Former town?s assets for sale

MOUNT UNION ? Miscellaneous assets from the former city of Mount Union will go on the auction block at 10 a.m. June 8 at the former city maintenance building located at 206 S. Crew St. in Mount Union. An auction of city-owned land in Mount Union will be separate from this asset sale.

and a date and time have not been set for the sale.

The county is awaiting an affidavit of possession of the land before scheduling the sale. The State of Iowa City Development Board, which is acting as Mount Union?s city government until Sept. 23, has asked the county to dispose of Mount Union?s assets.

Supervisors said sealed bids will be accepted for the sale of Mount Union land.

An asset that has a big question mark behind it is the community building. Iowa State Bank, who provided Mount Union with a loan for the building, has a lien on the property.

?I think they [Iowa State Bank] have options in the pursuit of the debt,? remarked Supervisor Greg Moeller.

Henry County Auditor Shelly Barber added that the building is in the bank?s hands at this time. ?We [the county] are not pursuing ownership of it. The ball is in their court.?

Assets that will be sold June 8 include a 1993 Ford F350 truck. The truck has dual rear wheels, a hydraulic plow and dump bed. However, the brakes appear to be either weak or non-functioning.

Other items include an antique Mosier floor safe (marked Bank of Mount Union); Stihl gas lawn trimmer; eight-foot folding tables; metal folding chairs; antique dining room table; two-foot and three-foot square single pedestal tables; podium; residential ranges-one gas and one electric.

Also Christmas decorations; plastic double playground slide (slight damage); bags of concrete mix; 13 five-gallon containers of Sealbest driveway sealer; metal office desk; acetylene torch and gauges (no hoses or tanks); miscellaneous kitchen items; and a few other miscellaneous items.

Pictures of some of the auction items have been posted on the county?s website ? www.henrycountyiowa.us. The auction items may be inspected at the sale site and at the community center building, 208 E. Lehew St., prior to the auction and beginning at 8 a.m. on June 8. All items will be sold ?as is? with no warranties or guarantees. Buyers are required to make final settlements on the day of the sale.

Barber also told the board that the special assessments for monthly sanitary sewer fees for the Regional Utility Service Systems (RUSS) have been filed with the county treasurer. The county will pay the sanitary sewer bill for Mount Union residents beginning with the July bill and the sewer charges will be placed on the property tax rolls as a special assessment.

The supervisors will host another public meeting in Mount Union at 6 p.m., on May 31 at the community building to discuss the agreement between the county and RUSS on sewer charges and to answer any other questions.

?We just want to make sure we cover our bases,? Supervisor Chair Marc Lindeen said. ?We want people to know how the county blends in with the RUSS agreements.?

County Engineer Jake Hotchkiss also gave a brief report to supervisors Tuesday. He said work on the reconstruction of Winfield Avenue between Grand Avenue and Iris Street is going well despite the soggy weather.

?We are working in and out of the weather,? Hotchkiss said. ?They have been working every day and hopefully can make up ground when the rain ends.?

He said all the storm water drains have been installed on the section of Winfield Avenue where construction is now occurring.

Supervisors also approved the construction plans and set a bid letting of June 13 for new county sheds in Wayland and Winfield.

Last week?s work by the secondary-roads department included pulling shoulders on 335th Street east of U.S. Highway 218; spraying roadsides for weeds; mowing shoulders; starting work on lining culverts on the New London Road from the Henry-Des Moines County line to New London; and hauling resurfacing rock near Wayland.

Supervisors met this morning (Wed.) with Bruce Hudson, RUSS executive director, to discuss sewer hookups in the former City of Mount Union. The next regular supervisor meeting is Thursday at 9 a.m., in the courthouse.