Supervisors update residents on Mt. Union sales, RUSS

By Brooks Taylor, Mt. Pleasant News

MT. UNION ? Henry County supervisors said they would be back, and they kept their promise by hosting a second community meeting Wednesday night at the Mt. Union Community Building.

Supervisors met with Mt. Union residents in April at the United Methodist Church and said they would return to update the community on proceedings with the discontinuation process.

The supervisors met with about 20 Mt. Union residents Wednesday night, informing them of the auction of both miscellaneous city items and the sale of real estate owned by the former city. The sale of miscellaneous items will be Thursday, June 8, at 10 a.m. at the city maintenance shed and community building.

Real estate property, namely the maintenance shed property and the city park, will be Tuesday, June 27, at 10 a.m. at the Henry County Courthouse.

Supervisors detailed residents on the sale process and also to answer any questions regarding the special sewer assessment. The county is now handling all the sewer bills from the Regional Utility Service Systems (RUSS) and will be reimbursed through a special assessment to be paid at the same time as property taxes at the end of September and March. However, the special assessment notice will be sent separately from tax statements, Henry County Auditor Shelly Barber said.

In questions from the audience, former Mt. Union Mayor Dan Johnson questioned whether all the Mt. Union miscellaneous property is included on the auction list.

He said it appears that some pictures, tables and chairs and other items are not included on the list. He also mentioned the mayor?s gavel, but Barber said the county is donating the gavel to the Henry County Historical Museum in Mt. Pleasant. Barber said they had no knowledge of the whereabouts of the other items that Johnson was inquiring about.

?I would ask the (city) council members and Mr. Marek (John Marek, mayor of the city when unincorporation was granted this past March) where they are,? Johnson said. ?If there are some city-owned tables and chairs in the garages of residents, I would have a real problem with that.?

Johnson also said he didn?t see some pictures that were displayed in the community building on the list of miscellaneous items. One of the pictures was from a July 4, 1911 parade in Mt. Union, he remarked.

The supervisors said they would check with the sheriff. ?If he (the sheriff) wants to proceed (with locating the items), he can,? stated Supervisor Gary See.

Barber said minutes from city council meetings would be given to the county historical museum but financial records would be destroyed. ?The state said since the city no longer exists, we do not need to keep financial records.?

Johnson, however, suggested keeping the financial records in case of a lawsuit or audit. Barber responded by saying the financial records would be kept for a while, but not for a long period of time.

The State of Iowa City Development Board, which granted Mt. Union?s request for discontinuance, has asked the county to sell Mt. Union?s assets because it is doubtful that funds available will cover the city?s debts.

Topping the miscellaneous assets auction is a 1993 Ford F350 truck with a hydraulic plow and dump bed. Other items include a gas lawn trimmer, tables and chairs, a refrigerator, residential ranges and various small items. All property will be sold ?as is? with no warranties or guarantees.

The property auction will start by sealed bid. All sealed bids on either the maintenance shed or the park (which includes the land and park equipment) must be submitted to the county auditor by 4:30 p.m. Monday, June 26. If a resident is submitting a bid on both properties, each bid must be in a separate envelope.

Bids will be opened at 10 a.m. June 27 at the courthouse. If the bidder is present, he/she has an opportunity to raise their bid if they are not the high bidder. However, only those who have submitted sealed bids are allowed to participate in the bidding.

A resident asked why the community building was not included in the property sale and was told that Iowa State Bank has a lien against the building and therefore, can?t be sold.

Another resident asked how the city park could be sold since it was donated to the city.

?Once it is donated it becomes property of the city and is subject to the sale,? explained Barber.

Barber and the supervisors also presented a printout on information about RUSS payments. Major points included the following.

? If property taxes are escrowed and paid by a mortgage company, the mortgage company will not pick up your special assessment. It is the property owner?s responsibility to make arrangements with the mortgage company regarding the special assessment.

? Iowa law does not permit monthly payments on special assessments.

? If the property is sold, the special assessment continues on the property and it is the responsibility of the seller and buyer to work out the special assessment payment due.

? If a residence has been hooked up to the RUSS sewer and is torn down, the special assessment still must be paid by the property owner until the debt is paid off, which will be 2050.