Nathan Mather named new Muscatine County Board chairman

Posted

By Tamara Browning

Reporter

The Muscatine County Board of Supervisors has elected Nathan Mather, district four representative, as chairperson of the board for 2025.

The board also elected Danny Chick, district one representative, as vice chairperson during its organizational meeting of the new year held on Jan. 2.

Jeff Sorensen previously was chairperson.

Raised in Muscatine, Mather is an attorney at Stanley, Lande & Hunter in Muscatine.

The Code of Iowa requires that the board hold its first meeting of the year on the first day in January that isn’t a holiday, Saturday or Sunday. The board at its first meeting of the year also is to choose a member as chairperson to preside at the meetings during the year and may also select a vice chairperson to preside in the chairperson’s absence.

During its organizational meeting, the Muscatine County Board of Supervisors also set meetings for 9 a.m. on Mondays for 2025.

In the past, the board had one meeting per month in which it met at night, Sorensen said.

“We quit doing that a number of years ago,” Sorensen said. “The theory was that you’d get more people to attend meetings – makes zero difference.”

Chemical testing for private wells

The Iowa Geological Survey is providing free water chemistry tests for private wells within a few miles of the Cedar River in Muscatine County, Eric Furnas, Planning, Zoning and Environmental administrator, said.

“The goal of this testing project is to use groundwater chemistry to assess the connectivity and distribution of different sand aquifers throughout a varied valley that roughly corresponds to the area within a couple miles of the modern Cedar River floodplain,” Furnas said. “It’s just an FYI, so if people get a phone call or if they’re interested, they can contact me.”

The project is a way to conduct mapping to see how the shallow sand aquifers around the Cedar River connect. The Iowa Geological Survey isn’t a regulatory authority, so the results won’t be used to enforce any action, Furnas said.

There aren’t any water quality standards for private wells, Furnas said.

“So, nobody has anything to fear,” said Furnas, who added that well owners with water quality concerns can contact Furnas’ office for private well testing for contaminants of concern.

The Zoning Office can be contacted at 563-263-0482.

Engineer authorization

The board authorized County Engineer Bryan Horesowsky to sign for and collect Federal Disaster Relief funds on behalf of Muscatine County for secondary road or bridge damage.

The board also designated, authorized and empowered Horesowsky to execute the certification of completion of work and final acceptance on farm-to-market construction projects in Muscatine County.

Farm-to-market construction projects in Iowa are projects that improve, construct, reconstruct or establish the farm-to-market system. The farm-to-market road system is made up of county jurisdiction intracounty and intercounty roads that serve principal traffic-generating areas, connecting the areas to other farm-to-market roads and primary roads, according to the Code of Iowa.

The board also authorized Horesowsky and the Muscatine County Sheriff to close secondary roads or portions in emergencies.

CAFO regulations

The board adopted a construction evaluation resolution that relates to the construction of a confinement feeding operation structure. Because the board adopted the construction evaluation resolution it can submit to the Iowa Department of Natural Resources an adopted recommendation to approve or disapprove a construction permit application regarding a proposed confinement feeding operation structure.

“The Board of Supervisors agrees to evaluate every construction permit application for a proposed confinement feeding operation structure received by the Board of Supervisors between February 1, 2025 and January 31, 2026 and submit an adopted recommendation regarding that application to the DNR,” the resolution said.

Index, Advocate News and Journal newspapers of record

The board designated the newspapers Muscatine Journal, Wilton-Durant Advocate News and West Liberty Index as the official newspapers in and for Muscatine County for 2025.

Comments