The Jefferson city council at its Aug. 27 meeting approved $12,500 in funding for the Bell Tower Foundation to spend on a marketing plan for 2025. The city had already allocated $7,500 to the bell tower.
Carole Custer, past president of the Foundation after 14 years as president, presented the plan.
Custer said the additional funding will increase awareness of the tower by almost 600,000 impressions by using cable and streaming television advertising through ICAN, increased Facebook and other social media advertising, professional photography, and local advertising.
“This is a partnership, folks. This is not just us as another organization across town. If you look at your logo for the city of Jefferson, it’s got the tower,” Custer said. “The county has supported it. The city of Jefferson feels good enough to put it on their logo… We hope that showing what our plan is and showing you the success we’ve had in the past, you’ll trust us to do the very best we can in order to help the community of Jefferson and the tower to do what it was meant to do.”
Total cost of the advertising plan is $19,335.
Council member Matt Wetrich serves on the Bell Tower Foundation board ex officio. He called having Custer on the Foundation board “a treasure and an asset” due to her expertise in marketing (through her job as marketing director at Iowa State university). He also said the Foundation board has very thorough discussions at its meetings.
Council member Chad Sloan voted against a motion to approve the additional $12,500. Council members Harry Ahrenholtz, Darren Jackson and Wetrich voted in favor. Council member Pat Zmolek was absent.
Allocations to the Bell Tower Foundation come from the city’s hotel/motel tax revenue.
The council held a public hearing on a proposed easement for ITC Transmission Co to allow for a tap line to the Hardin Hilltop wind farm substation. No one spoke and the council approved the easement. The city will be paid $515 for it.
The council reviewed a multi-year plan to construct more handicap accessible sidewalks with curb cuts and detectible warning pads through 2027, created by building/zoning officer Chad Stevens. The council endorsed the plan, indicating funding will be available in future budgets.
The council approved a change order in the amount of $156,971.11 for the wastewater treatment plant upgrade project.
City engineer Jim Leiding explained that it was discovered the aeration systems in the two digesters were beyond repair. Until one of the digesters was drained, it was impossible to know the condition of the aeration systems. Leiding explained that because the plant is in use during the project, “it’s like trying to fly an airplane while building it.”
Total cost of the project was set at $17,540,700. With other change orders, the cost is now at $18,078,368, or 3.2 percent over the original contract. Leiding estimated the project is two-thirds complete with the majority of the “big ticket items” taken care of. Completion is expected next spring.
City administrator Scott Peterson said despite the cost overrun, the city has not yet tapped out the funds available for the project.
During the open forum, Reed Larson joined neighbor Gary Turner in sharing frustration over the unsightly property across from their homes in the 1100 block of N. Maple St. Stevens said he had sent a nuisance abatement to the property owner and that a boat parked on the property is probably parked illegally. Police chief Mark Clouse said his department is also working on having the boat removed.
“We’re continuing to work on this. It’s on the front burner, not the back burner,” Stevens said.
