By Jolene FarleyThe Hills City Council opened three bids for the former Patriot Academy and current barbershop building on Main Street at a Tuesday meeting.Eugene Immediato, Jasper, submitted the highest bid of $10,000, and the council voted to sell him the property. "I intend to use said property to open a combination mini-grocery/convenience store and delicatessen," Immediato stated in his letter to the council. "The bulk of the business will be food-orientated, serving made-to-order breakfast, lunch and limited dinner items prepared on site," he wrote. Immediato intends to use the vacant property to the rear of the building for an indoor/outdoor seating area. Immediato’s brother, Karmine, attended the meeting and told the council he thought the business would be open for customers in six to eight months. Kelly’s Roadhouse owner Kelly Demuth bid $2,500 for the building. He attended a March city council meeting as an interested buyer for the property, which is located next door to his bar. In March, Demuth told the council he would like to open a café and arcade room in the space. In his letter of intent with his bid, no food service was mentioned.Bud Bush also placed a bid of $2,001. He didn’t state an intended use for the property. Barber Bud Hoogeveen operates his shop in the building. Karmine assured the council that Hoogeveen could likely remain at his current location for several months. Patriot Academy rented the remainder of the space until last fall when classes were moved to Hills-Beaver Creek Elementary School.The council outlined the following stipulations to the sale:oThe council had the right to refuse any bids because of intended use of the property.oThe property is taxed commercial, andoAny business must be opened in one year. In other board business: oTax valuations in Hills remained fairly stable Rock County assessors told the council.The City of Hills has $16,754,000 taxable valuation for properties.Residential values increased less than one percent, according to Rock County Assessor Tom Houselog."Some of the population went up a little bit," Deputy Assessor Mark Hovland said. "Some, there was no change at all."Apartment value, which increased 10 percent, was the only category to increase significantly. State law requires a 90 percent of market value tax valuation on all properties. Assessors are reacting to one apartment sale in Hills, the property was under- valued for tax purposes. "The 10 percent increase put it right in line with that 90 percent," Houselog said. Houselog also suggested cutting the yearly Board of Appeal and Equalization meeting back to 30 minutes rather than an hour. The meeting is required by law to allow taxpayers the opportunity to protest their tax valuations. Some years no one attends the meetings.oThe council discussed how to address habitually late water payments. The Council voted to assess a $30 service fee for all bad checks and discussed following the city ordinance of only one late notice before shutoff next year.Later in the meeting, the council debated whether to install outside water meters on Hills residences. Mayor Jim Jellema suggested installing 50 meters a year. Council member Linus Svoboda disagreed."Have we lost $16,000 in revenue just because a few people are reading their meters wrong?" asked Svoboda. ‘That’s what it’s going to cost you."The council decided to install outside meters on homes with late readings and new construction.
