Lansing City Council offers support for creation of Façade Improvement Program in Allamakee County; April 22 scheduled as “Kee Clean Day”
by Julie Berg-Raymond
At its regular meeting Monday, February 7, the Lansing City Council adopted Resolution No. 961, expressing its support for the creation of a Façade Improvement Program in Allamakee County utilizing American Rescue Plan funds.
In a letter to the editor published in The Standard last month, Main Street Lansing Executive Director Andy Kelleher indicated that Allamakee County received nearly $2.7 million as part of its allocation of State and Local Fiscal Recovery Funds through the Plan. Signed into law March 11, 2021, the American Rescue Plan Act of 2021 (H.R. 1319) is intended to combat the COVID-19 pandemic, including the public health and economic impacts (naco.org). As part of the $362 billion in federal fiscal recovery aid for state and local governments, $65.1 billion is provided in direct aid to counties.
“As currently presented to the County, a façade improvement program would offer grants to building owners with a dollar-for-dollar cash match (i.e., building owners would pay 50 percent of the project cost),” Kelleher’s letter to the editor continued. “Average grant awards would total $10,000 but would be variable depending on the scope of the project application. Funds would be dispersed on a reimbursement basis, ensuring that acceptable projects are completed. Because this program would utilize federal funds, it would not cost the County or Cities anything to implement.” The letter encouraged community members to reach out to the Allamakee County Board of Supervisors in order to express support for the façade program.
As noted in the Resolution, the City of Lansing “has been unsuccessful in securing federal building improvement funding for reasons including too few participants, difficult(y) in classifying the community as suffering from ‘slum’ or ‘blight,’ and small-scale projects.”
“We have five or six citizens who would jump at this right away,” Kelleher told the council Monday night.
In addition to the request to adopt Resolution No. 961, Kelleher also asked the council to consider increasing funding for the Main Street Lansing Program, as it enters into budget negotiations. Currently, Main Street Lansing is funded at $10,000 per year.
In making the request, Kelleher said that monies generated by short-term rental hotel/motel taxes have been steadily growing, and have shown a recent spike, with the State reporting $36,000 having been allocated to Lansing in 2021. “That’s a significant leap, though, and it might not be sustainable,” Kelleher said. “We’re the smallest Main Street Program in the state, and the numbers aren’t good to us,” he said, adding that the program would use increased funding for upcoming projects, small-level work in town, and a stronger marketing budget to advertise and draw people to Lansing.
AGREEMENT APPROVED
The council approved the PeopleService Operation Agreement effective July 1, 2022. In a letter to the Mayor, PeopleService, Inc. indicated that “the monthly compensation and the ‘base amount’ for chemicals the City of Lansing, Iowa pays for our services are to be adjusted every July 1st,” pursuant to its Operation and Maintenance Agreement with the City effective April 1, 2018.
In approving the agreement, the council acknowledged an adjustment and increase of 6.8 percent, based upon the change in the Consumer Price Index for All Urban Consumers (CPI-U) between November of 2020 and November of 2021. “Thus,” the letter indicated, “effective July 1, 2022, the City of Lansing’s maximum annual maintenance/repair (non-capital) expenditure amount will be increased from $7,978 to $8,521, the monthly compensation will be increased from $18,041 to $19,268 and the ‘base amount’ for chemicals will be increased from $5,700 to $6,088.”
STUDENT HELP
Police Chief Conrad Rosendahl told the council that since the department is almost out of police patches, he is asking art students at Kee High School to design a new one for the department.
The council also adopted a resolution to designate April 22 as “Kee Clean Day,” where about 150 students would volunteer around the city to work on appropriate small projects as might be suggested by the Street Department and Main Street Lansing.
PARK BOARD
The council voted to table any further plans for removing or trimming the trees around the swimming pool in Lansing, citing budget concerns.
In other Park Board business with the City, the council agreed - with one “no” vote by council member Steve Murray - to be the fiscal program/project sponsor for an Allamakee Community Foundation Grant application for $20,000, with a 25 percent match, or $5,000, to be paid by the City. The funds would be applied toward the City Swimming Pool Guard House renovation.
OTHER BUSINESS
The council approved a motion to seek proposals toward the hiring of a lighting consultant who will work with the City on its plans to light the bridge that will replace the historic Black Hawk Bridge. The council approved the bridge lighting - giving the Iowa Department of Transportation (DOT) the go-ahead to install the necessary wiring, etc. - at its regular meeting November 1, 2021.
The council approved a liquor license renewal for TJ Hunter’s Pub & Grub, Inc.; adopted Resolution No. 962, to increase the fee for collection and disposal of solid waste; and approved Resolution No. 963, the Annual Urban Renewal Report.
The council will hold a special meeting to work on revision of the City Code Monday, February 14 at 5:30 p.m. at Lansing City Hall. Other issues addressed at the February 7 council meeting will be reported on in more detail in a future edition of The Standard.
