Letter to the Editor: Trust fund should not be used for the nature center

On March 21, 2007, a conditional agreement was made between the Jasper County Conservation Board (JCCB) Director and the Jasper County Board of Supervisors (JCBoS). The agreement allowed the JCCB to farm the Lillian Johnston Wildlife Refuge (LJWR) to generate income to develop the property. It was the JCCB Director’s recommendation to place the farm income in a trust fund to be used solely to develop the property. This is what the JCBoS agreed to, and is reflected in the meeting minutes in the Auditor’s office.

For whatever reason, this income went into the wrong account for 15 years. In 2022, the Jasper County Auditor discovered this mistake. The Auditor conferred with the Jasper County Attorney. An audit was conducted. The audit revealed that $222,020.12 should be placed in a newly created Lillian Johnston Trust Fund. Prior to this, only about $13,500 had been used to develop the property (about 6 percent). That account as grown since then.

A couple of months ago, the JCBoS allowed the JCCB to use this trust fund money for other projects in the county.

The following is a quote from the Friday, September 23, 2022, edition of the Newton News: “Another way the center can get income is through cropground rental. Van Zante said this money, currently at $222,000, could be utilized as a maintenance account or building endowment.”

This is the Lillian Johnston Trust Fund!

Make no mistake, the JCCB has done everything possible to NOT develop this property “exclusively as a park or wildlife refuge” per conditions of the Will. It is simply being used as a “cash cow” for the nature center.

The current JCBoS were possibly misinformed or uninformed and too trusting just like we were in 2007. This is disrespectful and unprofessional. The current JCBoS should correct this and make it right. The County Auditor and County Attorney should be involved as well, just like in 2022. The March 21, 2007, agreement should be enforced! Is a Will meaningless? Is a Trust Fund meaningless?

This does not reflect well on Jasper County.

John Parsons

Des Moines

Former Jasper County Conservation Board employee Former Jasper County Board of Supervisor