The Jefferson city council expects to have a new animal shelter on its Sept. 26 agenda for approval of a two-phase project contract with an architectural firm and operating expenses once the shelter is built.
Council member Dave Sloan reported to the city council at its Sept. 12 meeting that the committee has reviewed a proposal from Waggoner and Wineinger Architects of Mason City that asks for $46,700 for planning and engineering, to include detailed plans and bid specs, and then $43,000 to oversee the project. Local engineering firm Bolton & Menk would oversee excavation of the site on the west end of the west business park.
Waggoner and Wineinger is the same firm that provided preliminary cost estimates for the building proposed late last year by Don Orris. The new plan is for a smaller metal building that would be put into service without all the amenities and without a paved parking lot.
Council member Harry Ahrenholtz is also on the shelter committee. He will provide a detailed pro forma for operating expenses to the council at the next meeting.
The county supervisors have already agreed to provide up to $15,000 per year toward operating expenses.
The committee expects to solicit donations and to submit a grant application to Grow Greene County for construction funds. The cost of Waggoner and Wineinger’s services would be included in the grant application.
In other business, the city council approved the third reading and adopted ordinances to increase water rates and sewer rates by 3 percent. Residents will see the increase on their October bills.
The council approved a plat of survey for lots on E. Wilcox Way to reconfigure the lots where the construction class is building houses. The reconfiguration combines three lots too small to build on into two 82-1/2 foot lots.
The council set a pair of public hearings for the Sept. 26 meeting. The first is to amend the urban renewal area to include the west business park, and the second is on a proposed development agreement with Wahl-McAtee Tire. The public hearings are related, in that the urban development area has to be amended to allow TIF financing, a financial tool that is part of the development agreement.
The council approved the second reading of an ordinance adopting the city code of 2008 as the city code of 2017. It also approved approval of change orders and pay estimates for the 2017 paving project and the CDBG façade restoration project.
The council set its annual priority work session for Sept. 26, following the regular meeting. Those priorities will be used in formulating the budget for the fiscal year starting July 1, 2018. Depending upon the outcome of the city council election in November, there could be as many as three new council members by then.
