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Tama County Supervisors By Joyce Wiese

The annual Conservation report was presented by Bob Etzel to the Tama County Board of Supervisors Monday morning. Etzel gives this report each year. The five Tama County Conservation Board members serving Carolyn Adolphs, term expiring in December 2016, Allan Atchison, term expiring December 2017, Ellen Graff, term expiring 2018, John Keenan, term expiring 2019 and Nathan Wrage term expiring 2020. The Conservation Board meets monthly and has one special session. Etzel says the Infrastructure repairs and upgrades are a growing challenge. Etzel claims funding levels are inadequate to address the larger project needs to be addressed over the next several years. The Board’s assessment of needs include the following. Otter Creek Park-repair hard surface road-preventative maintenance. Will require removing and replacing four 15′ x 30′ areas to full depth, crack repair and either chip seal or 2″ lift of new asphalt over all the surfaces at an estimated cost of $250,000..00. Electrical Updates in the RV Camp section estimated at $40,000 a year for t he next three years, at a cost of $120,000.00. Etzel stated when he started in 1979 most campers were small vehicles and did not require a lot of electricity. Today they are much larger with refrigerators, showers, furnaces, etc. Another need is for Campers Hill restroom which needs either a great deal of repair or replacement. He is not sure on this project which should be done, and estimates the cost at $30,000.00. Replacement of the picnic pads (beach area) handicap walkway to all at a cost of $7500.00 Also a picnic point handicap parking, access to 1st picnic pad, new retaining wall for picnic pad at $10,000.00. These items are of the highest priority. Other needs include Ike’s Track Parking Lot ($2000.00), Otter Creek Lake and Park-Hansen Addition-wetlands NW drainage ($80,000) and Forest plantings ($5000). Lake restoration at Otter Creek Lake $1.5 million), Otter Creek Lake playground renovation($30,000), Engineering-group camp/cabin area at Otter Creek Lake ($15,000), Reinig Tract restoration of wetland ($30,000), T. F. Clark Park shelter restoration ($10,000), Otter Creek Lake and Park invasives work per year amount x 5 years ($7500.00, and Forest Management-post 2011 storm per year amount x 8 ($7500.00) and Columbia Wildlife Area invasives work ($10.000). Exhibit team members serving since 2007 have been Cathy Wieck and David Hill from Dysart, Josh Van Hamme of Chelsea, Geri Eilers of Gladbrook, Melody Bro of Montour, George Corum, Ginny Elliott, Bob Etzel, Jim Little, Dennis Appelgate and Denise Fletcher from Tama Toledo, and Yvette Berner anad Judy Krebsbach of Traer. Etzel says the Tama County Conservation Board manages fourteen areas totaling over 1042 acres. These are managed for outdoor recreation, education, and wildlife benefits. Tama County Conservation Board areas are Columbia Wildlife area, Duffus’ Landing, Maria Hladik Roadside Park, Iowa River Natural Area, Wolf Creek Trail, Manatt’s Landing, Heritage Wetlands Wildlife Area, Long P Point Landing, Izaak Walton Tract, Lohberger Memorial Park, McCoy Landing, Reinig Wildlife Refuge and Nature Study Area, T.F. Clark Park and addition and Otter Creek Lake and Park. In other business the annual TIF report was accepted. Tami Wise was present saying she felt it necessary for a tracking system of vacations, days off, etc. Approval of claims for $280,795.25 for the past week. Supervisors noted the courthouse would be closed Thursday and Friday, November 24, 25, for the Thanksgiving holdiday.

Tama County Supervisors By Joyce Wiese

Monday morning, November 28, 2016, at the Tama County Board of Supervisors meeting, Supervisors Kendall Jordan, Larry Vest and Dan Anderson had received a letter from the United States Department of Interior giving notice of the application filed by the Sac and Fox Tribe of the Mississippi In Iowa to have real estate accepted “in trust” for the Tribe. The determination whether to acquire this property “in trust” will be made in the exercise of discretionary authority which is vested in the Secretary of Interior. They have invited comments from the Tama County Board of Supervisors on the acquisition in order for the Secretary to assess the impact of the removal of the property from the tax rolls. The property being discussed contains approximately forty acres and is located in Section 17 of Toledo Township. The property is described as The South Half of the Southwest Quarter of the Northwest Quarter, all that part of the North Half of the Northeast Quarter of the Southwest Quarter and the West Half of the Southeast Quarter of the Northwest Quarter, West of the Public Highway all in Section 17, Township 83, North Range 15 West of the 5th P.M. in Tama County. The land is currently being used for agriculture. The Tribe plans to continue to use this land for agriculture with funds accrued to be used for the benefit of the Tribe. According to the County’s records, Tribal land has approximately 400 homes with an average valuation of $100,000 for a total valuation of $40,000,000 with taxable of $70,250,495.71 and taxes lost in the amount of $2,115,843.07. Casino land average valuation is $25,000,000, taxable $27,777,777.778 and Taxes lost $836,626.39 showing the amount of taxes lost for the year of 2017 at $2,952,469.46. In past history, Fiscal year 2010 through 2016 shows a total Valuation with no rollback of $22,408,150.00 with tax dollars lost at $644,745.00 Fiscal year 2016 shows a valuation of $3,519,890 and tax dollars lost in the amount of $106,544.00 After discussion the Tama County Board of Supervisors decided to contact their attorney and hope to not place this property on the exempt list. The ground is not abutting any of the Indian land so they feel it should not be placed in trust. For more information you can talk to your supervisor, contact the County Auditor or County Assessor’s office. In other business, the Tama County Engineer, Lyle Brehm, was present with a road report. Brehm says the work on K Avenue is essentially done, with few last minute details to take care of. In order for work to be done at the Chambers bridge location, the contractor needs a better access to the area.” The Toledo 4 bridge is proceeding as expected. The County is working on the Quarry road at the present time due to the rain, and it being too wet to work on the other areas today. They are also doing some work southwest Clutier. Claims approved for the past week came to $52,956.00.