La Cygne official's questions point to commission disconnect on lots sales at industrial parks

In a discussion between a La Cygne official and the Linn County Commission, it became apparent that no one is in charge of selling tracts at the both of the county's industrial parks. (Journal file photo)

By Charlene Sims, Journal staff

LCJeditor@icloud.com

MOUND CITY – A discussion with La Cygne Police Chief/Planning and Zoning Administrator Zachary Mathies and the Linn County Commission indicated that there has been a disconnect between the county’s governing body and the industrial park in La Cygne.

Mathies attended the commission meeting on Monday, April 6, to determine the availability of the empty lots at the La Cygne Industrial Park and the process for buyers to contact the county about the lots.

“My main objective is to get an understanding of the process or try to develop some type of communication, not even a partnership per se,” Mathies said.

He said the city of La Cygne had been contacted recently from a person trying to buy property at the industrial park but he did not know who to have them contact. HIs answer to them had been to contact county offices.

“We didn’t know exactly who for them to contact,” he said. “It was just kind of whoever answered the phone, hopefully they (would) know that type of thing.”

But Mathies said that has not worked so well. One of the warehouses at the industrial park was recently purchased and it housed four to five businesses. One of those businesses wanted to buy a lot and build. They were surprised by the sticker price in the one comp they were given, which was $1.5 million, an agricultural lot was used for the comp.

“So they are still interested, however, they have stopped receiving contact to continue that purchase and that’s been since December,” Mathies said .So they kind of …….”

Hamilton said, “You’re talking about the sale that we potentially had here? What are you talking about the one and a half million?”

Mathies said that the agricultural property was used as a comp (recently sold properties with similar size, location, and features to a subject property) for the acreage price for the lots in the industrial area.

Hamilton said,  “I thought we had talked about that, it was market value, it was market price. I don’t remember it being that high, but ….

“Of course, this is what is being relayed to me from the buyer,” said Mathies.

Looking at County Counselor Jacklyn Paletta, Commissioner Jason Hightower asked, “ So, this is the one that we are working on that fell through, or…..”

“The letter that I read didn’t reference any particular properties that we were discussing today,” said Paletta.

Hamilton said, “Let’s just go back to ground zero, we have the lots available. They want direct communication. So if they give a phone number out, we should be giving what phone number out, right?”

Paletta replied, “I mean as I understand it, one of the questions Is who at the county is going to take inquiry into property that the county has for sale. Such as in the industrial park in La Cygne, Pleasanton, wherever we have property for sale. Who do you want to field any and all of those phone calls pertaining to potential sale of property owned by Linn County?”

Commissioner Jim Johnson said, “My thought is if that’s the case you’re involved. You would be involved in any of the sales we had, would you be willing to take inquires on?”

Paletta said she would be willing to do that.

“I don’t know. What do you guys think?” asked Johnson.

Hightower said that’s what he was thinking as well.

Johnson said, “If anybody we could give you our attorney’s number and you could pass that out for anyone interested in buying land in our industrial park.”

Mathies suggested maybe a county email because he assumed that would be more feasible for Paletta and that way she would be able to get back at her convenience.

Mathies said that would be great to establish that just trying to facilitate, that development, that sale.

Mathies continued, “We’re lucky enough that that certain company, as long as we’re talking about the same one, they are staying in the industrial park for at least, but they are still interested in building.

“I just wanted to bring up the 2002 agreement that Linn County would maintain the roads down there. Specifically East Linnco Road, I’m sorry, both Linnco Roads, west and east and also 2150. Just kind of perception. If I was looking to buy a lot, seeing 2150 Road, I would describe it as kind of chip and seal without the seal. It’s not gravel but it’s loose.

And then there’s also like a 15-foot burn pile at the end of it. That is used. It’s just kind of the maintaining it to look like we are trying to develop the area. In addition to that, on 2150 there’s an 18-inch pothole that extends to the side of the road west of Reed Minerals east of the railroad tracks.

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“That is frequently used kind of as an emergency road, especially if the railroad is blocked.at the first three railroad crossings, 2150 is typically the one that’s open. Unfortunately there’s that very large pothole.”

"I know exactly what you are talking about,” Hamilton replied, “because there was an accident and we were coming back from the high school and we had to redirect traffic and there were a lot of people hitting that hole. And it was bad. I did not realize that we maintained that. (To County Clerk Chasity Ware) Can you pull up the 2002 maintenance agreement?”                                                                                                                       

While the 2002 maintenance agreement could not quickly be found by Ware, Mathies said that the city of La Cygne had it and would send it over.

