County updates land purchase procedures

At the request of Engineer Christian Boehemer, Union County Board of Supervisors Monday approved updates to its land purchase policy.

Boehmer said the procedure is mainly used for construction purposes, more specifically when a new bridge is designed and encroaches on private property.

“It’s usually less than one acre,” Boehmer said citing only needing tenths of an acre.

The formula uses the average assessed valuation of land and market value of land sales at the time. He said the average assessed valuation of county real estate is $762 per acre. Market value of real estate in the county is $6,755 per acre. Dividing the two equates to 8.86. That number is the assessed evaluation for the selling price for land in the county with a factor of 1.5 times the assessed valuation for acquiring land for projects.

Supervisor Rick Friday asked what happens if a landowner refuses to sell. Boehmer was optimistic citing how the minimal amount of land and the benefit of a new bridge, for example, will be accepted by landowners.

“We’re not talking acres; slivers, triangular pieces,” he said.

In other county news...

Secondary Roads Superintendent Al Hysell said road crews have found trash dumped along roads and in ditches. Unwanted tires are becoming more common. Hysell said some of the debris included names of people. He said the names have been turned over to law enforcement. The county will fine people who are convicted of illegal dumping.

Supervisors approved a bid of $475,338 from Iowa Earth Works for a calcium stabilization project on 240th Street from Pole Road to about Arispe. The stretch is 4.8 miles. The work has not been scheduled but is expected to happen in the spring.