Cass County Assessor Brenda Nelson said she was essentially blinded-sided by the decision Thursday night by the Cass County Conference Board, not to re-appoint her to the position beginning January, 2016. Earlier, Duane McFadden, who represented to Board of Supervisors at the Conference Board meeting, had said there were several questions Nelson could not or would not answer. Nelson told KJAN News that’s because those questions required specific facts and figures which she did not have available because she was not requested to produce them prior to the meeting.

She says she was questioned on the number of working hours (which she says was approved by the board many years ago), the use of an outside appraisal company (that the board approves every year in her budget), and that the Conference Board told her there were complaints her staff had been rude to the customers, and she [Nelson] had not done anything about it.

Nelson said she was also asked why commercial property taxes are so high. She explained that when sales come through on a commercial property, she has to indicate what the assessment is. She says that within the last year or two, assessments have generally been 13-percent too low. A building assessed at $100,000 should bring that much at sale, but they are selling for about 13-percent more than the assessed value.

Part of the problem she says, is that the assessment is based on the building and land alone. Its contents or permanent fixtures inside, may be unknown to the assessor unless they are reported to the Recorders Office. For example, when the Atlantic Animal Health Center was sold, Dr. Leonard noted the building was being sold with examination tables, animal chutes and kennels.

She says if the seller doesn’t disclose the contents of the building is being including when documents are given to the Recorder at the time the sale is registered, it tends to skew the numbers the Recorder sends in to the State, because State officials will think it’s only for the building and the land. One or two or types of artificially inflated sales in the County, according to Nelson, can inadvertently give her a State-ordered increase because it appears she is way too low on the assessments.

Nelson says if she could have been given 15-minutes to go into her office and retrieved the information she asked for, that would have helped.

As for the Geographic Information System position, Nelson says the Director is an AMU employee who contracts with the Assessor’s Office two-days per week. Nelson’s employee, Mike Onnen, wanted the bigger office that was occupied by the GIS Coordinator because that person is only there two days per week. Nelson says the Board of Supervisors gave conflicting information as to what office space was available and where Onnen would be located. She said the move didn’t involve her, and was between the Board of Supervisors, Onnen and the GIS Director. She said also, the other County departments which utilize GIS mapping, have not, as has been stated to the contrary, contributed to the cost of the employee. Brenda Nelson says she doesn’t know what the future holds for her, including whether she would re-apply for her job.

She said Saturday that ‘Several people have called” and want her to run again, and that she has received “A massive amount of calls, emails and texts of support,” urging her to run again for her job.

The Southwest Iowa Planning Council (SWIPCO) will hold its 40th Anniversary celebration and Annual Meeting September 17th, in Harlan. The event will highlight the many accomplishments of SWIPCO over the past 40 years, and will include a recognition of current and past staff and board members, presentation of the annual report, and awards. The evening will conclude with entertainment provided by veteran farm broadcaster Von Kettelsen.

Five awards will be presented at the meeting. Larry Anderson, of Red Oak, will be honored as the 2015 Driver of the Year for his outstanding service. Jeremy Middents, Community Development Specialist, will be recognized for his 15 years of dedicated service to the agency. Frank Waters, of Cumberland, will be recognized for serving as board chairman in 2013 and 2014. The City of Harlan will be recognized for their continued partnership with SWIPCO and dedication to improvements for their community.

And, the Iowa DOT Office of Public Transit will be recognized as a partner of SWIPCO that has enhanced the lives of southwest Iowans through assistance to the Southwest Iowa Transit Agency (SWITA) since it was formed in 1978.

The meeting begins at 5:30 p.m. September 17th, at the TG Therkildsen Center. For more information about the 40th Anniversary and Annual Meeting, or to RSVP, contact Tammy DeBord at 866-279-4720.

