Henry County Supervisors addressed staffing changes and a growing backlog of public records requests during their meeting Monday, April 13 at 10 a.m.
The board unanimously approved two motions related to the County Attorney’s Office, both passing on a 3-to-0 vote.
As part of those actions, Assistant County Attorney Steven Giebelhausen announced his resignation, effective April 30th, under an employment separation agreement. Giebelhausen, who has served in the role for six years, will receive three months of regular salary through July 31st, along with benefits and a payout for unused vacation time, totaling just over $26,400.
Supervisors also approved hiring a part-time, temporary outside attorney to help manage public information requests. The position will pay $45 per hour, for up to 34 hours per week, and will not include benefits.
The move comes as the county attorney’s office faces staffing shortages and a significant backlog of work in relation to outstanding Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) requests. County Attorney Wilson says the office is currently dealing with four to six outstanding Freedom of Information requests, some of which have been granted extensions through the Iowa Public Information Board (IPIB). She noted that one request alone involves between 7,000 and 8,000 pages of documents that still need to be reviewed and redacted.
Wilson plans to hire attorney Ed Harvey to handle the FOIA-related workload. Attorney Giebelhausen noted that any outside attorney would be required to withdraw from active state cases to comply with Iowa law, and Attorney Wilson assured the supervisors that the process is currently underway.
Supervisors emphasized the need to balance ongoing county business with meeting public records requirements. Although not listed on the agenda, Board Chair Chad White allowed for public comment and the meeting adjourned.