At the most recent Keota City Council meeting, they held a public hearing regarding the annexation of 2030, 2034, and 2038 Keokuk-Washington Road. After the hearing, the council decided to table the resolution approving the annexation until the next meeting. During the public hearing, the owner of the property located at 2030 expressed concerns about why they were being forced into city limits. City Attorney Scott Flynn explained the property is being forced into city limits because it does not make up at least 20 percent of the land being annexed, and the property would be an island, which the state no longer allows. The property owner was advised they could attend the public hearing by the state to present their case.

The rules in the state prohibiting islands of county land in city limits was changed a few years ago, and any that still exist in other communities were grandfathered at the time. City Clerk Niki Osweiler explains, “The golf course, which is already in city limits, sits right next to this other property. Then the property right next door to it is voluntarily annexed in. It is landlocked all the way around, or will be soon, with properties that are in city limits. So it has to become part of city limits, because otherwise it would be an island because everything around it would be in city limits but that one property.” In spite of the property owner’s concerns, the annexation is still expected to be approved at the next city council meeting. The reason for tabling the item was because Flynn advised the council to wait until a 28E agreement is received from Washington County for road maintenance.