Supervisors give Belle Plaine empty lot

VINTON — A piece of land, the former site of the Herring Hotel, will become the property of the City of Belle Plaine, Benton County Supervisors decided June 18.

Benton County Treasurer Melinda Schoettmer met with the board about the empty lot between the Lincoln Cafe and Grieder Standard Service on 13th Street in Belle Plaine.

The Herring Hotel has been torn down, and no one has paid taxes on the property since before 2013, Schoettmer said.

The people who planned to buy the property at a tax sale decided they didn’t want it, so a tax sale wasn’t held, said Schoettmer.

More than $30,000 is owed in taxes, said Schoettmer. The property is valued at $8,100.

The City of Belle Plaine asked the county to sign the tax certificate over to them. Schoettmer said the property needs to get back on the tax rolls.

The Board of Supervisors passed a resolution to sign the property over to the City of Belle Plaine.