Should drivers for the Winneshiek County Road Department be required to have DOT Medical Cards?

If you drive a truck for the Iowa Department of Transportation or if you drive a truck for a private business, you're required to have a DOT Medical Card.  But an exemption in state law means drivers for county governments aren't required to have such cards.

Winneshiek County officials say that sometimes puts them in a difficult position.  For instance, if the standard recovery time for one type of surgery is three months under Iowa DOT guidelines, but if a county driver wants to return to work sooner, Winneshiek County officials have to decide whether the driver can handle the work.

County Engineer Lee Bjerke is concerned enough about the discrepancies between state guidelines and local guidelines that he has asked county supervisors to request a written legal opinion on the issue by County Attorney Andy Van der Maaten.  The board members have agreed and will ask for written guidelines.