Buena Vista County Feb. 3 special session agenda features Marathon draft permit

Buena Vista County’s Board of Supervisors posted a special session agenda that centers on a resolution to waive the county’s appeal rights related to a final construction permit issued by the Iowa Department of Natural Resouces for a confined animal feeding operation. The resolution appears on the agenda as: “Resolution #2026-02-03-A APPROVAL OF WAIVER OF BUENA VISTA COUNTY’S RIGHT TO APPEAL ISSUANCE OF FINAL CONSTRUCTION PERMIT FOR THE CONSTRUCTION OF CONFINED ANIMAL FEEDING OPERATION BY THE IOWA DEPARTMENT OF NATURAL RESOUCES.”

The session is scheduled to begin at 8:30 A.M. in the county boardroom at the courthouse and the county posting lists the overall meeting window as “Tuesday, February 3, 2026, 8:30 AM – 11:30 AM (CDT).” Specific timed items on the agenda include “\\Approve Agenda\\” and an 8:30 - 8:45 slot for “Engineer Bret Wilkinson re: Road Department update.” At 9:00 - 9:30 the agenda lists Assistant County Attorney Ashley Herrig for “Possible Closed Session, Chapter 21.5(1)(c) of the 2026 Code of Iowa, to discuss strategy with counsel in matters that are presently in litigation or where litigation is imminent where its disclosure would be likely to prejudice or disadvantage the position of the governmental body in that litigation.”

The county’s posted materials indicate routine submissions for review are not in hand for this meeting: “Reports Submitted for review & acceptance: None.” The agenda also notes planned adjournment to the regular Tuesday session: “Adjourn to: Tuesday, February 10 at 8:30 a.m. for a regular session.”

Residents seeking to observe may attend in person at the Board Room or connect remotely; the agenda includes the meeting access language “Please join my meeting from your computer, tablet or smartphone.” Telephone dial-in numbers are given as “United States (Toll Free): 1 866 899 4679” and “United States: +1 (571) 317-3116” with “Access Code: 796-164-757.” The county states that the agenda was distributed broadly to local media and organizations, listing recipients verbatim: “KAYL, Storm Lake Pilot-Tribune, The Times, BV Journal, SR Bulletin Press, KTIV, KCAU, KMEG, KTLB, KICD, KJYL, KPWD, KCHE, Peterson Patriot, Fort Dodge Messenger, Omaha World Herald, City of Storm Lake, Farm Bureau, Storm Lake United, City of Alta, IA Lakes Corridor Development Corp., Jeff Heil.”

The posted agenda text does not identify the confined animal feeding operation by site name, so it is not possible from the county posting alone to confirm whether the resolution concerns the specific Marathon draft permit referenced in other community discussions. The county maintains that board meetings are open to the public and that minutes are available at the Auditor’s office at 315 E 5th St, on the county website, and in the official county newspapers; the county also sets a deadline for items to be placed on future agendas: “Items to be placed on the Board agenda should be submitted to the Auditor’s office by 12:00 P.M. on Friday.”

For Buena Vista County residents, the February 3 meeting matters because the board’s decision on appeal rights could affect whether local interests have standing in any administrative or legal review of a DNR permit. Expect the meeting to clarify whether the board will surrender appeal rights, and whether the closed session under Chapter 21.5(1)(c) will lead to further public actions; the board is scheduled to reconvene in regular session on Tuesday, February 10 at 8:30 a.m.