Johnson asked Public Works Administrator Jesse Walton if the county maintained that road.

Walton answered, “We’ve fixed that pothole several times since I’ve been here due to the truck traffic that comes in and out of there. That’s why that hole keeps getting opened back up. There’s a lot of big trucks going in and out of there. So maintaining that road is a huge expense to the county in that area specifically.”

Mathies pointed out that the truck traffic goes from Reed Minerals entrance east and then that pothole is to the west.

“I’d just like an understanding, partnerships, cooperation of just trying to utilize the property that the government owns to kind of help our communities,” he said.

“I agree with you I think what we need to have …,” Hamilton said before pausing. “I’m not sold on Jacklyn  being the point person, personally. But that’s because I think in the past we had economic development handling that.

“Those inquiries would come in and someone that works for the county. Someone  that works here as a receptionist, it would cost the county a lot less to have those questions fielded in our office versus through our attorney.

“I’m not opposed to the attorney looking over it after there is something that may be more (like) we are coming to an agreement and she’s looking over those things, but that’s going to cost us a lot of money for her to always take a phone call if we are giving her cell phone out. I just don’t think that that’s feasible long term for the county in general.

“I also think that the parcels that we have or the areas that we have, whether it is Pleasanton or La Cygne, nobody knows what we have. And I agree we need to have some sort of, I don’t know, graphic or something. I see you guys (La Cygne) are really getting active on social media. It would be a great opportunity for you guys to push what you have in your area. I think that’s what I thought you were asking.”

“That is as well.,” Mathis responded. “At least you know I’m not saying we need ‘for sale’ signs on all the lots but one that says lots available, contact this number, XYZ, would be really good. When we were approached they didn’t know who owned the lots. They were just like ‘hey there’s open lots. Are those for sale? We’re like ‘they are owned by the county’. We hoped that they are and we directed them here.”

Hamilton said she didn't think that the county can put the price on it. Or, she asked Paletta, can we put a list price if it goes in the paper”’

Paletta answered, “If you were to establish a market value for the property, you could put that market value price for sale. There are obviously statutory requirements for you to ultimately sell property but if you are listing it with a list price that’s fine. It just has to has to be market value."

Hamilton asked the other two commissioners, “Are you guys interested in listing the three, or I guess not listing, but advertising at market value all three parcels or we can have something pushed out, or they can push something out on social media because we’re obviously not doing the work on that but someone is showing interest in doing that.”

Johnson asked, “Can we put it on our web page and then we have pictures of it and a map?“

Hamilton suggested starting with the La Cygne Industrial Park and maybe not expand into the Pleasanton Industrial Park yet.

Ware will look up which and how many properties are for sale for next week’s meeting.

Mathies confirmed that these are all light industrial lots just for advertising purposes. He said he believed that utilities were in there and that the city would be happy to work with the county.

Mathies said, “It’s for the betterment of the community and the entire county.”

Hamilton said the county will get together the lots that are available, market value prices, pictures and will look into the road maintenance for the April 13 meeting.

She asked Mathies to email over pictures and the mutual agreement.

Paletta expressed her concerns about needing to change the job description of the person who is being assigned the task of taking calls about the lots.

She said the commission would have to look into job description of the person doing this so that they “don’t run into some of the issues that you’ve run into before. Tasking somebody to do something that they weren’t hired to do."

Hamilton asked, “So, when we for example, when she (Ware) was in economic development  was that even part of that job description at that point?”

Paletta said she would have to look back at that job description.

Johnson said, “We’ve put the job description in the paper have we heard anything?”

Ware said they had not received anything.

The job description recently placed in the paper was for a person to work on economic development grants that the county distributes.

In the past, the marketing and contact for sales and information on the industrial park tracts has been the job of the county economic development director.

However, that responsibility was set aside when Jessica Hightower was economic development director when other tasked were place on her, such as airport manager and assistant public works director.

When Ware was economic development director, the commission had her focused on redevelopment of the county’s website, creation of a new county logo, administering local grants, negotiating the controversy over signs at the courthouse, airport management, and attempts to coordinate county historical groups.

Ware resigned that post in August 2025 after charging Hamilton with harrassment.

The commission has indicated it does not intend to hire that position except for a part-time post to help manage the county’s local grants this year.