Supervisors discuss Makee Manor in special session, law enforcement agreement with the town of Waterville in regular Monday session

by Bob Beach

The Allamakee County Board of Supervisors met in special session last Wednesday, October 30 to continue discussions regarding the possible sale of the Makee Manor facility north of Waukon. Real estate developer Jack Sweeney told the Board that he has been in contact with several buyers who may be interested in using the building for a senior care facility.
Sweeney said that the primary renovation expense would be the installation of a sprinkler system and estimated renovation costs of approximately $150,000 to $200,000. He noted, however, that the renovation expense would be cheap when compared to the cost of building a new facility, which could potentially cost millions of dollars.
He asked the Board to determine what portions of the property the County would be willing to sell and a minimum sale price so that he could list the property on the Multiple Listing Service available through an extensive real estate network. Sweeney also suggested that the Board could require a development agreement that would include a guarantee of at least 25 jobs created as a condition of any sale.
After discussion with input from Allamakee County Sheriff Clark Mellick and Emergency Management Director Chris Dahlstrom, the Board determined that it would be in the County's best interest to retain the north driveway at the facility, which would allow for continued use of the evidence building used for evidence storage by the Sheriff's Department and the accessory building used by Emergency Management. The plat proposed for sale would include the main building, the south driveway and parking lot, and the wastewater lagoons, a total of about seven acres.
In determining a minimum price for sale of the property, the Board considered the value of land, estimated at approximately $10,000 per acre, along with the County's expenses to date on maintenance and repairs since taking possession of the property in May, estimated at approximately $30,000, arriving at a minimum sale price of $100,000. Other conditions of the sale would include easements for the County's continued or future of use of the well and wastewater lagoons, an economic development agreement guaranteeing at least 25 new jobs, a County-approved business plan and first right of refusal at fair market value if the business does not succeed.
Allamakee County Attorney Jill Kistler told the Board that in order to sell County property, the sale would need to be done either by public auction or by sealed bid and a public hearing would need to be held prior to the sale. She suggested that the Board could rescind the resolution passed by a previous Board that imposes that requirement, but Assistant County Attorney Dick White pointed out that some research would need to be done to determine what legal requirements may have precipitated the original passage of that resolution. Sweeney said that the County could still list the property on the Multiple Listing Service and that real estate agents could submit sealed bids to the Board.
Ultimately, the Board took no formal action following the work session but will consider the listing agreement and property description during its regular meeting Tuesday, November 12.

During its regular meeting Monday, November 4 the Board met with Waterville Mayor Dave Monserud, who told the Board that a concerned citizen recently pointed out that Waterville does not have a formal law enforcement agreement with the Sheriff's Department, which is required by State law. He said that Waterville has never had a police department of its own and that the County has always provided law enforcement service. He proposed a simple contract to formalize the current arrangement with payment to the County of $1,000 per year.
Allamakee County Sheriff Clark Mellick said that he has never been a proponent of police protection contracts because of concerns about response time, but that he recognizes that it would not be feasible for Waterville to create its own police department. He said that while he would not object to such a contract in this specific case, he is concerned about setting a precedent for other communities that may seek such an agreement with the County in the future.
He pointed out that the County has a contract with Harpers Ferry for law enforcement, for which that city pays the County approximately $15,000 per year plus expenses; in order to be equitable based on population, the contract cost for Waterville would need to be approximately $6,500, which exceeds the funds available for law enforcement in Waterville's budget.
Mellick said that ultimately it would be the Board's decision whether to consider such contracts on a case-by-case basis, but could not recommend approving the proposed contract with Waterville without first consulting with the County Attorney and the County's insurance carrier regarding liability issues. The Board tabled action pending a recommendation from Mellick.
The Board also met with County Engineer Brian Ridenour, who presented the Board with an amended professional services agreement with IIW Engineering for the ongoing Mississippi River Trail project on County Road X-52 from Harpers Ferry to Highway 76. He explained that delays in the project have resulted in additional expenses of approximately $60,000 over the originally contracted amount for engineering and inspection services of $125,000. He said that there is still about a month's worth of work left to be done before the project is complete. The Board approved the agreement.
In other business, the Board approved a contract with Helping Services of Northeast Iowa for the Strategic Prevention Framework State Incentive Grant (SPF-SIG) and passed an appropriations resolution to transfer $17,000 from the non-departmental fund to the County Farm fund to cover the cost of repairs to the terraces at the County Farm.