responsibilities.
Supervisors also held a public hearing August 4 on Ordinance No. 65.
The six-minute hearing produced public comments, but the official minutes do not describe the ordinance’s provisions or record any discussion among board members.
Resident Deb Freeman asked how many acres in Mitchell County were designated for heavy industrial use. Marzen said she would attempt to obtain that information.
Supervisors unanimously waived the ordinance’s first and second readings before unanimously approving it.
Supervisor Mark Wherry said multiple readings should not be waived when an issue is controversial but could be waived when there is no controversy.
Wherry said Ordinance No. 65 would take effect following publication.
Freeman later urged supervisors to extend the county’s moratorium on data centers and provided the board with a fact sheet.
Marzen said John Robbins of the North Iowa Area Council of Governments was completing a final draft of the county’s solar ordinance and would then begin work on a data-center ordinance.
Law enforcement business moved to the forefront August 11 when Sheriff Justin Trees announced plans to replace K9 Xena.
Trees said Xena would be sold to another county for single-purpose work because aggressive behavior had not been successfully corrected.
Mitchell County will receive another police dog, with the replacement cost covered entirely by insurance. Trees said the transition should result in little downtime for the sheriff’s office.
Supervisors also approved the sheriff’s July report showing $21,488.15 in activity.
County road projects remained under discussion throughout the period.
County Engineer Rich Brumm said pavement-preservation work between Stacyville and McIntire was expected to begin during the fall. The county received a quote of $342,000 for that work.
Brumm warned that a box-culvert project between Highway 218 and Stacyville might need to be delayed.
He also continued designing paving projects, evaluating speed-limit signs and awaiting a decision on a grant application submitted in late July. Brumm said the county could learn by late September whether the grant was awarded.
Economic-development actions included approval of a $10,000 infill-lot application for Ryan and Taylor Flugge.
Mitchell County Economic Development Commission Executive Director Jennifer Backer told supervisors that a house on Underwood Avenue had been demolished July 24.
The commission also received a $350,000 loan offer from Homeward Inc. and planned to participate in the Mitchell County Fair.
Supervisors separately approved a $500 service contract with the Carpenter Community Club and a fireworks permit for Deanna Eastman.
The board approved $426,289.66 in claims at its August 11 meeting.
The largest listed payments included $187,845.67 to L.R. Falk Construction, $43,164.29 to Heartland Business Systems, $35,057 to the Mitchell County Treasurer, $20,000 to Johanns Tiling, $18,472.14 to Metal Culverts and $15,630.62 to Johnson Oil and LP Company.
During the August 11 meeting, supervisors also discussed rules governing golf carts and scooters on county roads. Board members planned to follow up with Trees before taking further action.
The board approved a July treasurer’s report listed in the minutes as $1,377,737.39, a recorder’s report totaling $5,286.20 and a clerk of court report totaling $1,959.03.
Information for this story was taken from the Mitchell County Board of Supervisors proceedings for July 28, August 4 and August 11, 2026.
