The Jefferson city council at its Sept. 8 meeting approved a 28E agreement with Greene County Community Schools to install a multi-use trail from the corner of Central Ave and Head St to the Greene County High School. The trail will also provide pedestrian access to the dog park.
The city received a $250,000 grant from the state’s local technical assistance program (LTAP) for the project. The engineer’s estimated construction cost is $320,575. The 28E agreement calls for the school district to pay $70,575 to complete construction, with the city paying $71,500 in engineering fees. Each party will be responsible for snow removal on the portion of the trail on property it owns.
The 28E agreement gives both parties an option not to pursue the project if the bid cost is higher than the engineer’s estimate. If both parties decide to continue, the additional cost would be split 50/50. Each entity is responsible for maintaining the portion on their property for 20 years.
Council member Luke Winkleman objected to the 50/50 split of costs over the grant, noting that 75 percent of the project is on school property. He said he’d like the share to be closer to 75/25.
Council member Chad Sloan agreed. “I think the school should have done their sidewalk and everything else. I don’t know why the city has to keep footing the bill for the school on these things,” he said.
Council member Darren Jackson, who teaches at the high school, said he couldn’t disagree with some of what Winkleman and Sloan said, but he said Grimmell isn’t a safe road for pedestrians. He said bus routes have been changed to reduce traffic on Grimmell Rd, and pointed out that the trail will go to the animal shelter.
Winkleman said it would be “more valid” if the sidewalk were on Grimmell Rd because the proposed trail doesn’t serve pedestrian traffic along Grimmell.
Council member Harry Ahrenholtz said the trail would provide connectivity, and reminded the council that connectivity was the purpose in building the sidewalk along Central Ave from N. Elm St. He noted that 50 new apartments are being built, increasing the potential for pedestrian and e-bike/e-scooter traffic in that part of town, and that when Wild Rose Casino was built, there was discussion of a need to connect to the town’s north side. “I think it’s a good project and I think it’s one that will benefit the school and the whole city. I’m totally in favor of it and I think it’s a fair split,” he said.
City engineer Jim Leiding reminded the council there was discussion years ago about how to bet pedestrian traffic to the north side of town without putting sidewalks on N. Elm St north of the railroad tracks.
After discussion, a motion to approve the 28E agreement with the school was approved unanimously.
In other sidewalk business, the council approved 17 signed temporary construction easements for properties involved in the Westwood sidewalk project. Four easements had not yet been returned to the city by the property owners. Because the easements are temporary, they will not be recorded in the county assessor’s office.
The council approved changes in its written financial policy as recommended by the council’s finance committee. The amended policy complies with state code, and requires an ending fund balance of at least 25 percent but not more than 35 percent of general fund expenditures. The maximum allowable is decreased in this revision. City administrator Scott Peterson said the city had a fund balance of 41 percent on June 30, the end of the most recent fiscal year.
Leiding said the contractor intends to build the sidewalk in 1,000-ft lengths, roughly.
The city’s constitutional debt limit is set at 5 percent of the total taxable valuation of property in the city. The city’s policy now states the city will not exceed 75 percent of that constitutional debt limit. “That leaves a cushion in case you truly do have an emergency,” Peterson said.
The city’s debt now is at about 44 percent of the debt limit, he said.
The policy now gives the council more leeway in approving tax increment financing agreements. Previously, all TIF projects were required to stand on their own merit regarding the ability of increased tax revenues to repay the debt within 15 years. The change in policy excludes buildings in the downtown and E. Lincoln Way building renovation program from meeting that 15-year requirement. Peterson explained the change was due to the expense of some of the projects.
It also streamlines using funds in the equipment reserve fund. Previously funds were transferred from the reserve fund to the general fund for payment. Now purchases using that fund can be paid for directly from that fund. The city has not had issues with any of the above financial practices.
Peterson said due to a glitch in the water billing system, 300 water customers received bills showing no water usage for the past month. Meters were manually read and corrected bills were sent out that day. City clerk Roxanne Gorsuch said water bills are due Sept. 15 as usual, even from those customers who originally received incorrect bills.
