City and Warren County agree to joint appraisal, form subcommittee to negotiate library sale

Indianola city leaders and Warren County supervisors agreed on a process to determine whether the city can buy back the county'owned library property, including commissioning an updated appraisal and creating a joint facilities subcommittee to negotiate terms.

Melissa, speaking for the city council, said the city'wants to "reacquire the library property to be used as our library for the immediate future" and recommended an updated appraisal "to support fairness for both entities as well as for our shared taxpayers." She asked that two county supervisors join two city council members and facilities staff on a subcommittee to work out details.

County representatives said the county expects to take possession of the library parcel in 2029 and described ongoing county due diligence on a separate land purchase on Indianola's west side. County speakers stressed the need to avoid a transaction that would leave the county disadvantaged after a prior land swap that traded multiple county parcels for the library site; they said an appraisal should be a starting point for negotiation rather than a binding number.

Officials agreed the appraisal firm should be jointly selected by the subcommittee and that any prior appraisal documents (a 2024 limited analysis was mentioned) should be located and shared. "If there is an appraisal then and we locate it then it's just a matter of updating that," Melissa said. Participants said subcommittee meetings would be open to the public.

Jake was named as the point person for coordinating the subcommittee on the county side, and the city said it would bring a resolution of intent to purchase before the council as a procedural starting point. City and county officials discussed timing, acknowledging appraisals can come back higher or lower than expected and that both sides need time for their own due diligence before a potential closing.

As next steps, both sides will (1) identify two representatives to serve on the joint facilities and building subcommittee, (2) search for any existing 2024 appraisal and share it, (3) jointly select an appraiser via the subcommittee, and (4) the city will place a resolution of intent to purchase on its council agenda. The meeting concluded after a motion to adjourn was moved, seconded, and approved.

The subcommittee will set meeting dates and return with appraisal results and recommended negotiation thresholds; no price or final sale terms were agreed at this meeting.