The Henry County Board of Supervisors met Thursday, January 15, to conduct regular county business, including infrastructure updates, planning and zoning items, and board appointments.
The meeting opened with approval of the agenda, which faced opposition from Supervisor Steve Detrick. Discussion followed regarding how the agenda was prepared, with questions raised about the process.
County Engineer Jake Hotchkiss provided his weekly update, beginning with bridge inspections. Supervisors approved a motion authorizing a two-year contract with Calhoun-Burns for bridge inspections. Henry County has been under contract with Calhoun-Burns since 2013. Bridges in the county are inspected on one, two, or four-year cycles depending on classification. For 2026, 25 structures will be inspected at a cost of $8,500, while 80 structures are scheduled for inspection in 2027 at a cost of $22,000.
Hotchkiss also provided a maintenance update. Crews have been removing brush and trees near Lexington with cooperation from local landowners. Culvert replacements were completed at 120th Street and Nashua, as well as on Fremont Avenue near Salem. Road crews ran dura patchers earlier in the week, and territory operators continue blading gravel roads to work rock back into place. Work on the 235th Street bridge has continued to progress; the contractor has started removing existing beams. Jake also reported that a polycarbonate guard was installed on an excavator for added safety.
Planning and Zoning Administrator Joe Buffington addressed the resolution related to construction evaluation, commonly referred to as the “Masters Matrix.” Buffington explained that the resolution applies to confinement feeding operations. Henry County is required to review confinements of more than 1,000 animal units, and the supervisors adopt the construction evaluation annually. Buffington noted the county has been reviewing these applications for more than two decades.
Buffington also discussed compensation related to the 911 board, explaining the board may receive up to $1,000 per month from the state based on the accuracy of required reports to help offset the cost of maintaining the database. Henry County has maintained a 100 percent accuracy rate for several consecutive years while managing approximately 657,000 GIS data points. Buffington noted the 911 board does not reimburse the county for the work he provides, despite the board receiving state funding for that work. Supervisors said they would like to revisit the issue at a later date to discuss it more thoroughly with their HR representative, the board of supervisors, and Buffington.
Supervisors unanimously approved the appointment of Gloria Fear to the Board of Health for a term running from January 1, 2026, through December 31, 2028.
Additional board appointments included Gary Ibbotson to the Conservation Board for a term effective January 1, 2026, through December 31, 2028. Another applicant requested to remain on the list for future openings. Appointments were also discussed for the Henry County Pioneer Cemetery Commission, which currently does not have defined term start or end dates. Supervisor Steve Dietrick abstained from voting on one item due to a family relationship.
Under agenda formatting, supervisors discussed how they would like the agenda to be structured moving forward. They noted they have reached out to contacts to gain clarification on separating new and old business items.
The meeting concluded with discussion on the Freedom of Information Act and its impact on personal devices. County Supervisor Chad White reiterated that public records requests can extend to personal phones and laptops if used for county business. As a result, both Chad White & Steve Detrick stated they would no longer answer calls on their personal phone related to county matters.
The meeting adjourned following discussion.
