Afton looking for financial attention from county

With two popular lakes in its proverbial backyard, the Afton Development Corporation is expected to ask for some financial assistance from Union County Board of Supervisors to bring even more attention to eastern Union County.

During the supervisor’s meeting Monday, Afton Development Corporation treasurer Mary Hill asked, “for a little consideration of future budgets.”

Traditionally, the supervisors start researching and writing the fiscal year budget in January with it scheduled to begin in July. She knows it is too late for the fiscal year 2023 budget, which begins Friday, but wants to have discussions for fiscal year 2024. Supervisors did not take any action on Hill’s presentation.

She said the corporation originally began in 1967 but eventually dissolved before restarting again in 2019.

Hill noted recent efforts by the corporation and people in Afton including new signs for the town’s lake which is near the golf course, but not part of the course. Other signs list services and offerings in Afton for Three Mile Lake campers. Hill said the corporation desires for Afton to have more services and offerings to attract those who use the lakes for recreation.

Hill said improvements are being made to Afton.

Afton is also having murals applied to walls and work will begin this fall on extending the town’s trail in town. Funds for the trail work exceeded its estimated budget.

The town has received a grant for three residences to receive new paint. A recent city wide clean up totaled 5 tons of unwanted items.

“Our goal is to have abatements in town for housing,” she said. “We are trying to get people to fill in the holes,” she said about the empty or potential lots in residential areas of town.

Hill said Afton and eastern Union County are viable areas and asked the county to show that in their contributions.

“UCDA (Union County Development Association) does a lot of things, but it doesn’t stretch out to the eastern part of the county,” she said. “Wayne (Pantini) was helpful.”

Pantini is the former director of UCDA, and now at Southwestern Community College.

Union County Board of Supervisors are reviewing programs that would offer tax abatements for new residential construction in unincorporated parts of town. The program would not apply within any city limits.

Hill said the corporation’s annual expenses are about $8,150 year. The revenue is from memberships which generates about $2,000 a year. The corporation is re-establishing its 501(c)3 tax status which will help when applying for grants.

Supervisor Chairman Dennis Brown was non committal to Hill’s presentation.

“We won’t say yes. We won’t say no,” he said.

Supervisor Ron Riley was not in attendance.

In other supervisor news:

Supervisors approved an agreement to work with Ahlers and Cooney law firm of Des Moines for the writing and execution of TIF districts related to the wind turbines. Last week supervisors met with a representative from the law firm to review options the county has to tax the industrial wind turbines and how to collect and distribute tax revenue. Three dozen wind turbines were installed in 2020 , mainly in the northwest corner of the county. Tax revenue can be dispersed among the county and other taxing entities where there are turbines.

The agreement is for two years.

Speaking for her sister, Jane Briley thanked the supervisors for the good condition of a dirt road between Creston and Afton. She encouraged the supervisors to have the road maintained after ruts are formed.

Supervisors will meet 2 p.m. Thursday to approve any financial information for fiscal year 2022, the last day of the year.