Nov. 6--The Appanoose County Board of Supervisors Monday morning all by 3-0 votes approved closing 448th Street in Taylor Township, approved a resolution regarding rates for use of secondary road equipment and labor and approved a change in a zoning ordinance to amend billboard regulations.

One word was changed from "a" to "an" and "existing" was added to the ordinance amending billboard regulations so it now reads: "No billboard within three hundred (300) feet of an existing house, church, or school." The talk in the boardroom was this would protect billboards already in place if someone would construct a new house or school or church within the 300-foot boundary.

Appanoose County Engineer Gary Bishop said 448th Street hasn't been a road as much as it has been a right-of-way.

"It's more of a house keeping process to get rid of some right-of-way that's not needed," Bishop said. "It's still a platted road but there's no need, no future for it."

Bishop said Secluded Land Company LLC, which owns all the land surrounding the now closed road, had been contacted about the potential of closing the road.

Rates for county secondary road equipment and operator use between other government entities hasn't been kept up, Bishop said, and this was an attempt to get the rates up-to-date. The resolution allows the county to charge labor "at the rate set in the current union labor contract plus 51 percent after fringe benefits. Equipment rental to be charged according to the current Iowa Department of Transportation schedule of equipment rates for the current fiscal year."

Bishop said the new rates will go into effect Dec. 1 and is an attempt to recoup costs and not to make any money.

In other action, the supervisors entertained questions from three insurance company representatives, voted 3-0 to table signing a letter until Nov. 16 concerning funding for the Ham Creek trail project, discussed the payment of taxes on property purchased with FEMA money in Mystic, approved a preliminary plat by a 3-0 vote for Quercus Subdivision and set a Dec. 7 public hearing for a zoning recommendation.

Representatives from EMC, Power Insurance and Cost Savers were in the boardroom to discuss bidding for the county's liability insurance. Bids are required to be delivered by Nov. 13 and will be opened at the supervisor's Nov. 16 meeting. The lowest bidder will service the policy for three-years.

Nicole Moore with Chariton Valley Planning and Development told the supervisors the city of Mystic was in the second half of accuring properties flooded in 2007.