(Spirit Lake)– The Dickinson County Board of Supervisors Tuesday adopted a resolution extending a tax increment finance district for the Hunter Hills Subdivision on the northeast side of Milford an additional five years…extending it from 10 years to 15. The extension was requested by new owners of the development. The proposal must be approved by other taxing authorities that would be affected before it becomes final.
The supervisors also discussed a railroad crossing on 219th Avenue near Kidd Construction just west of Spirit Lake. Plans are in the works to upgrade the crossing, but there’s a question over who should foot the bill. The county has treated the road as a public road since the 1800’s, but state officials have no record of that. They say it’s a private road. Assistant County Attorney Lonnie Saunders recommended the county pay to upgrade the crossing, then vacate the road. But supervisors want to make sure the county wouldn’t get stuck with the entire bill to upgrade the crossing. And supervisor Wayne Northey wants access issues worked out for a business and some homeowners that would be affected by the project. The supervisors are planning to meet next week with John Larkin of the Iowa Northwestern Railroad to talk about the issues.
The supervisors also Tuesday gave the go-ahead for a speed study on 170th street, or County Home Road, between Highway 71 and the Okoboji city limits. There currently isn’t an established speed limit in that area. Under Iowa Code, it’s 55 miles-per-hour for such roads. But some residents in that area feel that’s too high.
