County agrees to Legion’s $5,000 offer

MARENGO — Iowa County Supervisors tentatively accepted a counter offer last week from the local American Legion for a piece of county land.

Following the completion of the new Legion Hall on North Court Avenue in Marengo, American Legion Post 76 asked the county to sell the Legion a small adjacent piece of land for additional parking.

Supervisors quoted a price of $8,400 in June.

Supervisor Chairman Kevin Heitshusen said the county attorney advised him that the county has to sell it at fair market value. Heitshusen figured the price of the parcel based on what the Legion paid for the land on which it built the new Legion Hall, about $2.42 per square foot.

Heitshusen added a 20% discount. The price game to $12,578, which the Supervisors thought was too high.

The partial lot, where the paving ends north of the Legion parking lot, is about 230 feet by 30 feet.

“The property isn’t doing the county any good,“ said Supervisor Allen Schumacher during the June meeting. ”I’d set the price at $1 and be done with it.“

“[The Legion is] an asset to the community and the county,” said Supervisor Jon Degen, “but we still have to be responsible to the taxpayers.

Degen and Supervisors Chris Montross and Abigail Maas said they’d be comfortable giving a discount of 50%. Montross moved to offer the land to the legion for $8,400, and all of the supervisors except Schumacher voted yes.

Post 76 Commander Morris Densen made a counter offer last week.

“Thank you for the funds that have already been given,” Densen read from a written statement.

Densen told Supervisors that the new Legion Hall has many community uses. The Legion has offered it as a polling place and is adding a generator to make it an acceptable evacuation center for the county.

The Legion Hall might be “invaluable” during an emergency, Densen said.

The Legion offered the county $5,000 for the parcel of land. Supervisor did not argue the price.

“In my opinion, that’s fair,” said Heitshusen. The county asked for an easement for the sewer and will need driveway access.

Supervisors agreed unanimously to the sale price. Degen, as a member of the Legion, abstained from the vote.

“We still have to go to a public auction,” said Heitshusen.

The Legion will correct a drainage problem on its new lot as well, said Densen. The natural flow of surface water is to the north, onto county property. The Legion plans to tile ground and make the water drain to the east, Densen said.

Degen said he’s impressed with the new Legion Hall.

Many Legions are struggling, Densen said. “We are blessed here in Marengo in what we are able to do.”

“This is the first time we’ve had Bingo in the summertime,” said Densen. “People love it.”

People from many other communities come to Marengo for the games, Densen said.

Heitshusen said he would contact the county attorney to proceed with the transaction.