No bids received for MU Community Center; minimum bid lowered to $2,500

With no bids received by Henry County Supervisors for the Mt. Union Community Center, supervisors lowered the minimum bid to $2,500 from $30,000 in hopes of garnering the interest of buyers.

The property is being sold by the county on behalf of Iowa's City Development Board. The money will be added to Mt. Union's coffers, held by the Development Board, to help cover expenses incurred by the unincorporated city. Expenses include a defamation case against the city won by Dan and Linda Johnson, a lien placed against the Community Building by Iowa State Bank and advertising expenses for the sale of the Community Building.

County Auditor Shelly Barber said the county also has to pay a special assessment due for Mt. Union's sewer at the end of September, the cost of which is $375. Advertising expenses to advertise the first round of bidding in addition to this second round were estimated to be between $1,000 and $1,500.

Supervisors set such a low bid this second time around as to not incur more advertising expenses if there were no bids received and they had to lower the minimum bid yet a third time. Now, they hope they will receive enough bids, so bidders will have to raise their bids against each other to purchase the building.

Bids are due Oct. 10 by 4:30 p.m. They will be opened during a regular supervisors meeting on Oct. 11 at 10 a.m.

Supervisors originally hoped the $30,000 minimum bid would cover the expense of advertising for the sale of the building and the lien, which is $28,000 including court fees.

An assessment of the Community Center estimated its worth to be around $52,000, Planning and Zoning Administrator Joe Buffington said.