February 04, 2025

County ponders future property evaluation tools

Eagleview used the East Union High football field as a demonstration of how it's program works to record and measure properties for taxable valuation. The thin blue line is showing the length of the field.

Union County Conference board members heard information Thursday from two different companies how they can assist with future property evaluations for tax purposes.

No action was taken by the board. An evaluation of residential properties began in summer 2022 and was completed in early 2024. Former county assessor Mindy Schaefer had planned for another residential evaluation in 2035 at a then-estimated cost of $1 million.

Ryan Poots, representing Eagleview, explained how its work can be done. The county has used Eagleview in the past for aerial pictures of properties. Using aerial photography can help the county keep track of additions or changes to properties. The photography has two different resolutions, which refer to picture clarity, but both are still used to measure approximate dimensions of buildings.

Union County Assessor Jessica Hagen said the lesser quality pictures may make it difficult to know if a building has electrical lines attached. Demonstrating the program with the pictures, Poots used the East Union High School football field as a example on how objects can be measured.

“A lot of stuff doesn’t get recorded,” Hagen said about additions to properties. Additional items increase the taxable value to the property. For the resident not informing the county of the additions, that prevents increases to the taxable amounts.

“We can find new buildings,” Hagen said referring to the pictures.

Hagen said the program can also be used by law enforcement to determine search warrants on property suspected to be involved in in criminal activity. Secondary roads can also use the program for county roads and their proximity to features and properties.

Poots said the pictures are taken in early spring before leaves are on trees. He said trees with leaves can obstruct the view of what is on a property.

Eagleview had price options for the county depending upon picture quality and payment plans. Packages ranges from $70,950 to $109,260.

Reed Kinne, representing Vanguard Appraisals, said his company’s work, which was used in the 2022 project, gets employees in houses for better record keeping. Kinne said it is common for counties and towns that use Vanguard to have property owners do remodeling projects that add value to a house, but not inform the county officials.

“We want accurate data,” Kinne said.

Getting into the house is the first challenge, Kinne said. When Vanguard worked Union County in 2022, the county was transparent explaining to residents about the work of the appraisers and the interest of getting inside the house. Schaefer said in February 2024 she was pleased with how county residents responded to working with Vanguard. She said 47% of 2,716 property owners allowed Vanguard to conduct an interior inspection. That is less than half the total number of properties inspected.

There were 1,185 properties that were estimated; that is when the owner was not at home and did not respond to contact information. Schaefer was pleased only 646 property owners, or 11%, refused to provide any information.

Kinne said employees have difficulties with residents in places where it has worked.

“People with Ring doorbells don’t answer the door,” he said referring to the brand of doorbells that have a video monitor so residents can see who is at the door.

He said some employees have quit after confrontations with residents.

“This is not a pleasant job. People quit,” he said.

Kinne said Vanguard also has options for a 2035 appraisal. The full package is $935,568. Drive-by residential is at about $630,000. That is when an employee will gather as much information from outside the home.

Union County still has two more annual payments of $60,000 to Vanguard for the previous work.

John Van Nostrand

JOHN VAN NOSTRAND

An Iowa native, John's newspaper career has mostly been in small-town weeklies from the Rocky Mountains to the Mississippi River. He first stint in Creston was from 2002 to 2005.