The fate of a home donated years ago to the Iola Public Library will be one of the many topics discussed at Monday’s Iola City Council meeting.
Library representatives will discuss with Council members their plans for the Flewharty-Powell Library Annex at 211 East St.
The house was donated to the library by Molly Flewharty in 2009. The home had been owned by Flewharty’s mother, Nancy Flewharty, a long-time library supporter.
The house was to be used “solely for municipal library purposes,” but with the caveat the library could have the home razed for the purposes of constructing an addition to the library, which is located just to the south of the annex.
Since then, the annex has been used occasionally for special events and library programs, but the costs to maintain the facility have become cumbersome to the library’s board of directors.
A steering committee explored various uses, but none came to fruition.
In November, Library board members announced they would sell the house via sealed bids.
The winning bidder would be responsible for removing the structure by the end of the year.
COUNCIL members have several other topics to discuss, including the fate of an economic incentive agreement with Peerless Products, Inc.
When Peerless opened its Iola plant in 2020, the city offered an economic incentive agreement to provide a 50% property tax rebate for a 10-year period.
The rebate would be nullified if Peerless did not have at least 100 employees on staff by the end of the fifth year.
Fast forward five years, and the company — which had 60 employees on hand as recently as 2023 — has seen its staffing drop to 37 full-time employees, Iola City Administrator Matt Rehder reports.
In a written report to the city, Peerless human resources manager Dave Elliott said “the industry continues to experience softness, leading us to allow our headcount to drop through attrition,” although he believed the slowdown has run its course.
Elliott said Peerless has hired several individuals in recent weeks.
ALSO ON the agenda:
— Council members will discuss the financing leg of the planned rebuild of U.S. 54 through town, through a pair of bond sales in 2026 and 2027.
