A water quality project along the Webster-Calhoun county line was approved Tuesday by the Webster County Board of Supervisors.

The Meier Marsh project will be cost-shared with Calhoun County and will also be fully reimbursed by the Iowa Department of Agriculture and Land Stewardship (IDALS). According to Webster County Conservation Director Matt Cosgrove, Meier Marsh is a wildlife management area managed by the conservation department.

“We’ll be creating a wetland and restoring a series of oxbows,” said Cosgrove. “We’ll also be putting a solar water pump in that will be filling the creek and oxbows so we’ll be able to pump water out of the creek so it’s at least at base flow or higher. It will be really nice to have the ability to have water pooled and for that nitrate and phosphate removal to the wetland and the oxbows.”

The Board approved transfer of $3 million from the General Basic Fund to the Capital Projects Fund to supplement the quality-of-life trails projects. According to Cosgrove, these funds will be reimbursed by the Iowa Economic Development Authority.

During Tuesday’s meeting, the board also read a proclamation announcing September as National Recovery Month. Staff from Community & Family Resources were on hand to thank the board for their support of those in recovery and those working towards it.

Sheriff Luke Fleener told the board that the Sheriff’s Department had 20 applicants for open deputy positions. Six applicants passed both the written and physical tests and initial interviews. Fleener and Chief Deputy Derek Christie will complete formal interviews with the six applicants and make a hiring recommendation to the board.

Board of Supervisors Chairwoman Niki Conrad also noted that for meetings moving forward, any residents wishing to join the meeting virtually will now be required to use their first and last names when logging on. Additionally, if they would like to address the board, residents will have to keep their camera on and raise their hand in Zoom. This change comes after the board was “Zoom-bombed” by a hacker during the Aug. 27 meeting. The hacker attempted to show pornographic images before the board shut down the virtual connection.