Refers chicken request to planning & zoning commission
~by Denise O’Brien Van
The Jefferson city council took the first step to extend water and sewer service to the Wild Rose Jefferson site at its regular meeting Tuesday evening. The council also discussed urban chickens and office staffing, and awarded pay raises to department heads.
Council approves initial work for water and sewer work: The city council approved a $153,500 contract with MHF Engineering for “beginning to end” engineering services for extension of water and sewer service to the northwest intersection of Highway 4 and U.S. 30.
MHF engineer John Milligan said the work will include field work, design, acquisition of permits and easements, drawings and oversight of the bidding process and construction.
The $1.5 million project will upgrade overloaded infrastructure in addition to serving the casino that will be built on the northwest corner of the intersection. Milligan said the upgrades “should have been done several years ago.”
Planning and zoning commission will study chicken-raising request: Because it would require a change in the city’s zoning laws, the city council referred a citizen’s request to allow raising chickens in the back yard to the planning and zoning (P and Z) commission.
“That’s the first step in the process,” city administrator Mike Palmer told Joyce Allender, who wants to continue raising a few birds after moving from the farm to town.
The commission will study the request and make a recommendation about amending the zoning ordinance. Legal fees for amending the ordinance could amount to as much as $2,000, said mayor Craig Berry.
Councilwoman Lisa Jaskey said she would favor allowing chickens to roost in town as long as the zoning change limited the number of birds on one property and prohibited “free range” birds and noisy roosters.
Jefferson resident Bill Smith told the council he opposes “more livestock in Jefferson,” citing the presence of feral domestic cats and raccoons. “Chickens attract cats and raccoons,” he said.
Clerk to lose clerk: Jefferson city clerk Diane Kennedy announced the resignation of her administrative assistant and payroll clerk, Tammy Tweed, whose last day on the job is July 18. Tweed has worked at city hall for more than 10 years.
“Tammy is my fulltime right-hand man,” said Kennedy, noting she will miss Tweed, who is moving to Decorah.
Council approves department head raises: Acting on a recommendation from its wage and benefit committee, the council approved salary increases for all city department heads.
Palmer said department heads have in the past been given the same percentage raise as the city’s union personnel. “The system was not based on merit and did not reward department heads for the additional responsibility they have,” he said.
The wage committee said department heads deserved the 1.75 percent raise that union members got, plus another 1.5 percent. Palmer, who oversees the department heads, also got both increases, bringing his salary from $80,440 to $83,054.
Salary increases are as follows: city clerk from $53,047 to $54,771; police chief from $58,223 to $60,115; street superintendent from $49,473 to $51,081; sewer superintendent from $53,872 to $55,623; water superintendent from $47,695 to $49,245; park & recreation director from $43,461 to $44,874; and library director from $42,337 to $43,713.
The salary of the zoning official was not increased because Tom Heater has been on the job only since spring.
Wage and benefit committee members are councilmembers Gary Von Ahsen and Shannon Black.
