County sells 12.58 acres to Porter brothers

Jefferson County sold 12.58 acres of land in Section 22, Liberty Township, at Monday?s board of supervisors meeting to neighboring property owners, brothers Nathan, Ryan and Mark Porter.

A public hearing Monday prior to the sale drew no comments.

Supervisor board chairman Dick Reed said the land was part of the old county home acreage. The building hasn?t been owned by the county in several years and most recently is used by a farming operation.

?This land was used as pasture, it has a pond there which we had to re-do the overflow tube/dam,? he said. ?The county is not the best landlord to maintain unused property.?

The Porter brothers offered the asking price of $39,142, which the supervisors accepted.

?The land was appraised at $36,042,? said Reed. ?The cost of appraisal was $600 and the survey was $2,500. The addition of those three amounts was the asking price.?

Assistant County Attorney Pat McAvan explained that in the past, the board of supervisors has requested bids to sell property.

?Property that is not business or residential can be sold by the county without bids, and in this case, a neighbor was interested in acquiring the property,? he said.

The county still owns 103 acres nearby which is leased on a three-year lease for agricultural production.

?That lease brings in some income,? said Reed.

In other business, the supervisors approved submitting an application for federal aid with the Ash Avenue project.

County Engineer Scott Cline said he would like the Ash Avenue portion that runs through Batavia have the asphalt torn out and repaired while also fixing drains.

?Whether we get the federal money or not, the sidewalk project and curb ramps are still scheduled,? said Cline.

?Our application says the cost to repair the street is $960,000, but don?t be surprised if it goes to $1 million,? he said.

The county should learn within the next month or two whether it will receive federal aid for the Ash Avenue project, but construction is scheduled for the 2015 season.

Reed and supervisor Lee Dimmitt cautioned Cline to thoroughly investigate any stipulations that might come with the federal funding.

?See what strings might be attached,? said Dimmitt.

The supervisors were referring to the wire guardrails that the federal regulations required along Pleasant Plain Road after federal funds were used to improve that road. The guardrails restrict wide farm loads from safely using the shoulders to let faster traffic pass.

In other road news, Cline said he received a courtesy notice that Henry County is closing a dirt road for bridge replacement with a low water crossing. The road is close to the Jefferson County border.

Cline said he had a call about a bridge abutment outside of Abingdon on Brookville Road. The abutment was losing rock. He would send a road crew to check on it.

Reed asked Cline for a copy of the letter he will send to Burlington Northern Santa Fe Railroad concerning the bridge rating of the rail overpass on Nutmeg Avenue.

?I?d like the railway?s reply, also and have those letters in our archive,? said Reed.

Reed said a property owner in Abingdon is asking for an alley to be vacated.

?This has been a source of dispute between property owners on the other side previously,? said Reed. ?We?ll add this to our road tour next week.?

Supervisor Becky Schmitz said she?d emailed information to Cline about a workshop Tuesday in Cedar Rapids sponsored by Iowa State Extension services.

?It?s about integrated roadside management, which 50 counties in Iowa are already doing,? she said. ?It?s about keeping native vegetation along roadsides.?

Reed said the county has done something similar in the past.

?Mowing and clearing along county roads involves some controversy,? said Cline. ?As long as we can figure out how to maintain roads properly, with sight clearances and plowing, we can get prairie grasses established.?

Schmitz asked what is the county?s standard policy about weed control along roads, because she?s had citizens inquiring.

?We can?t have noxious weeds, and we prefer if property owners keep the weeds down,? said Cline.

Schmitz asked if property owners could request no spraying.

?We don?t do a lot of spraying, unless it?s noxious weeds or by guardrails,? said Cline.

Reed said he wasn?t sure the county could give up its right for control of county property.

Schmitz will join county officials and employees from across the state Wednesday for the Sixth Annual County Day at the Capitol hosted by the Iowa State Association of Counties in Des Moines. Reed will go Thursday.

The event gives county officials and employees the opportunity to be involved in the legislative process by promoting legislation that is of importance to counties.

Discussions with legislators will include ISAC?s top priorities ? road funding, mental health and disability services, user fees and rural improvement zones.

Each of these issues will have significant fiscal impacts on counties.