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Chickasaw supervisors debate consolidating county offices and possible sale of LEMC building
Summary
Supervisors discussed moving offices after the engineer’s planned September move, including using vacated engineer space for supervisor offices and elections, potential sale of the LEMC building (would require a public hearing), demolition/renovation cost estimates, and IT upgrades; no sale decision was made.
Supervisors spent an extended portion of the July 6 meeting discussing the future location of county departments and whether to consider selling the LEMC building if public interest materializes.
The chair said the engineer’s move (tentatively in September) would free space and proposed relocating supervisors into the engineer’s front office while using the back room for IT storage and election equipment testing. The chair said officials could sell the LEMC building only after conducting required public hearings and completing valuation and legal steps. "We still have to have a public hearing to sell any county property," the chair said.
A supervisor raised Iowa Code section 331.322(5), questioning whether the statute requires county offices to be physically located at the county seat; the supervisor argued the statute mandates that offices be furnished at the county seat but does not strictly control physical location. The board discussed possible interpretations and agreed more legal clarity and research are needed.
Board members also discussed practical steps if a move proceeds: demolition and renovation estimates (the chair referenced a prior estimate of roughly $70,000–$80,000), contracting and bidding requirements for public improvement projects, improved meeting audio/virtual capabilities, and storage arrangements for election equipment.
Why it matters: Consolidation could change where residents access county services, affect operational costs and election logistics, and would require public notice and legal steps before any sale of county property.
Next steps: Supervisors asked staff to gather valuation and logistical information, coordinate with the county architect/contractor, and return to the board with cost estimates and legal guidance before any sale or final relocation decision.
