OTTUMWA — The Wapello County Board of Supervisors said Tuesday the county’s workman’s compensation program is not as taxed as it was recently, but there is still room for improvement.

Supervisor Jerry Parker told the board he met with a representative from the workman’s compensation insurance who was “guardedly optimistic” about the progress the county is making in trimming on-the-job injuries. Wapello County rated a .96 in the most recent year. That means 96 percent of the county’s insurance payments went back out as compensation. The number was as high as 1.17, meaning more money went out than the county paid in.

Parker said the additional steps are generally minor. He gave the illustration of police arresting a person and bringing them to the Wapello County Jail. If the arrest is for public intoxication, it’s not hard to see the person throwing up at the jail. The insurance company wants the county to have disposable cleaning supplies to minimize contact with any bodily fluids during cleanup.

Tuesday’s meeting was brief. The only other unusual item was a tax abatement request. The person who requested abatement did not own the property in question.

“This was an individual who came in … and wanted to get taxes suspended, but it wasn’t his property. It was his mother’s. But the question was could he get the taxes suspended when his mother is in a nursing home? She wasn’t living there,” Parker said.

The answer, ultimately, was yes. Supervisors approved the abatement on a 3-0 vote.

The county also approved a transfer of funds, which Supervisor Steve Siegel said will help address cash flow interrupted by this year’s floods.

Matt Milner can be reached at (641) 683-5359 or via e-mail at mwmilner@mchsi.com