A town that wants to erase itself holds a public hearing tonight (Wednesday). Kent is about seven miles southwest of Creston in Union County, and had just 65 residents in the 1990 census. Steve McCann is an administrator with the state of Iowa’s City Development Board, who explains those residents want to officially discontinue their town. They’ll begin with an overview of the proposal for “discontinuance” and will take questions and comments from local folks. McCann says it would probably take six to eight months to accomplish the discontinuance. After the public hearing, it’ll be about a month till the committee meets in Des Moines and decides whether to give approval, whereupon an election will be set so all residents of Kent can vote on whether to finalize the discontinuance. If the discontinuance is finalized, the area becomes unincorporated and the county will take over providing services like sheriff and fire, and in the meantime the city development board would take over any remaining city assets, pay any old bills and turn any remaining money over to the county. McCann says it would be rare, and unlikely, that the discontinuance would be refused. He doesn’t know what would happen, as there’s no city council right now or any local leadership in place. Tonight’s hearing is at the Union County courthouse in Creston at six o’clock.
