The first Jefferson city council meeting of the new year was no different than council meetings during the last part of 2023, with contention and differences of opinion about the future of the city.
The possibility of new rental housing in Jefferson continues to draw the ire of some residents. The Jefferson city council agenda for Jan. 9 did not include items pertaining to the project proposed by Kading Properties, but residents instead spoke against a project proposed by KCG Properties of Indianapolis. That project would feature 40 to 50 apartments in a mix of one-, two- and three-bedroom units. It would be located on vacant property in the 400 block of W. Head St, immediately north of the Union Pacific railroad tracks.
Local realtor Linda Eighmy spoke against the KCG project, noting that the property “in not in line with real estate practices” as it’s prone to flooding and very close to the railroad tracks. She also said the project would not comply with Iowa State Code Chapter 414.3 pertaining to municipal comprehensive plans. Iowa Code requires city’s comprehensive plans to prevent overcrowding of land and to avoid undue concentrations of population, she said.
She questioned if local schools, law enforcement, healthcare providers and utility services could accommodate the number of residents that might live in the new apartments, “I do think we need new housing in Jefferson, but it should be single family homes, duplexes, town homes or condos, not apartments,” Eighmy said.
Resident Tim Winters said he owns three vacant houses, all in need of work, and that the city would do better to invest money in existing houses that can be repaired. He said he lived in an apartment complex as a child and predicted that “crime will go insane” in a new apartment complex.
Resident Deven Burhart said that low-income apartments like those proposed bring crime and drugs to a community. He asked where all the new people would work because he doesn’t have a job and can’t find one.
KCG Properties has already purchased the property, which is currently zoned for light industrial use. The Jefferson planning and zoning committee recommends rezoning it R3, which would allow multi-family housing. Setting the needed public hearing for a zoning change was on the council’s agenda.
Margaret Saddoris, an outspoken opponent of the Kading project and not a city resident, rose to speak about the rezoning.
She presented the council with petitions against the rezoning for KCG, claiming that 20 percent of residents have signed the petitions. That would require a super majority of the city council to approve the rezoning, the difference between needing four votes or only three. City attorney David Morain will review the petitions.
The public hearing was set for Jan. 23 at 5:30 pm. Council member Chad Sloan voted against the motion to set the hearing; all other council members voted yes.
The council approved a $150,000 10-year forgivable loan and a $134,733 façade grant to Tim Heisterkamp, new owner of the building at 101 E. Lincoln Way. He intends to renovate the building and move his Journey Financial office there.
The council approved a $150,000 forgivable loan application from Greg Hacker, new owner of the building at 214 E. State St, east of the Sierra Theatre. He plans to renovate the interior and façade as Courtyard on State, an event venue for rent.
The council approved taking title of the building at 108 W. State St, formerly Junkyard Café, from Home State Bank. That will allow the building to be put into the state’s Brownfield program, which would cover 100 percent of the cost of an environmental consultant up to $3,000, as well as 100 percent of the cost of an asbestos inspection. The Brownfield program would then reimburse 75 percent of the cost of asbestos abatement, up to $25,000. The city would serve as a conduit to the ultimate owner. “Ideally, the final owner is known before the city even takes ownership,” city administrator Scott Peterson wrote in his memo to the council.
The council approved increasing the maximum amount available to property owners through the Neighborhood Incentive Program from $2,000 per property to $4,000 per property.
The council approved a memorandum of understanding with AFSCME Local 3949, which represents Jefferson police officers, amending the 2021-2026 collective bargaining agreement. The MOU decreases the number of salary steps from six to three, allowing officers to maximize their salary more quickly.
The six salary steps require an officer to complete 10 years of fulltime continuous employment with the department before hitting the top of the salary schedule. With only three salary steps, a new hire not yet certified by the Iowa Law Enforcement Academy would be at Step 1. He/she would move to Step 2 upon certification by the ILEA, and then after two years of fulltime continuous work for the JPD he/she would be at Step 3. In the agreement, the city retains the right to hire experienced employees at a wage level commensurate with their experience.
The council approved a resolution increasing dog license fees from $5 to $10 for a spayed/neutered dog and from $10 to $15 for each unaltered dog. If an owner has in excess of four altered dogs the license is $25 for each dog beyond the fourth dog. If an owner has in excess of four unaltered dogs, the license fee is $45 for each additional dog beyond the fourth.
The council approved an employee assistance program (EAP) that provides help in addressing difficult life situations. Fulltime, permanent part-time employees, and fire department members are covered. Annual cost is $40 per employee ($3,160 for 79 persons). The program includes counseling, life coaching, legal consultation, financial consultation, and on-site crisis response. The crisis response is generally held within 24-72 hours of an incident to accelerate the recovery time of affected individuals and help an organization return to normal as quickly as possible.
The program is through Employee and Family Resources of Des Moines.
The council also heard a presentation from Chuck Offenburger, Sid Jones and Kristen Russell about the Multicultural Family Resource Center under development by Greene County Development Corporation. GCDC is requesting $5,000 for each of the next three years from the city of Jefferson to help fund a director for the project.
No decision was made on the funding request.
