The Jefferson city council expects to hear next month from the Iowa Department of Transportation regarding remarking Elm St (Hwy 4 through Jefferson) as a three-lane roadway.
City administrator Scott Peterson told the council at its Oct. 8 meeting that about 100 persons attended the public information meeting last month. The DOT is now compiling input received that meeting and since. DOT staff will meet with the city council’s water/sewer/streets committee and then the information will be reported to the public.
In other business, the council agreed to hold a special meeting in November to review the strategic plan from last year and look at a capital improvements plan. A year ago, the council used a consultant with that process, but according to Peterson, “it sounds like something we can do on our own.”
He said the council will reconsider some items that were discussed last year but not listed. Peterson is getting estimates for suggested capital improvement items to provide to the council’s finance committee prior to the special meeting.
Peterson also reported the water/sewer/streets and the finance committee have both discussed using the nuisance ordinance to force residents take down dead trees. He said the committees agree not to enforce the ordinance “as fast as we had initially discussed.”
The council in August discussed requiring property owners to remove dead trees yet this fall.
Peterson said the city would work on a communication plan to remind the public of the importance of getting dead trees taken care of. City staff will also focus on cooperating with property owners, possibly developing lists of contractors available to do the work.
Also, the finance committee will determine if any financial assistance can be made available. “It’s concerning. There are going to be some low-income homeowners out there for whom this will be a hardship to be able to remove the trees,” Peterson said. “If there’s anything the city can do to help out some of those folks, maybe something similar to what we do with sidewalk (replacement). We’ll continue to have that discussion.”
He said if true enforcement needs to be done, perhaps because a dead tree is hanging over a neighboring home, the city will begin a nuisance abatement process. A complaint by the impacted property owner would need to be made at city hall.
The council held the third reading of an ordinance to increase water rates by 5 percent. Peterson said a household using a minimal amount of water (200 cubic feet) will see their water bill increase by 98 cents. An “average” user (500 cu.ft.) will see an increase of $2.28.
A retrofitting of the existing water treatment plant is in the capital improvements plan with a 2034 target date. Peterson said increasing water rates now in anticipation of the project will ward off the possibility of a large rate increase then.
The city is now putting about $250,000 per year in an account for the project; the account balance is about $2 million, according to Peterson. Current estimated cost of the project is $10 million. Peterson cautioned the cost will be higher by the time the project is done.
Council member Chad Sloan questioned if all cost savings have been considered. Council member Harry Ahrenholtz said wage costs increase every year, and that “our public service guys are really wise as far as supplies. A number of times they’ve talked about changing chlorine suppliers.”
Sloan again lobbied against the increase, saying he’s heard many complaints. “People are saying it’s only 5 percent, but Jefferson is a retirement community and a lot of people pinch every penny. They can’t afford it…. With taxes and everything else going up, people need a break,” he said.
He mentioned the high participation of the free/reduced cost meal program at the schools and the increased use of the food pantry to bolster his claim.
Peterson encouraged the council to be “proactive” and look ahead to avoid “painful rate hikes in the future.”
The council voted 4-1 to approve the rate increase, with Sloan casting the dissenting vote.
City engineer Jim Leiding reported the pickleball court is nearly complete except for an acrylic coating. That will be finished by Oct. 18, but it must cure before the court can be used.
