MINUTES OF
KEOKUK COUNTY AGRICULTURAL EXTENSION COUNCIL
Tuesday, November 3, 2015
The meeting of the Keokuk County Agricultural Extension Council was held on the 3rd day of
November, 2015, at 6:00 p.m. at the Extension Office in Sigourney, Iowa.
Janis Collin, acting chairperson, called the meeting to order at 6:00 p.m. with the following council
members present: Janis Collins, Shirley Conkity, Shirley Holm, Mike Bensmiller, Carla Dumont
The following council members absent: Clint Mikesell, Justin Abell, Brian Kitzman, Gail Weber
Others present were: Gene Mohling, Katrinna Bain
Motion by Carla Dumont to approve the October 6 minutes. 2nd by Shirley Holm. Carried
unanimously.
Approval of Financial Statements & Vouchers October 31, 2015
Motion by Shirley Holm to approve checks 10362-10414 plus the EFT’s. 2nd by Carla Dumont
Carried unanimously.
Motion by Mike Bensmiller to accept the Operating Checking account balance of $192,819.22 and the
savings account balance of $21,570.02 as of October 31, 2015. 2nd by Shirley Conkity. Carried
unanimously
Wages Consideration: Shirley Holm moved to pay Jorie Altenhofen $15.00 per hour effective July 1,
2015. 2nd by Shirley Conkity. Carried unanimously.
County Bookkeeping: Carla Dumont moved to have Katrinna Bain take on 100% of the bookkeeping
needs including payroll, annual reports, and payroll withholdings. 2nd by Shirley Conkity. Carried
unanimously. The FY17 process has started and the draft budget will be completed in the next 3-4
weeks.
Program Up-Date & Reports: Katrinna Bain reported on Pick A Better Snack in area schools
including Keota, HeadStart, Tri-County and Sigourney. National 4-H Week activities promoted 4-H
locally. TIP night at the Pizza Ranch was held last month. Awards Night is Nov. 21. Dum-dum
suckers were provided to 4th graders around the county to promote 4-H membership. Andy Hinnah
will provide meat for the awards night meal; remainder is potluck. Halloween party was hosted with
about 30 youth attending. Fair book update discussions are progressing. 4-H Fundraiser for
Enrollment Fees, November 9th-Dec 1.
No changes to the list of volunteers.
Professional Development Day Nov. 19th- Mike Bensmiller moved to approve that Katrinna Bain
may attend Professional Development Day on Nov. 19. 2nd by Shirley Holm Carried unanimously
Accepting Credit/Debit Cards
Recently, IACEC representatives met with Brent Rone from SHAZAM. SHAZAM has a rich tradition
of helping merchants and non-profits offer convenient and cost-effective electronic payment
options. SHAZAM’s payment processing solutions are specifically designed so that all merchants and
other organizations regardless of size, can have access to the same features and cost-reducing
services. SHAZAM has strong relationships and interacts with many networks including Visa,
MasterCard, Discover and others. Detailed information on the SHAZAM electronic payment service
is in the SHAZAM Credit Card Processing Information document on the IACEC website. Some key
features of the program are:
 Connectivity can be dial-up, web based, wireless Wi-Fi and Wireless Cellular
 One-time installation fee of $5.72 and a minimum monthly fee of $20
 Training provided by SHAZAM representatives
 99.996% network uptime
 24/7 live customer service at no charge
 Transactions fees average 3% (counties may choose to charge a convenience fee with each
transaction, up to 4%)
If you have an interest in installing a SHAZAM card reader or finding out more, you may contact
Brent Rone, Regional Sales Manager at 800-537-5427, ext. 2603 or Terry Maloy at maloy@iastate.edu
or 641-226-1541. No action can be taken on the acceptance of credit cards without Extension Council
approval and modifications to the fiscal policy.
Extension Office as Caucus Location
As we approach the Iowa caucuses you may see a county extension office listed as a caucus
location. The reason extension offices could be asked, and maybe required, to host is because of Iowa
Code 43.93. 43.93 PLACE OF HOLDING CAUCUS. Each precinct caucus shall be held in a
building which is publicly owned or is suitable for and from time to time made available for holding
public meetings wherever it is possible to do so. Upon the application of the county chairperson, the
person having control of a building supported by taxation under the laws of this state shall make
available the space necessary to conduct the caucus without charge during presidential election years
and at a charge not greater than that made for its use by other groups during other years. When using
public buildings, the county chairpersons shall cooperate to attempt the collocation of the caucuses.
If you have questions or concerns about this, please contact Bob Dodds, Interim Assistant Vice
President for Extension and Outreach, 515-294-0013 (office) 319-470-0030 (cell).
Office Policy Review – Council members and staff completed a quiz on the FLSA concerning over
time and the management of payroll as it pertains to over time.
IACEC Legislative Day
http://www.iacec.info/News/
December Meeting Location – Pizza Ranch December 1 with guests invited at 6 p.m.
Motion by Shirley Conkity to adjourn. 2nd by Carla Miller.
7:00 p.m.
__________________________
Mike Bensmiller, Secretary
Carried unanimously. Adjourned at