When the City Council of Webster City meets this evening its agenda will be heavy with community development issues, including off-street parking regulations, access to public city-owned streets, and adoption of new development guidelines from the Iowa Economic Development Authority.
The meeting begins at 6 p.m. in council chambers, City Hall, 400 Second Street, Webster City.
The proposed amendment to section 50-184 of the Code of the City of Webster City has no precedent in the city’s history. If enacted, it would require off-street parking to be paved with Portland cement concrete, bituminous concrete (sometimes called asphalt concrete or “blacktop”) or some combination of these materials. The measure would also specify the number of parking spaces required for each type of residence built in future.
Another proposal, if it remains unmodified and survives the three required public readings, would set forth changes in controlling access to the city’s streets. It would, among other effects, dictate that new entrances (ie. driveways) connected to city streets must be built to Iowa Statewide Urban Design and Specifications requirements.
A number of second readings are on the agenda.
One would float a new $3 million bond issue to fund Phase 2 of Fair Meadow Drive redevelopment, a new street sweeper and new snowplow. The city’s street sweeper has been out of service recently, awaiting parts for repairs.
Two more second readings provide opportunity for public comment on raising electrical rates 3% and increasing the days and hours citizens may set off fireworks over the Fourth of July holiday.
A provision of the fireworks proposal would permit use of personal fireworks on July 5, when that day falls on either a Friday or Saturday. This year it’s a Saturday. Webster City Fire Chief Chuck Stansfield is proposing the changes to bring Webster City into alignment with new state laws passed in the most recent legislative session.
At the Council’s meeting two weeks ago, Street Supervisor Brandon Bahrenfuss suggested using funds saved by a lower-than-expected bid for this summers’ hot melt asphalt (HMA) paving project for additional street work.
He proposes spending $110,000 for chip paving on Union, Water and Walnut streets in
Webster City, and a further $21,500 for materials required by the project. If Bahrenfuss can find bidders interested in the work at this comparatively late date for work to be completed this summer, work could start in late July and be complete by the end of September this fall.
The staff’s agenda statement in the council packet on the project notes that “chip paving is a proven, cost-effective way to extend pavement life, and aggressive surface treatment for sealing cracks and preventing water incursion.”
View this article as it appeared in the Daily Freeman-Journal.
Last modified: June 16, 2025