An upcoming Keota City Council meeting will include a public hearing regarding the annexation of three properties just outside of city limits, which will make the city a bit bigger. The properties in question are located at 2030, 2034, and 2038 Keokuk-Washington Road, on the Washington County side. City Clerk Niki Osweiler says the annexation process has been ongoing for several years, due mostly to Vision Ag being one of the properties. She explained they have multiple attorneys and owners who are out of state, so it took a lot of time to get everyone communicating properly to get the arrangement complete.

Osweiler says most people had already assumed the properties were already part of the city, since they were across the street from the city proper. Two of the properties voluntarily agreed to the annexation, but the third didn’t have a choice because otherwise they would be on an island surrounded by other city properties including the Lagos Acres Country Club. However, Osweiler says there hasn’t been much resistance from the property owner in question. She believes the properties could be officially annexed into the city by late March. Additionally, Osweiler says the annexation will slightly impact the city’s tax base, giving them approximately $1,000 a year in additional taxes. Anyone with questions or concerns is invited to attend the public hearing on Monday, February 6th, at 7 p.m. in the Keota City Hall.