Despite having to take down the frame of the metal building and basically start over, the new Greene County animal shelter may still be finished by the end of September.
City of Jefferson building officer Chad Stevens reported at the June 28 city council meeting that although engineers are still working on a plan to address problems with the soil type and foundation piers, the project manager told him Monday that they’re still aiming for the original date for substantial completion, Sept. 30, 2022.
The council also heard that the three upper-story apartments at 200 E. State St may be finished by the end of July.
Karla Janning of Region XII Council of Governments presented a required status update of the project as it received $500,000 in Community Development Block Grant funds. The building is owned by Chris Deal, doing business as Jefferson City View Properties. Deal was not at the council meeting.
Janning reported that to date, construction is 42 percent complete, with $414,951.63 in CDBG funds expended.
Two of the three rental units will serve households at or below 80 percent of the county’s adjusted median income.
Janning said drywall is being installed. “We’ve rounded that curve and (construction) is on the downhill slide. We have high hopes, if we can get all the materials, to be finished by the end of July,” she said.
The date of substantial completion in the original grant application was July 30, 2023. The project may be completed a year earlier than expected.
In another housing matter, the council approved a resolution in support of an application to the Iowa Economic Development Authority by Rowland Real Estate LLC for workforce housing tax incentives. The city’s support includes a 3-year property tax abatement.
Andy Rowland plans to build eight single-family homes on the vacant block that was proposed as the site of Water Tower subdivision, a planned unit development with 44 rental units just east of the Jefferson water tower. That project, dating back to 2015, was not completed when developer Duane Jensen, doing business as JCorp Inc, was unable to put together financing for the project.
Rowland does not plan to build all eight houses at once.
The council approved the first reading of an ordinance that will allow dogs impounded due to being deemed either “illegal” or “vicious” to be microchipped.
Police chief Mark Clouse explained his department needs to be able to accurately identify a dog to enforce the ordinance abating dogs from the community or requiring owners to meet particular fencing and liability insurance requirements.
The amended ordinance does not require microchipping of all dogs that are picked up by police and taken to the shelter. It applies only to “illegal” dogs which must leave the community, and to “vicious” dogs.
The dog owner must pay the microchip fee before the dog is released from impound.
The council approved the first reading of an ordinance that would allow the fire department to charge service fees incurred in responding to structure fires, field or open space fires, vehicle fires, LNG or LPG gas leaks; victim extrications, confined space or trench rescue, and the clean-up of hazardous materials.
Fire chief Jack Williams said insurance companies have declined to pay fees after a couple of large structure fires because the city does not have those fees in the city code. Williams said adding the language to the ordinance will allow billing insurance companies so the department can “recoup some of the taxpayer dollars that go out to some businesses.”
City attorney David Morain clarified that the city isn’t obligated to charge fees, but it could when the department incurs considerable expense, such as responding to a large structure fire.
The council held a public hearing and then approved plans and specifications for the Russell St water main improvement project. Bids on the project will be opened July 7.
The council also held a public hearing and approved plans and specifications for improvements to the front entrance of city hall. Bid will be opened July 7 for that project as well.
The council approved an application to the Federal Aviation Administration for a $152,730 grant to cover engineering services for a new 100ft X 100ft hangar at the municipal airport.
The council approved with no discussion renewing city administrator Mike Palmer’s contract for another year with a 4 percent increase in salary. His salary will increase from $109,000 to $113,360.
During the Reports portion of the agenda, city engineer Jim Leiding said the cost of the new wastewater treatment plant
Leiding said the Department of Natural Resources will do final review of the plan in late August and bids will go out in late September or early October. A bid will be awarded in November with construction to begin in 2023.
He had reported to the council in April that the cost has increased from $10 million to $13.5 million due to an increase in materials and equipment, and increasing the contingency budget from 20 to 30 percent to cover costs should they continue to increase.
Palmer said he has discussed with financial advisors how to offset the cost and what effect that will have on the city’s bond rating. “There’s a lot of moving parts with this… It’s big money. We’re hoping to use (the state) revolving loan fund for it, but at some point we may have to issue some revenue bonds,” he said.
Council member Harry Ahrenholtz was part of that discussion. He said the city will look for any grant funds possible. He said that because the current wastewater plant has compliance issues, the city needs to “move as expeditiously as we can… I’d like to get the cost locked in and move ahead with construction.”
