At its regularly-scheduled meeting Monday, the City Council of Webster City passed several measures to improve and strengthen operations of city departments, and support economic development.
At its regularly-scheduled meeting Monday, the City Council of Webster City passed several measures to improve and strengthen operations of city departments, and support economic development.
In what might be termed “good government” initiatives, the council voted unanimously to adopt two changes to existing policy:
One, it approved a second reading of a staff proposal to re-adopt the International Property Maintenance Code Edition of 2021, with fewer modifications and deletions as appropriate for buildings in this region. This will give the city government greater authority in enforcing property maintenance, in both residential and nonresidential structures.
A public hearing on the changes was held August 5. The council approved a first reading of the new law the same day.
Two, it adopted a new policy to establish cash reserves to maintain working capital, assist in paying for asset replacement, and pay down debt.
Eight of the city’s funds would benefit from the new policy: the General Fund, Debt Service Fund, Water Fund, Wastewater Fund, Electric Fund, Sales Tax Fund, Road Use Tax Fund, and Economic Development Fund. The City’s budgeting process will now include targets for annual allocations to each of the cash reserve funds.
Asked why this was needed, City Manager John Harrenstein said, “This puts guard rails on our budget that give us flexibility in dealing with changes in the economy, and stabilize tax rates into the future.”
All eight funds currently meet or exceed the recommended reserves. The new policy will see that cash reserves become a requirement in setting the city’s annual budget, and the necessary reserves are maintained into the future.
To further refine its new emphasis on economic development, the council approved a new policy to stimulate business development in Webster City.
The following excerpt from the council memorandum explains the essential purpose of the new measures:
” . . . it is useful to have a framework for considering incentive awards and to articulate to
potential developers and the public, what types of projects fall into the economic development goals of the city. The purpose of the policies recommended for approval in the subsequent resolution is to articulate those goals and create a process for consideration of TIF (Tax Increment Funding) incentives.”
Actually three separate, related policies and guidelines — a business incentive policy, a tax increment financing policy, and guidelines for approving low-interest loans for business development — details of each can be found in an eight-page document developed by Harrenstein. He said he felt the new policies “provide transparency on the goals and process City Council wants to reach.”
The council also gave its approval to provide a low-interest loan to Triple E Enterprises LLC for $62,000 from the city’s new Economic Development Fund.
Triple E is the new owner and operator of True Value Hardware in downtown Webster City. Shoppers may already have noticed new floors, painting and new rental equipment and paint departments in the store.
The company is planning a four-phase project. Phase I, now underway, will see improvements to the store interior; Phase II will cover a new roof for its building at 541 Second Street, which must be completed before winter weather sets in; Phase III exterior improvements to be completed in 2026; and Phase IV, expansion, due to be finished sometime in 2027-2028.
In further action, the council:
— Granted Vos del Espiritu Santo Asamblea de Dios Church permission to close Des Moines Street between Division Street and the alley in the middle of the west side of the block bordered by Division and Bank streets between the hours of 9 a.m. and 4 p.m. on Saturday, September 7, to provide free haircuts and give away toys and food.
A church spokesman, Mr. Lopez, told The Daily Freeman Journal everyone is welcome to the event, not just church members. The church occupies the former Masonic Temple Building at 905 Des Moines Street, Webster City, which, for a number of years, was known as “The Bridge.”
— Held two public hearings, both pertaining to issuance of new general obligation bonds. The first hearing sought up to $1.9 million in proceeds to pay for street, sidewalk and storm sewer costs incurred in phase one of the Fair Meadow Drive rehabilitation project now under way, and the second would provide up to $655,000 to install a new HVAC system at City Hall.
City Finance Director Dodie Wolfgram asked the council for permission to combine the two bonding issuances into one general obligation offering not to exceed $2.445 million, which would cover completion of both projects. General obligation bonds are not tied to any particular income-producing assets of the city, but rather are issued under the “full faith and credit” of the City of Webster City. General obligation bonds are also sometimes called municipal bonds.
— Authorized the city manager to cancel three separate agreements pertaining to the City’s ownership interest in the George Neal Energy Center Unit No. 4, a 644-megawatt coal-fired power plant south of Sioux City that provides electricity to Webster City and other cities.
The leases authorize use of certain electrical transmission lines that were necessary to bring electricity to Webster City when Neal Unit No. 4 opened in 1979. Today, however, there are alternative lines available to Webster City and Corn Belt Power Co-Op, the city’s partner in electrical generation and transmission, so leases covering the old lines may now be cancelled. Any costs related to cancellation of the leases will be borne by Corn Belt.
— Approved issuance of a Cigarette/Tobacco/Nicotine/Vapor permit to Kwik Star for its new store at 1515 Overpass Drive, Webster City.
View this article as it originally appeared in the Daily Freeman-Journal.
Last modified: August 20, 2024