The Farmers Market, sponsored by the Akron Area Chamber of Commerce is held every Wed., in the Akron City Park. The July 18 food stand is The Akron Area Chamber of Commerce and the July 25 food stand is Union Creek Church.

The Siouxland Blood

Bank is holding a community drive Friday, Aug. 3, 7 a.m.-1 p.m. at First National Bank Community Room.

History book

Pre sales for Akron’s 125th history book have begun. Pre orders will be taken until Aug. 1.

Akron Night at the Explorers is Wed., Aug. 15. Tickets will be available from A-W Athletic Booster Club board members. Watch for more information.

The Plymouth County

Fair in Le Mars is July

25-29.

The Akron Park Board

meeting is Thursday, July 19, 5 p.m., at City Hall.

• Judging for the cutest baby for the Quasquicentennial

continues at Thorson Drug until Aug. 1. This week $73.76 was collected.

• The time capsule

committee is beginning to gather items to be buried in the new time capsule. If you have items you feel would be of interest, please drop them off at Peoples Bank, Feauto

Realty or contact Lisa

Harris, 568-3556.

• Don’t wait to be

asked to be in the parade Aug. 11, call Barb Johnson and register. Everyone is asked to please not park on the parade route from noon to 4 p.m. Aug. 11.

The City of Akron won’t be annexing land along Iowa Highway 12 or land owned by the Northwest Iowa Renewable Energy Inc. for their biodiesel plant, according to Plymouth County Economic Development Director Gary Tucker. At the July 10 Plymouth County Supervisors meeting, Tucker presented a “Summary of Discussion” from a meeting of Plymouth County Engineer Tom Rohe, Plymouth County Supervisors Jim Henrich and Craig Anderson, Akron Mayor Harold Higman Jr. and Akron Councilman Chad Ericson. The summary stated: • “Plymouth County will continue with the creation of an Urban Renewal District that includes the land for both proposed biodiesel and ethanol facilities near Akron; • All Tax Increment Financing (TIF) monies generated in the Urban Renewal Area will be used to pay for debt incurred relative to infrastructure improvements. • The infrastructure improvements include: 1) 170th Street from existing Iowa Highway 3 to Iowa Highway 12 then west of Iowa Highway 12 to the ethanol plant access; 2) 180th Street from Iowa Highway 12 west to the biodiesel plant access; 3) Iowa Highway 12 intersection enhancements at both 170th and 180th Streets; and 4) Costs associated with milling and resurfacing existing Iowa Highway 3 from near 170th Street north to its intersection with Iowa Highway 12. • Plymouth County will pay all costs associated with the milling and resurfacing of existing Iowa Highway 3 from near 170th Street north to its intersection with Iowa Highway 12; • Plymouth County agrees to make available to the City of Akron any remaining excess TIF dollars once the infrastructure debt has been satisfied, subject to the 20-year limitation of the Urban Renewal District. • Transfer of Jurisdiction talks will continue with State of Iowa, Plymouth County and the City of Akron in hopes of creating an acceptable agreement for all parties; • The City of Akron is responsible to provide a legal description of the area they want included in the Urban Renewal Area to Plymouth County Auditor K. Kae Meyer by July 20, 2007; • The City of Akron agrees not to annex either of these plant sites until such time as the Plymouth County infrastructure debt is satisfied. • All money provided by the State of Iowa for infrastructure improvements or Transfer of Jurisdiction awards to the City of Akron and/or County Roads located within the Urban Renewal Area referenced above will be applied to the total project costs and used

to reduce the amount of debt necessary to fund these projects.” The only land change from the county’s original Urban Renewal Area is to include the area from the intersection of 160th Street, which is also known as South Street, and Iowa Highway 3 west to where the highway intersects

with Iowa Highway 12, which is the “Casey’s General Store corner.” Once the county’s infrastructure debt is paid off, city officials will have the opportunity to use any remaining TIF funds or create another Urban Renewal Area on their own, he said. Superintendent Ron Flynn asked if once the county’s 20-year Urban Renewal Area was done, could the City of Akron begin one? If that happened it could be 35 years before the school district would receive any increase in tax revenue from the biodiesel and ethanol plant areas. That would be an issue between the city and the Akron-Westfield School District, said Tucker. The Plymouth County Board of Supervisors made a verbal declaration to move forward with their Urban Renewal Area plans in accordance with the “Summary

of Discussion” statement. By doing the declaration at that meeting, any expenses the City of Akron or Plymouth County has with regards to purchasing land for road right-of-way and road engineering costs will be included in the Urban Renewal Area. A public hearing on this Urban Renewal Area plan was rescheduled for Tuesday, Aug. 14. A special meeting for July 16 was cancelled. There was no mention of this “Summary of Discussion” at the July 10 Akron City Council meeting. There have been no agreements signed between the City of Akron and Plymouth County officials regarding this Urban Renewal Area nor has either group passed any motions regarding it.