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Lyon County approves A34/A52 easements, votes to fund major bridge and culvert work
Summary
The Lyon County Board of Supervisors approved multiple easements and payments for the A34/A52 bridge program, adopted several bridge and culvert contracts, and authorized a $540,000 internal advance from road funds to TIF dollars to pay near‑term urban‑renewal projects supporting road work.
The Lyon County Board of Supervisors approved a series of easements and related payments needed to build a new bridge on A52 (Project No. BRS‑SWAP‑CO60(95)—FF‑60) and to widen and repair sections of A34.
The board signed Resolutions 2019‑05 through 2019‑09 approving permanent and temporary easements for multiple landowners along the A52/A34 corridor. County Engineer Laura Sievers told the board the purchase prices had been computed using the Realtors Land Institute September 2018 corn production‑value methodology, and she asked the board to authorize immediate payments so right‑of‑way work could proceed. The board approved each resolution by motion and signature.
Why it matters: The easements and payments are required to meet Iowa Department of Transportation standards for the larger bridge structures planned in the package. Sievers said the work is timed to qualify for state and federal bridge funds; delays in easement acquisition would push back bidding and construction and could raise local costs.
What the board approved: In November the board also authorized the county to advance local road funds into the Casino TIF account to cover near‑term project costs while incremental tax revenues are collected (a $540,000 internal advance). That transfer is intended to allow construction to start without waiting an extra budget year for tax increment collection.
Contract awards and FEMA projects: The board authorized awards and final vouchers for several contracts: a low eligible bidder for the BRSSWAP bridge project (Dixon Construction for the A52 span), micro‑surfacing and HMA patching contracts, and FEMA‑assisted culvert and retaining‑wall repairs. Sievers told the board FEMA would cover roughly 75% of specific disaster‑related culvert projects, with the state and local governments covering the remaining share.
Disagreement on easement amounts: Some landowners asked for higher compensation. The board recorded an exchange with landowner Milo Hanzen and the Kippley Brothers over A34 easement valuations; Hanzen requested $20,000/acre for a permanent easement where the engineer’s office and appraisal approach produced lower figures. Supervisors split on the request, but after discussion the board approved the official offers and directed the county attorney and engineer to continue negotiations where owners asked for higher amounts.
Next steps: Sievers will finalize acquisition paperwork and move the projects toward bidding in early 2020. The board asked the engineer to prioritize ditch‑cleaning and other local work that can be funded from the transferred TIF proceeds once projects are approved.
—Reporting from the Lyon County Board meetings; quotes and attributions come from Engineer Laura Sievers, Auditor Jen Smit and Chair Mark Behrens.
