Iowa City considers buying farmland to expand landfill

IOWA CITY – Iowa City's landfill is facing growing pains.

Tuesday night the city council will vote on a pain relief plan. The city might buy 17 acres of farm land on the northeast corner of the landfill in rural Johnson County.

Moving forward, however, means one Iowa City family would have to give up something very special.

The Hurt family farm isn't far from the Iowa City Landfill.

“It's just right over the top of the hill,” said Landowner Roger Hurt.

Soon that landfill could be even closer. Tuesday night the Iowa City City Council will vote on whether to buy some of the Hurt farm land.

“It would be space between the landfill cells and adjacent property. Right now the old landfill cells in that area are very close to the property line and that makes it very difficult for us to manage the groundwater surrounding it,” said Iowa City Public Works Director Rick Fosse.

How the city would buy the land is the tricky part.

“We would get authority to acquire the property and use eminent domain if necessary early on and then we would try to acquire it voluntarily from the property owners and that's our hope,” Iowa City Assistant City Attorney Eric Goers said.

Hurt was born and raised on the farm. It has been difficult for him to think of parting with 17 acres.

“I don't want to have it gone,” Hurt said.

The land holds corn and oat crops, as well as trees planted by his father in 1951. Besides that sentimental value, Hurt said selling the land would mean losing about 10 percent of his farm's yield.

“I just hope they pull out and leave me alone,” Hurt said.

If the city council votes to move forward with the plan Tuesday night, they said it would likely take about six months to complete a deal for the land.