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Cass Supervisors approve Urban Renewal Area plan and 28-E agreement

News

January 18th, 2017 by Ric Hanson

The Cass County Board of Supervisors, today (Wednesday), held a public hearing on on designating a 2017 Cass County Agribusiness Urban Renewal Area and on proposed Urban Renewal Plan and Projects related to the proposed Elite Octane ethanol plant project. During the brief hearing, there were no written or oral objections.

Board Secretary/Cass County Auditor Dale Sunderman explained all the proper procedures had been followed prior to the Public Hearing that would allow the URA plan approval.

The Board then closed the hearing and approved a Resolution to Declare Necessity and Establish and Urban Renewal Area. They also held the first and second readings of Ordinance #35, which provided for the Division of Taxes levied on taxable property in the 2017 Cass County Agribusiness Urban Renewal Area, and approved the Ordinance on the 3rd and final reading. And, the Board set their meeting on Jan. 31st as the date for approval of a Development Agreement with Elite Octane, LLC, including Tax Increment Payments in an amount not to exceed $8.5-million dollars.

In other business, the Cass County Supervisors approved a 28-E Cooperative Law Enforcement Agreement between the Cass County Sheriff’s Office and the City of Griswold. The current, 4-year agreement was set to expire at the end of June. Dale Sunderman explained the agreement calls for the City to pay the County $65,565 per year plus 3% per annum for the service.

The agreement is effective July 1st, 2017, through June 30, 2021. And, Cass County Conservation Department Director Micah Lee presented the Board with his Quarterly Report. Lee said  they had a lot of problems with illegal dumping along the T-Bone Trail off the Dunbar Road access to the trail, this past fall. He said they took three or four pickup loads of furniture and trash bags to the Cass County Landfill. Native high weeds, he said, provide the opportunity for people to try and hide their trash.

Lee said in the past, they have gone through the trash to try and find evidence of where it came from, but the recent junk left behind hasn’t provided much of a clue. He says they Sheriff pays a visit to those who are identified as illegal dumpers.