COUNCIL BLUFFS, Iowa (KMTV) — Cattlemen's Heritage Beef Company finalized its purchase of land in Mills County in 2023. The meat processing company is asking Council Bluffs to annex that land, so the plant can have access to Council Bluffs water and sewer systems. The final decision about annexation will be made by the State of Iowa.
- Unlike Nebraska, Iowa can annex land across county lines.
- “It just makes sense for the City of Council Bluffs and Mills County Supervisors to work together to court this business. It will be transformative to Mills County. It's 325 jobs. It's a new tax base,” Mayor Matt Walsh said.
- “Mills County Board of Supervisors passed a resolution in opposition to the annexation," said Mills County Supervisor Jack Sayers. "and the reason why that was done was really one, singular issue. It was Bunge Ave."
- The City of Council Bluffs and Mills County are moving towards an agreement to share road maintenance through the busy industrial area.
WATCH KATRINA'S STORY BELOW
BROADCAST TRANSCRIPT:
Mayor Matt Walsh: "It's exciting, I think."
This rural neighborhood is in northern Mills County, but it could soon be part of Council Bluffs, which is in Pottawattamie County. I'm Southwest Iowa neighborhood reporter Katrina Markel.
It’s an unusual move and I’m here to find out why.
Cattlemen's Heritage Beef purchased land near I-29 to build a processing plant almost two years ago. The project, says Council Bluffs Mayor Matt Walsh, will bring hundreds of jobs to the area.
“Both communities will ultimately benefit from this fantastic employer,” Walsh said.
The plant needs access to a rail line, which Mills County has, and city water and sewer lines, which Council Bluffs can provide. So, Cattlemen's requested annexation by Council Bluffs across county lines.
“It just makes sense for the City of Council Bluffs and Mills County Supervisors to work together to court this business. It will be transformative to Mills County. It's 325 jobs. It's a new tax base,” Walsh added.
Mills County Supervisors were initially concerned about whether they would be solely responsible for the cost of road maintenance near the annexed neighborhood.
Supervisors Richard Crouch and Jack Sayers recently attended a Council Bluffs City Council meeting.
“Mills County Board of Supervisors passed a resolution in opposition to the annexation," said Sayers. "and the reason why that was done was really one, singular issue. It was Bunge Ave."
Crouch told me over the phone Monday that the Mills County board hasn’t heard much from Cattlemen’s in three years—another concern—but now the city and county agree the roads will be a shared responsibility.
Other neighbors have expressed concern about the strain on city utilities and traffic in the growing industrial area. The final decision will be up to the State of Iowa City Development Board.
On Monday morning, I spoke with the chair of the Mills County Supervisors, Lonnie Mayberry, over the phone, and he told me he was positive about the direction of their conversations with the City of Council Bluffs. In Mills County, I'm your Southwest Iowa Neighborhood Reporter, Katrina Markel.
