After a long-time Sac City resident left nearly $6 million dollars in his will for the beautification of the town, the trustees he appointed are ready to put those funds to good use. Sac City businessman, John Criss, passed away on May 28, 2015, but his legacy is still living on in the community. Renae Jacobsen, one of the people entrusted to manage the $5.7 million fund, worked with Criss for nearly 20 years as his secretary and accountant. Even though she knew him for an extended period, she had no idea what he had in store for the city.
Criss’ family has extensive ties to Sac City. His great-grandfather, Judge Eugene Criss, founded the community. Criss owned and operated Chief Clothing for many years and wanted to give something back to the community he called home. Jacobsen says many organizations were named in the will.
The $5.7 million cannot be used to fund normal city work or expenses. Criss made it clear in his will the money was to improve Sac City’s visual appeal. A board of trustees, Jacobsen, Mayor Scott Bundt and Dwain “Dewey” Reece, were appointed to see that vision through.
New street signs and landscaping are already on the schedule that fall under the beautification classification. The trustees are currently working on a much larger scale project, but Jacobsen indicated they are not quite ready to release the details. She says they will hopefully be able to provide more information in the near future.
