The Jefferson city council continues to work toward developing housing options. At its Aug. 13 meeting, the council approved applying to participate in Iowa State University Extension and Outreach’s Rural Housing Readiness Assessment.
The program supports the use of publicly available, online information and the efforts of rural communities to interpret that hard data to implement changes through local zoning ordinances, development codes, and housing incentives specific to each individual community’s needs. The goal is to identify and enact changes that lead to policies and procedures to attract potential developers.
In applying for the program, the council agreed to make $10,000 available in matching funds for a project identified through the assessment. The council also created a citizens’ rural housing committee to assist in the application process and to participate in the program should Jefferson be accepted. Members of the rural housing committee are council members Harry Ahrenholtz and Darren Jackson; Greene County Development Corporation board president Scott Weber (a banker) and director Ken Paxton; Chad Butterfield and Kristin Russell representing large employers; John Rigler, banker; Amanda Bills, real estate; and Karla Janning, Region XII Council of Governments.
The application deadline to participate in the program is Aug. 30. The city will be notified if the application is accepted by Sept. 30.
Council member Matt Wetrich talked about single stream recycling, which began in July. He said it’s going well, “but I’d just ask folks…. to educate yourselves on what exactly can be recycled…. For folks not to be ‘wish cyclers’, and hope things can be recycled.”
He referred residents to the city website for information about what can and can’t be recycled.
In other business, the council approved the resolutions needed to complete the awarding of funds to three downtown businesses: No Limits Properties, LLC (Tim Heisterkamp), 121 E. Lincoln Way, a $150,000 forgivable loan and a $134,733 façade grant; ShineOn Designs, Jen and Brent Badger, 104 E. State St, a $116,426.87 forgivable loan; and Pub Adventures, Amanda Bills and Addi Meyer, a $60,000 façade grant.
The council also amended a development agreement with Pub Adventures to extend the repayment time of a 10-year forgivable loan (approved in 2022) for the street level restaurant. Work on the restaurant was delayed until work on upper level apartments was completed, so none of the loan funds have been disbursed. With the amendment, the length of forgiveness will be extended to 2034.
The council set a public hearing for Aug. 27 on a request by ITC Transmission Co for an easement to a 12’ by 25’ area for an already existing tap line serving the Hardin Hilltop sub-station. ITC will pay $515 for the easement.
The city park and recreation commission recommended and the council approved promoting assistant director Nathan Kral to the director position with the retirement of Denny Hammen. Kral addressed the council briefly, saying that his biggest project will be to get an addition to the gym at the Greene County Community Center under way.
City administrator Scott Peterson reported that construction on the new Grimmell Road bridge will begin Aug. 19. “We’ll see a little inconvenience for a year, but it will be a nice project,” he said.
More information about the detour route is posted elsewhere on GCNO.
