(Lake Park)– The Dickinson county board of supervisors Tuesday authorized Assistant County Attorney Lonnie Saunders to start proceedings to establish a tax increment finance district for the West Bay Estates residential subdivision proposed for the south side of Silver Lake near Lake Park. The developer and city requested the county’s involvement because it has a higher bonding capacity than the city. Revenue generated by the urban renewal district would help defray some of the developer’s costs and would assist the city in extending sanitary sewer to the area. The development is to consist of 66 lots. Cost of extending sanitary sewer has been estimated at roughly 1.5 million dollars.
In other business, the supervisors voted to sign onto a 28E agreement with 60 counties to develop software for receiving and transmitting forms needed for the federally mandated HIPAA, or Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act. The county’s cost isn’t to exceed 2,500-dollars for the initial fee.
The approved the appointment of a part-time clerk in the Recorder’s Office; and they deferred action on a request for three thousand dollars a year for two years for the Iowa Rock ‘n Roll Association’s museum in Arnolds Park. Supervisors want to see first whether or not Governor Vilsack will sign legislation that would cut 97-thousand dollars in state aid from the county in the upcoming fiscal year. If he does, they’ll have to look at serious reductions in the budget. In the meantime, museum officials were directed to meet with the cities to see if they’d be willing to contribute. Arnolds Park has already done so.
The supervisors gave their tentative nod of approval to plans for the Breezy Points Subdivision consisting of four residential lots west of Oh Shucks northwest of Milford; and they decided to inform the Corridor of Opportunity NOT to take a position on EITHER side of the gambling issue. The corridor has requested input from the counties and cities wondering if they want to take a position.
