Board okays resolutions for property sale, election

By Brooks Taylor, Mt. Pleasant News

It was resolution day Tuesday for the Henry County supervisors.

The county board approved a pair of resolutions ? the first setting Tuesday, June 27, as the sale date for property owned in Mt. Union, and the second formally establishing Tuesday, Aug. 1, as the special election date on the issuance of $9.1 million in general obligation capital loan notes for a new county jail/law enforcement center.

Henry County has been asked by the Iowa State City Development Board to dispose of property owned by the former City of Mt. Union to satisfy community debts.

The auction will begin by sealed bid on the two auction properties ? the city maintenance building and city park. Bids must be submitted to the county auditor?s office before the close of business on Monday, June 26. If the bids are being submitted on both parcels, the bids must be included in separate envelopes.

Each proposal must be in writing, identifying the tract to be purchased (either park or maintenance building) and the amount offered for the tract. The property will be transferred by quit-claim deed.

Bidders will have an opportunity to raise their bid following the opening of bids at 10 a.m. on Tuesday, June 27, in the county supervisors? meeting room.

The sale of the real estate is subject to any existing leases, easements for utilities, streets and highways and restrictions applicable to the land under state law and county ordinances.

Public viewing of the property will be on Wednesday, June 21, from 1-3 p.m.

Questions regarding the property or bidding process may be directed to the Henry County Auditor at 319-385-0756, or the county director of planning at 319-385-0746.

Setting of Aug. 1 as the election date for the county jail/law enforcement center, proposed to be built on county-owned land by Christamore House on Mt. Pleasant?s far east side was a procedural matter. The election date was announced over a month ago. Passage requires a super majority (60-percent approval).

County Engineer Jake Hotchkiss updated the supervisors on last week?s work by his department. ?The last three weeks have been quite busy in our office, we have gotten a lot done,? he began.

The department is gearing up for work on the bridge on county road W55 (Franklin Avenue) that crosses the Skunk River at Oakland Mills this summer. Hotchkiss is well aware that the work will inconvenience a lot of people. Traffic counts show that over 1,000 cars daily pass over the bridge.

?It is going to be a headache,? he admitted. He said several people have asked him why the work couldn?t be done one lane at a time, thereby keeping the bridge open during construction. ?It would cost more and the construction would take longer,? he said.

Continuing, he said the work is being done on top of the bridge so weather will not be as much of a factor. ?People won?t like it, but we will get through it.?

The company doing the construction on the bridge has a 25-day contract to complete the work.

On the county?s other major project ? reconstruction of Winfield Avenue ? work is progressing well, Hotchkiss remarked. ?It (construction) will start to move a bit faster. They will be pouring pavement soon and until you get pavement down, it doesn?t look like much is being done.?

Supervisors approved the engineer?s request to place a stop sign on 310th Street at its intersection with Marsh Avenue for westbound traffic. Work by county crews is nearly finished on the intersection. Once the work is finished and the barricades removed, the stop sign will be placed at the intersection.

Work by the secondary-roads crew last week included spraying noxious weeds; mowing operations; hauling resurfacing rock; working on ditching on 335th Street; prepping the paint truck for painting; and installing two crossroad pipes on Marsh Avenue and 310th Street.

Supervisors meet again in regular session Thursday, June 8, at 9 a.m., in the Henry County Courthouse.