SWIPCO, a council of governments serving members in eight counties in southwest Iowa, began in September 1975 with one staff member in a small rented office in Griswold. Since then, SWIPCO has grown to 18 staff members and 55 drivers throughout southwest Iowa with an annual budget of over $4 million.

A few of the organization’s accomplishments include: securing $80 million in grant funds for infrastructure projects, writing over 200 plans and 117 codes of ordinances, providing over five million transit rides, rehabilitating 1,200 homes, and directly creating 82 jobs through the business revolving loan fund.

The Atlantic Area Chamber of Commerce’s Image Builders committee has raised almost $30,000.00 to replace the marquee sign at 7th Street and Chestnut. Gerald Brink, Brink Flower and Gift, said “It wasn’t a challenge raising the money because the sign is such a pillar in our community and our residents and businesses want to see it working again.”

The original digital marquee sign was put into place in 2003 and stopped working in March of 2015. The Image Builders Committee felt a strong need to replace this mainstay in the community and took the task of fundraising.

Chamber Executive Ouida Wymer said “They were determined and able to utilize our community resource and raised the funds in a very short period of time,” . “We are excited to get a new sign, hopefully by the holidays.” The Atlantic Area Rotary donated $7,500.00 to the project and the City of Atlantic’s Community Promotion Commission donated $10, 000.00 to help replace the sign. The rest of the funds were donated by businesses in the community and private donors.

A new federal report estimates as many as eight-thousand Iowans have what’s referred to as A-S-D, or autism spectrum disorder. The report from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention says the prevalence may now be one in every 68 children. Liz Delsandro is a clinical professor in the University of Iowa’s Department of Communication Sciences and Disorders and she specializes in the treatment of children with the disorder. Delsandro says A-S-D isn’t always obvious but it can be identified.

Delsandro says, “It really characterizes itself as challenges in communications skills, challenges in socially interacting with others and also what is termed repetitive behaviors.” Children with autism may play with their toys differently, she says, instead of using their imaginations like other kids, they may line toys up. Before a child is diagnosed with A-S-D, several professionals — including psychologists, educators and speech language pathologists — may have to become involved in watching and assessing the child.

“They present tasks, such as play tasks, and they do a lot of observation of behavior,” Delsandro says. “How does that particular child interact with that person in the play situation and interact with the toys in the play situation.” Research is finding that some treatment techniques can reduce the severity of autism, she says, if they’re implement with integrity.

“There are treatments that have evidence based behind them,” Delsandro says. “What’s exciting is there’s more research and more money behind the research in the area of autism to find those best practices, best approaches to treat children with autism.”

Next weekend, a fundraising dinner and auction is planned in Iowa City for the U-I’s Wendell Speech and Hearing Clinic. Proceeds from the September 11th event will help fund clinical programs that provide services and support to Iowans who have speech and communications disorders. For details, send email to Amy Behrens at amy-behrens@uiowa.edu.

(Radio Iowa)

Members of the Atlantic Area Chamber of Commerce’ Ambassadors paid a recent visit to Robinson Landscaping & Patio Design, LL.  In his first year of business, Nate Robinson has created “Lots of happy customers,” according to his dad and silent partner, Ted Robinson. Ted says “Nate has always had a love for landscaping and design.” Nate handles all aspects when creating a patio, from consultation, to design, and construction.

Robinson Landscaping & Patio Design, LLC Owners: Mary Jo Robinson, Nate Robinson, and Ted Robinson.
Ambassadors Pictured: Dolly Bergmann, Ouida Wymer, Pat McCurdy, Kate Olson, Diane Gipple, Bill Saluk, Dan Mehmen, Nedra Perry, Dr. Keith Leonard, Michelle Heath, Melanie Petty, Sara Nelson, Janet Cappel, JoAnn Runyan, Dr. James Kickland, Sue Muri, Kathy Sweeny, Chip Hansen, Lana Westphalen, Russ Joyce, Debbie Leistad, Darryl Hockenberry, Rich Perry, Ed Leistad.