COUNTY CLAIMS AND EXPENSES — JULY 28, 2026
Access Systems — Supplies — $517.54
Tracy L. Adams — Mileage/phone — $234.81
AgVantage FS Inc. — Fuel — $4,336.42
Ahlers & Cooney P.C. — Services — $714.50
Alliant Energy — Utilities — $14.23
BAL Custom Rifles — New equipment — $542.75
Charles Bengston — Fuel/mileage — $60.13
Haley Betts — Mileage/phone — $287.30
Krystal Bissen — Mileage/phone — $170.43
Bruening Rock Products Inc. — Services — $2,106.52
Kelsey Bundy — Mileage/phone — $87.21
Cedar Veterinary Clinic — Services — $230.49
CenturyLink — Phone — $47.53
Certified Laboratories — Services — $1,060.70
Chickasaw County Environmental Health — Services — $202.20
City of Carpenter — Farm-to-market extensions — $347.87
City of McIntire — Farm-to-market extensions — $435.30
City of Mitchell — Farm-to-market extensions — $378.06
City of Orchard — Farm-to-market extensions — $302.04
City of Stacyville — Farm-to-market extensions — $1,108.95
Clear Lake Sanitary District — Water and sewer — $46.50
Kevin Crowe — Services — $100.00
Department of Inspections and Appeals — Services — $150.00
Christine Douglas — Mileage — $13.05
Elan Financial Services — Supplies — $2,340.00
Enterprise Media Group LLC — Board proceedings/legals — $307.24
Floyd-Mitchell Solid Waste — Services — $422.55
Frontier — Phone — $226.57
GFC Leasing-WI — Services — $102.18
Gierke Robinson Company — Services — $189.09
Sasha Giles — Mileage/phone — $100.33
Gordon Flesch Company Inc. — Services — $76.38
GreatAmerica Financial Services — Services — $152.10
Samantha Groh — Mileage/phone — $102.14
Christine Hackenmiller — Mileage/phone — $43.05
Healthy Harvest of North Iowa — Contract for services — $3,100.00
Heartland Asphalt Inc. — Services — $2,938.05
Heartland Business Systems LLC — Services — $30,059.76
Heartland Insurance Risk Pool — Services — $508,445.68
Merlyn Hegland — Phone — $35.00
Mark Hendrickson — Mileage/phone — $339.99
HUB International Great Plains LLC — Services — $4,000.00
Laura Huisman — Mileage/phone — $53.20
ICEOO — Services — $275.00
Iowa Health Care Association — School — $40.00
Iowa Law Enforcement Academy — School — $150.00
LJP Waste Solutions — Services — $876.30
K&N Mini Mart Inc. — Supplies — $70.00
Jessa Ketelsen — Mileage/phone — $71.47
Krivachek Janitorial Supply — Services — $168.00
Kwik Trip Inc. — Supplies — $166.11
L.R. Falk Construction — Services — $141,646.43
Martin Brothers Distribution Company — Supplies — $881.11
MCI WorldCom — Phone — $13.03
Neapolitan Labs LLC — Services — $11,000.00
Northeast Iowa Food Bank — Contract for services — $25,000.00
Northland Securities — Services — $2,500.00
Nuway/K&H Cooperative Oil Company — Fuel — $1,661.21
Kris Olson — Phone — $150.00
Osage Oracle LLC — Board proceedings/legals — $274.34
Osage Towing & Repair LLC — Services — $857.72
Osage Veterinary Clinic — Services — $255.00
Prairie Ridge Integrated Behavioral Healthcare — Services — $500.00
Professional Office Services — Services — $542.66
Randy’s Neighborhood Market — Supplies — $100.13
Riceville Community Club — Contract for services — $500.00
Schindler Elevator Corporation — Services — $2,945.05
Molly Schulz — Mileage/phone — $221.26
Secure Shred Solutions — Services — $114.00
State Chemical Solutions — Services — $288.21
State Hygienic Laboratory — Water samples — $1,380.00
Verizon — Hot spots/phones — $367.63
Water Systems Company/Ecowater — Services — $19.66
Windstream — Phone — $189.97
Dawn Wolff — Mileage/phone — $217.64
COUNTY CLAIMS AND EXPENSES — AUGUST 11, 2026
Access Systems Leasing — Supplies — $712.49
Tracy L. Adams — Mileage, meals and lodging — $205.10
AGCO Finance-AGCO Plus — Services — $277.69
Amazon Capital Services — Supplies — $10,194.62
AT&T Mobility — Phone — $467.07
Batteries Plus Bulbs — Services — $700.00
Haley Betts — Mileage, meals and lodging — $320.38
Krystal Bissen — Mileage, meals and lodging — $278.76
