The Cass County Board of Supervisors, Wednesday (today), approved the re-appointment of Kenny Harrison, of Anita, to the Cass County Veterans Affairs Commission. The Board also set the date for a Public Hearing on a proposal to incur Non-Current Debt in an amount not to exceed $350,000, “for the purpose of paying the costs of certain urban renewal projects in the 2017 Cass County Agribusiness Urban Renewal Area,” which consists of using Tax Increment Financing (TIF) to pay the costs of constructing grey water management improvements and undertaking capital projects, for the construction of roads, bridges and culverts – pertaining to the Elite Octane Ethanol plant. The hearing takes place 8:30-a.m., Thursday, May 31st in the Supervisors Board Room at the Courthouse in Atlantic.

Cass County Auditor Dale Sunderman explained a change order for the Echo to Glacier road project and construction costs associated with the ethanol plant, necessitates additional funds that not expected to exceed $269,000, but money is built-in for any surprises/additional change orders.  He says since the costs weren’t built into the General Obligation bond loan, they will borrow from the Local Option Sales Tax [LOST] and pay it back over a period of years when the Tax Increment Financing payments to the County start coming in from the plant by 2021.)

The County does not have to pay tax on the LOST, and will receive $960,000 in tax per year for about 15 years, according to the agreement with Elite Octane. Those funds will be use to pay back the LOST fund.  In other business, the Board approved permits for Hansen Valley Oil and the 21st Century Co-op C-Store, to sell cigarettes, tobacco, alternative nicotine  or vapor products.