Cass County Auditor Dale Sunderman reports a Public Hearing will be held next week on the designation of a 2017 Cass County Agribusiness Urban Renewal Area, and on a proposed Urban Renewal Plan and Projects. The Hearing will be held Jan. 18th at 8:45-a.m., at the Cass County Courthouse.

The hearing is on the question of designating as the 2017 Cass County Agribusiness Urban Renewal Area (the “Urban Renewal Area”), pursuant to Chapter 403, Code of Iowa, the property situated in Cass County, Iowa described as follows:

Certain real property situated in Cass County, Iowa bearing the following Cass County Property Tax Parcel Identification Numbers as of January 1, 2017:

• Parcel ID: 180001556001000 – 3.55 acres;
• Parcel ID: 250000488001005 – 13.29 acres
• Parcel ID: 250000488001006 – 50.87 acres
• Parcel ID: 250000488004011 – 2.25 acres
• Parcel ID: 250000488004012 – 8.95 acres
• Parcel ID: 250000522001006 – 1.93 acres
• Parcel ID: 250000523002003 – 3.17 acres
• Parcel ID: 250000533001001 – 2.81 acres
• Parcel ID: 250000533001002 – 0.24 acres
• Parcel ID: 250000533001003 – 1.04 acres
• Parcel ID: 250000687003002 – 6.08 acres
• Parcel ID: 250000754001002 – 3.60 acres Parcel ID: 250000754003002 – 4.41 acres; and
• All of the right-of-way of Echo Road from and including its intersection with Olive Street on the east and continuing west to and including its intersection with Buck Creek Road; and
• All of the right-of-way of Buck Creek Road from and including its intersection with Echo Road on the north and continuing south to and including its intersection with Glacier Road; and
• All of the right-of-way of Glacier Road from and including its intersection with Buck Creek Road on the east and continuing west to the paved segment of Glacier Road.

(A More detailed description of the parcels is available from the Cass County Auditor’s Office) The subject matter of the public hearing will also include a proposed urban renewal plan (the “Plan”) and project for the Urban Renewal Area identified above, pursuant to Chapter 403, Code of Iowa, a copy of which plan is on file for public inspection in the office of the County Auditor.

The general scope of the proposed Plan, as more specifically described therein, includes the following:

• Increasing the tax base and promoting economic growth in Cass County by encouraging commercial, industrial and agribusiness development.
• The Plan authorizes certain initial urban renewal projects to be undertaken in the Urban Renewal Area consisting of (i) providing tax increment financing support to Elite Octane, LLC in connection with the planning, design and construction of an ethanol plant (the “Development Project”);
• and (ii) using tax increment financing to pay the costs of constructing certain road and greywater sewer system improvements necessary for the development of the Development Project.

At the hearing any interested person may file written objections or comments and may be heard orally with respect to the subject matter of the hearing.