BK Millwright LC — Services — $529.20
Bob Barker Company Inc. — Equipment — $254.44
Brightree Home Health & Hospice — Services — $3,410.29
Kelsey Bundy — Mileage, meals and lodging — $28.78
Bushbaum Services LLC — Services — $234.17
BV National Elevator Inspection — Building repairs — $190.00
Carpenter Community Club — Dues and memberships — $500.00
Cedar Veterinary Clinic — Services — $57.00
Central Petro Company — Services — $576.84
Chickasaw County Environmental Health — Services — $530.20
City of Carpenter — Farm-to-market extensions — $259.05
City of St. Ansgar — Services — $51.00
Country Acres Hardware — Services — $219.89
Dash — Services — $147.00
Diamond Mowers Inc. — Services — $2,122.41
Duncan Green P.C. — Services — $157.50
Elan Financial Services — Supplies — $7,249.38
Election Source — Supplies — $400.00
Floyd-Mitchell Solid Waste — Services — $75.00
Fox Rehabilitation — Services — $9,135.00
Frontier — Phone — $782.59
Gillund Enterprises — Services — $147.60
Gordy’s — Services — $159.06
Samantha Groh — Mileage/lodging — $56.19
Faye Haugen — Mileage/lodging — $79.00
HealthCareFirst — Services — $636.21
Heartland Business Systems LLC — Services — $43,164.29
Merlyn Hegland — Services — $35.00
Huber Supply Company — Services — $119.40
Iowa State Association of Counties — Insurance — $7,740.50
Iowa Department of Natural Resources — Water and sewer — $210.00
Iowa Homeland Security and Emergency Management — Capital outlays — $5,320.67
Iowa IT — Equipment — $735.00
Iowa One Call — Services — $7.20
Iowa Prison Industries — Services — $383.80
Iowa State Association of Counties — School — $575.00
LJP Waste Solutions — Services — $285.20
Robert Joens — Mileage/lodging — $79.00
Johanns Tiling Inc. — Services — $20,000.00
John Deere Financial — Services — $356.40
Johnson Oil and LP Company — Services — $15,630.62
KCHA-AM/FM Achen Becker Media — School — $160.00
Jessa Ketelsen — Mileage/lodging — $79.68
Kimball Midwest — Services — $250.38
L.R. Falk Construction — Services — $187,845.67
Larson’s Hardware Hank — Supplies — $5,322.05
Mitchell County Public Employees Health Plan — Insurance — $200.00
Martin Brothers Distribution Company — Services — $675.49
MCI WorldCom — Phone — $13.20
McKesson Medical-Surgical — Supplies — $132.06
Metal Culverts Inc. — Services — $18,472.14
Midwest Wheel Company — Services — $1,014.37
Mitchell County Treasurer — Contributions/services — $35,057.00
Mitchell County Home Health Care — School — $600.00
Municipal Electronics Division — Services — $370.00
Aaron R. Murphy — Services — $5,238.61
National Sign Company LLC — Services — $3,022.03
North Iowa Area Community College — Supplies — $475.00
Nuway/K&H Cooperative Oil Company — Services — $305.80
OmniTel Communications — Services — $687.55
Osage Municipal Utilities — Services — $6,592.28
Osage Oracle LLC — Services — $915.45
Osage Towing & Repair LLC — Services — $288.94
Petro Blend — Services — $32.13
Pitney Bowes Inc. — Services — $384.70
Pollard Pest Control Corporation — Services — $129.38
Premier Cleaners Inc. — Supplies — $76.21
Proline Distribution — Services — $395.52
Quill — Supplies — $147.07
S&H Environmental Services LLC — Services — $1,100.00
George Schorg — Mileage/lodging — $50.73
Molly Schulz — Mileage/lodging — $271.15
Solutions Inc./Harris Local Government — Services — $1,470.05
St. Ansgar Auto Parts — Services — $38.26
Stericycle Inc. — Services — $43.31
Storey Kenworthy — Supplies — $539.55
T-Mobile — Supplies — $118.73
Treadmark — Services — $10,187.49
USDA Rural Development — Interest — $1,302.60
VEIT LLC/Visual Edge IT — Services — $60.70
Water Systems Company/Ecowater — Supplies — $19.66
Weber Auto Parts — Services — $412.76
WHKS & Company — Services — $5,264.79
Windstream — Phone — $86.44
Dawn Wolff — Mileage/lodging — $80.48
YSS of North Iowa — Other — $139.95
Ziegler Inc. — Services — $434.31
GRAND TOTAL — $426,289.66