The Jefferson city council at its Oct. 13 meeting took a step towards the upcoming expansion project of the public library.
The council approved a memorandum of understanding (MOU) with the library board of trustees and the Jefferson Public Library Foundation regarding the acquisition of a house at 203 W. State St, the only non-commercial building on the block on the same block as the library. The house will ultimately be demolished to provide parking space for library patrons.
According to the MOU, the city will purchase the house for $130,000, paid up front. The library foundation is the beneficiary of an estate which is now being settled. When that occurs, the foundation will reimburse the city. It will remain as a rental unit, with the city keeping the rent until the foundation repays the city for the purchase. At that time the total rent paid to the city will be subtracted from the $130,000 repayment amount.
The house may be used as a staging ground during construction on the library. It will not be demolished until the parking area is needed. The city will pay for the parking lot.
The council set a public hearing for the Oct. 27 meeting to amend the ordinance dealing with the municipal cemetery to allow vertical headstones in the southwest portion of the cemetery, an area where previously only lawn-level headstones have been allowed.
City administrator Scott Peterson explained that sale of gravesites in that area have lagged sales in the rest of the cemetery. Mayor Craig Berry, who was on the city council decades ago when the area was designated for lawn-level headstones, said that at that time there was considerable discussion and that many residents requested that designation.
Greg Piklapp of Ames Regional Economic Agency reported on his work for Greene County Development Corporation. He said he is currently working with Alliant Energy to verify the power capabilities of all available business/industrial sites in the county, along with costs of any potential updates.
He reported he and the GCDC board toured Scranton Manufacturing and spoke with representatives of the new owners, Federal Signal. At this time, Federal Signal has no intention of closing or moving the company.
Piklapp also reported the federal Environmental Protection Agency has cleared the former Electrolux site for sale. No additional contamination has been found.
The council approved operating procedures for the financial incentive programs in place for the downtown area and the E. Lincoln Way area. The policies are intended to define the process more clearly in terms of eligibility and the application process. The procedure also establishes that property owners are not eligible for the incentives if they have a mortgage, promissory notes or loans against the building totaling more than 81 percent of the fair market value of the building.
The council approved agreements with GCDC and Main Street noting the amount of financial support the city will provide. Per the agreements, GCDC will receive $55,000 annually and Main Street will receive $70,000 annually. Those amounts are not changed; the agreements were requested by the city’s auditors.
The council approved hiring Jennifer Paulsen as the utility billing clerk at an hourly wage of $20.03. She will start work Oct. 27.
