Winneshiek County supervisors voted unanimously to advance the insurance deductible to replace sewer pumps that a speaker said were ruined by a lightning strike in early September. The board approved covering roughly $5,000 toward the cost, with the affected sewer district expected to repay the county under a payback arrangement.

Jim Olsen, introduced by the board as the presenter on the item, described the damage to multiple pumps at the district's drain field and said replacement pumps cost about $5,200. "I ordered 4 of them because I want 2 more to go back," he said, explaining the district plan to keep spares and to restore service. The board discussed freight and final invoicing details and agreed the county advance would be reconciled once insurance pays.

Supervisors noted the district currently charges about $50 per month per unit and discussed the difficulty of maintaining service without a reserve. One participant said, "We're at $50 a month" and suggested a staged increase to build reserve funds. The motion to advance the deductible was moved and seconded and carried unanimously.

The board directed that the repayment be added to existing county payback arrangements where applicable, and that any final billing, insurance reimbursement and shipping costs be reconciled before the county’s net exposure is finalized. The action addressed an immediate equipment-replacement need while preserving the county’s option to structure a repayment schedule tied to the district’s rates.

Next steps: The board noted staff will finalize the invoice details and repayment schedule and that district rate discussions will continue as part of long-term financial planning for the sewer district.