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Resident urges council to protect Sartori Hospital bequest, cites trust disbursement concerns
Summary
At the Dec. 1 Cedar Falls City Council meeting, resident Kim Jordan urged the council to honor the 1912 bequest of Sartori Hospital and questioned recent trust spending, asking the council to deny use of Sartori‑related funds for non‑hospital purposes.
Kim Jordan, a Cedar Falls resident addressing the council during public forum, urged elected officials to preserve the original bequest and restrictions attached to Sartori Hospital, located at 515 College Street.
Jordan detailed language she said dated to Nov. 8, 1912, describing a $30,000 gift intended to be matched by the city and land provided for a public hospital, and said the will asked that the hospital be perpetually maintained by the city and serve needy patients. She told the council that the terms included annual payments of $1,000 for 20 years to support operations.
Jordan also raised a recent trust decision she said had approved a $50,000 payment “for performance arts,” and she argued such a use was not a hospital or health service: “Sartore trust board trust board approved $50,000 for performance arts. It's not a service of need. City council, please deny that.”
Mayor and city staff responded in the meeting by clarifying the city was not selling city property and that the items Jordan referenced were under review. The mayor said, “We're not, moving or selling anything,” and asked the public to note that several parcels were city‑owned and being placed in development districts to attract industrial users; that process, he said, does not change the tax status of parcels the city owns.
Why it matters: Jordan framed her comments as both a legal and moral obligation tied to a long‑standing community gift. The claim that trust funds were used for performing‑arts spending was disputed by the resident and raised questions about how funds labeled for Sartori purposes are being allocated; the council did not take immediate formal action on the trust at this meeting.
Next steps: The council did not adopt any immediate policy changes related to the Sartori bequest during the Dec. 1 meeting. Jordan’s remarks and the mayor’s clarifications were recorded during public comment; the council may address the subject at a future meeting or through follow‑up staff reports.
