The Muscatine County Board of Supervisors on Dec. 22 approved a package of actions to transfer responsibility for the 245th Street bridge and adjacent Edgewater Road to a private association and to sell Muscatine County Bridge No. 319.

The board first reopened a public hearing on the proposal — originally held April 17, 2024 — then heard a presentation from Jim, who summarized the settlement documents underpinning the transfer. "We've been working on now for, well, almost two years, just shy of 2 years," Jim said, and described a settlement agreement, a quitclaim deed for the bridge, a reciprocal access agreement to preserve county access to six county-owned lots (related to prior FEMA activity), and individual releases from members of the Edgewater Bridge and Road Association.

Jim also told the board that a claim filed in the original proceeding by Geraldine and Henry Johnson appeared to have been abandoned after both claimants died more than five years ago and a possible claim from their estate was not pursued. He outlined escrow arrangements at CBI Bank and Trust, explaining that settlement proceeds would be apportioned into construction, contingency and maintenance accounts; interest on the construction and contingency accounts would remain with contingency during construction, while interest on the maintenance account would remain in maintenance and ultimately be transferred to the Edgewater Bridge and Road Association after the work is complete. Jim recommended the board adopt the settlement agreement.

Following discussion, the board approved resolution 12-22-25-01 to vacate and close the specified sections of 245th Street and Edgewater Road and to adopt settlement documents. A member of the board announced a recusal and abstained from the related votes to avoid an appearance of impropriety; the motion nevertheless passed. The board also approved resolution 12-22-24, authorizing signatory arrangements for the CBI Bank and Trust escrow accounts that will hold the transaction proceeds, and resolution 12-22-25-03 to sell Muscatine County Bridge No. 319 (FHWA 25723 0), located on 245th Street roughly 3,125 feet east of Blue Heron Avenue in Section 16, Township 76 North, Range 4 West, Orono Township, Muscatine County, Iowa.

The package ties the county to a path for transfer of the bridge and road to the Edgewater Bridge and Road Association, with escrow protections for construction and future maintenance. Jim told the board that if escrow interest or contingency funds are exhausted, the county would need to negotiate how to assess or otherwise reconcile any shortfall with the association at a later time.

The board's approval means the county will execute the settlement instruments and proceed with the sale and associated bank arrangements; specific escrow account amounts and final closing dates were not specified at the meeting.

The board thanked staff and community members for their work bringing the matter to conclusion and moved on to subsequent business.