By Sam Parsons

The Mahaska County Board of Supervisors met this morning and had their annual organizational meeting. Mark Groenendyk was re-elected as board chair while Steve Wanders was elected as board vice chair.

The board also discussed and considered the hiring of a part time “School Resource Officer” for the North Mahaska School District. According to Sheriff Russell Van Renterghem, the agreement would likely last for roughly 3 years and the school district would cover 100% of the cost for the officer within the district. North Mahaska Superintendent Angela Livezy was on hand to explain why the district has felt the need to add an SRO.

The board ultimately did not take action after the discussion, with the Sheriff’s Office holding a budget meeting later this month to discuss the potential impacts of the potential agreement.