Supervisors discuss purchase offer for Makee Manor, future of MRT project

by Bob Beach

During its regular meeting Tuesday, February 25, the Allamakee County Board of Supervisors received a formal offer to purchase Makee Manor and some of the land and accessory buildings. Stacie Cooper and Jack Sweeney of Sweeney Real Estate in Waukon presented the offer of $80,000 for the main structure, farm buildings, a 15-passenger van and a total of 15.5 acres of land. Cooper said the prospective buyers, Bob and Kristi Hager, would be interested in purchasing the property on contract if the County would be amenable.
The Hagers said that they intend to use the building and land to fulfill what they called a "God-given idea" to use the property for their non-profit, faith-based Living Stone transitional living facility to offer help to people who have been labeled by society because of homelessness, mental health problems, substance abuse issues or trouble with the law. Bob Hager said part of the vision is to make the facility self-sufficient by raising food and livestock, cooking, canning, baking, etc. to generate revenue.
Residents at the proposed facility would also be required to find work and to pay $60 per week for their room and board. He added that he would like the public to feel comfortable visiting the facility and for residents there to feel comfortable going out into the community. The Hagers were supported at the meeting by representatives from area churches and prison ministries who encouraged the Board to take the opportunity to bring substance abuse treatment and job training to the community.
Board Chairman Larry Schellhammer said that he thinks a contract payment would be a good idea as it would insulate the County in the event that the new business was not successful. He said that the Board would work with County Attorney Jill Kistler to figure out the details and present the Hagers with a counteroffer.

MRT PROJECT
The Board also met with County Engineer Brian Ridenour, who asked for guidance from the Board on how to proceed with the Mississippi River Trail (MRT) project. Ridenour said that the segments of the project that have been completed - from Harpers Ferry north several miles, from Harpers Ferry south to Highway 76 and from Lansing to New Albin - have enhanced roadway safety while also making a trail for bicycles. He noted that approximately two million dollars remains of the five million dollar federal earmark for the project, with a goal of creating a continuous bike trail from New Orleans all the way to the headwaters of the Mississippi River.
However, the remaining segments of the trail in Allamakee County have proven to be problematic for various reasons. For example, Ridenour said that a trail along the river from Lansing south to the Columbus Bridge would be impossible because the railroad refuses to share its right-of-way with a trail of any kind and that right-of-way extends across the entire road in that segment. Creating a trail around that segment would be possible, but it would be expensive.
The segment from the Columbus Bridge south could be completed, Ridenour said, by adding a ten-foot wide bike trail on the bluff side of the road, but that plan would require significant modifications to existing driveways, which would also be expensive. He also noted that while the shoulders have been widened for the trail project north of Harpers Ferry, it wouldn't make a lot of sense to extend it farther, as the road leaves the river at that point.
In summary, Ridenour said that he has personally expended a lot of time and effort on the MRT project, but he does not see a good way to proceed with the project, as the cost to complete any further segments would far exceed the remaining funds from the federal earmark. Ridenour said that he would also consult with the County Conservation Board for guidance on how to proceed.

LONG RANGE TRANSPORTATION
Ridenour also presented the Board with the Long Range Transportation Plan for Allamakee, Clayton, Fayette, Howard and Winneshiek Counties. He explained the plan is designed to be a 20-year plan and is updated every five years, with the proposed plan to extend into the year 2035. He said that the proposed plan was compiled by the Upper Explorerland Regional Planning Commission with the Transportation Policy Board, the Transportation Technical Committee, the Transportation Enhancement Committee and the Passenger Transportation Advisory Group. Ridenour told the Board that the plan details long-term goals and short-term projects dealing not only with public transportation, roads and bridges, but also railways and waterways. The full plan is available for public viewing and comments at http://www.uerpc.org/tip-comments.html.

OTHER BUSINESS
In other business, the Board met with Allamakee County Assessor Ann Burckart, who presented the Board with a proposal from Solutions to update the County's website at a cost of $3,000 for the initial set-up, plus $2,400 annually for web hosting and $1,920 for 24 total hours of technical support. The Board directed Burckart to discuss the proposal with other department heads. The Board also agreed to suspend plans to move the Relief Office into the courthouse, but Veterans Affairs will still switch office space with the Department of Human Services in the courthouse.