(Spirit Lake)– A special session of the Dickinson county board of supervisors Thursday to discuss what should be bumped from the county’s five-year secondary road program so plans to put in additional culverts at the Lower Gar Outlet and improvements to culverts and a ditch at Sixth Street in Milford could be moved up turned into a shouting match instead.
Several rural residents were on hand for the meeting, saying the county should look at funding the projects through the General Fund, instead of the Rural Services budget, which funds secondary road projects. Those who spoke say they don’t stand to benefit anything from the projects, intended to increase flow from the Okoboji’s.
Supervisor Paul Johnson rebutted, saying if it wasn’t for the lakeshore residents and the significant amount of taxes they pay, that other residents would have to pick up more of the taxation burden.
Another option put on the table Thursday is for the county to willingly allow a small piece of land near the Lower Gar outlet that’s surrounded by other cities be annexed into the city of Milford. Under the deal, the county would also pay 100-thousand dollars to Milford.
That drew a heated response from Milford City Administrator Brian Reed. He referred to a letter the city recently received from Assistant County Attorney Lonnie Saunders expressing a desire by the county to negotiate with Milford, which is concerned over the county’s plans. Reed said quote…”So what you’re telling me is that the letter your County Attorney sent us last week that we (the county) want to continue with an open dialogue to get this all worked out is really a bunch of crap because you guys want to force the issue right away and not negotiate”…unquote.
Supervisor Paul Johnson said the annexation proposal is strictly an option that the county so far has not pursued at all.
Another person at Thursday’s meeting questioned the lack of involvement in the issue by the Iowa Department of Natural Resources.
With that, the meeting broke up with no action being taken. Two supervisors had to leave, saying they had other meetings they had to get to.
