INDEPENDENCE – After two terms representing eight years of service, Clayton Ohrt decided to not run again as Buchanan County Supervisor.
Ohrt grew up in rural Buchanan County and graduated in 1967 from East Buchannan. He served in the Navy from 1968-70 (Vietnam Era) and then earned an AA from Hawkeye in building and equipment maintenance. This led to working at John Deere’s and operating a service station. He also farmed. From 1983 – 2010 he was an Energy Management Technician at MHI. Before being elected as Supervisor, he served on the Quasqueton City Council (including Mayor Pro Tem), the East Buchanan School Board for a term, and for 20 years was a Liberty Township Trustee.
Ohrt recently reviewed some of the highlights of his time as a Supervisor.
“My top concerns were always for the health, safety, and welfare of the employees and citizens,†said Ohrt. “Next was to provide necessary services in an effective/efficient manner and maintain infrastructure.â€
The most challenging time was to do this during the COVID pandemic.
“We worked hard with Public Health and Department Heads to ensure safety of employees and the public and still function as normal as possible,†he said.
Some of the top projects included:
Road Frost Boils
Around 2019 Ohrt worked with County Engineer Brien Keierleber to keep the road system safe and usable.
“It led me to present idea of using waste plastics to stabilize and strengthen roads by incorporating into the road,†said Ohrt. “Working in conjunction with the County Engineer, the idea was presented to an Iowa State University road research team. Now there is ongoing research happening with very promising results and much of the experiment work being done in Buchanan County. This is a double win — finding a use for waste plastic to protect the environment and keep out of landfills, and improve roads nationally and worldwide.â€
Property Use
“We got un-needed county owned properties back into private ownership such as old gravel pits and land locked properties,†Ohrt recalled. “We moved the Independence Area Food Pantry to a more user-friendly building, for both staff and clients. We also consolidated Emergency Management and Public Health into the Emergency Operations Center (EOC) to better meet the needs of public safety and health.â€
Speaking of Emergency Management, Ohrt was also a part of the effort to improve the county 911 tower and radio system for reliability and coverage from 60% up to near 100% for emergency response.
ARPA (American Rescue Plan Act)
Buchanan County was awarded $4.1 million from ARPA to stimulate the economy after COVID. Funds. The funds were used for improvements to infrastructure, digitizing of county records, purchase of election equipment, Sheriff Department needs, IT needs, fund the Tourism Director position for three years, enhancements to Buchanan County Conservation ( e.g. campground and trails at Fontana Park; ramp, parking, and bathroom at Taylor Ford (Old Iron) Bridge and Guy Grover Timber area).
Opioid Settlement
The widespread misuse of opioids leading to addictions caused several State Attorneys to come together to sue major manufacturers and distributers to not only track and validate sales, but also pay $21 billion for education and abatement programs. Buchanan County received over $100,000 from the national settlement. So far the funds have been used to:
- Partner with Pathways Behavioral Services to offer a prevention curriculum — Too Good For Drugs — to second grade students in the Buchanan County public schools.
- Purchase Substance Use Prevention Coalition tablecloth and A-frame sidewalk side for publicity at events.
- Purchase Deterra bags and Dispose RX packets — at home medication deactivation kits (available at Public Health and at the Drug Take Back days).
- Purchase four medication disposal bins to be placed in Buchanan County (replace at Sheriff Dept.; add to PH/EOC, Winthrop, and Fairbank.)
Changes in Law
“It has always been challenging to address changes in State and County Codes, and Federal law,†said Ohrt.
Examples given include Tax Rollback, Property Tax Levies, the limitations but rising cost to provide services, and changes to the mental health service delivery system. The U.S. Department of Labor also mandated counties in Iowa had to re-organize. Buchanan County went from a region of seven counties to a region with 20 counties for Iowa Workforce Development.
“It led to fewer unemployment offices, but took months of weekly meetings to negotiate new 28E [inter-governmental agency] agreements and contracts,’ said Ohrt.
Employee Insurance
Buchanan County operates as a ‘self-insurer’ for employee health insurance. Ohrt is proud of being a part of the process in changing the broker agency that manages the county health insurance system.
“The change led to the county health trust fund operating for some months in the ‘red’ and delaying provider payments to a comfortable balance and providing quality healthcare coverage to employees,†he said.
Boards and Commissions
While each Supervisor is assigned to be a representative on several county and regional boards, Ohrt says it is a continuous effort to keep them filled with volunteers.
“They play a vital role in the functioning of county government,†he said. “I cannot praise these individuals enough for the work they do.â€
Rewards
Ohrt says being a County Supervisor is very demanding position, but by the same token very rewarding results can be accomplished.
“The list of needs never shortens,†he said. “Getting things done is a team effort among the Board of Supervisors, department heads, employees, other elected official, county boards and commissions, and the general public. When attending Iowa State Association of Counties (ISAC) conferences in Des Moines and having discussions it can be concluded the state of condition of Buchanan County is Good.â€
Because of his attendance record and participation in ISAC seminars Ohrt was honored to receive Certified County Supervisor status.
In retirement, Ohrt, who lost his wife Doris in June, plans to spend time with family, reconnect with old friends, work on a few farm projects, and fish.
“It has been very rewarding opportunity to serve the citizens of Buchanan County,†he said. “Thank you and God Bless.â€
