Waukon City Council approves changes to City Facade Improvement Grant Program, discusses details of sidewalk replacement program
by Joe Moses
The Waukon City Council met in regular session Monday, January 19 to address a short agenda of matters including the discussion and consideration of changes to the City Facade Improvement Grant Program, discussion on a sidewalk replacement program, among other routine matters. The meeting was called to order by Mayor Arvid Hatlan with council members present including Steve Wiedner, Nicholas Engrav, Cassie Handke, Tim Smedsrud and John Lydon.
There was no comment during the first Public Comment portion of the meeting. The council moved into Department Reports with Police Chief Paul Wagner providing an overview of 2025 totals relating to department activities and responses, crime statistics, among other data for the calendar year. In response to a question from Wiedner, Wagner noted that the number of reported telephone scams has continued to increase with in-person scams and fraud increasing as well.
Interim Street Superintendent Pat Egan discussed a repair to be addressed on 1st Avenue SW in addition to addressing questions from the council about a storm sewer intake repair north of the airport to be performed by a contractor. City Clerk Sarah Snitker did not have an update at this time.
City Manager Grayson Rowlet advised that County Auditor Denise Beyer has posted information relating to valuations with city governments and school districts being able to view this data relevant to preliminary budget numbers. Rowlet and Hatlan discussed the impact of House File (HF) 718 which Rowlet noted will reduce property tax revenue for cities. Rowlet estimated a $90,000 difference in property tax revenue for Waukon through the impact of HF718 despite growth in valuations.
Mayor Hatlan and the council did not have new information to add for their respective reports at this time.
The meeting moved into the discussion and consideration of changes to the City Facade Improvement Grant Program. Snitker provided an overview of changes under consideration relating to the program’s criteria based upon the council’s discussion of the matter at the Monday, January 5 council meeting. These proposed updates include business location requirements within the West District and Downtown Business District as shown in maps distributed to the council, exterior work only requirements, and that facade improvements will be mainly for the front of buildings with sides of buildings included if viewable from the adjacent street and the rear of buildings only eligible if there is a business entrance viewable from the adjacent street.
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