Waukon City Council discusses fire station, trailer park rezoning and expansion of Innovative Ag

by Bob Beach

The Waukon City Council began its regular meeting Monday, March 3 by holding three public hearings regarding items to be addressed by the Council later on the agenda. All of the public hearings were brief, as there were no members of the public present to comment on them.
The first regarded an amendment to the Southeast Urban Renewal Plan to add the project to construct a new fire station in the Park Place Subdivision. The second public hearing regarded the City's proposed budget for the coming fiscal year, and the third involved the rezoning of the portion of the now closed Town and Country Trailer Park that the City now owns.
Turning to regular business, the Council approved a resolution to add the fire station project to the Southeast Urban Renewal Plan without discussion.
The Council then considered an ordinance to change the zoning district classification of the City-owned portion of Town and Country Trailer Park from R-5 (mobile home park) to R-3 (single-family residential). The Council approved the first reading, waived further readings and passed the ordinance unanimously.
Also without discussion, the Council approved the proposed budget for the coming fiscal year for the City as well as for Veterans Memorial Hospital.
The Council then met with real estate developer Dick Sullivan regarding a proposed extension of the street in his subdivision to allow for construction of a new home. Zoning Administrator Al Lyon said that the Planning and Zoning Commission had discussed the project and recommends that the Council rescind an existing restrictive covenant that requires that the remaining lots in the subdivision not be developed, but instead sold to adjacent property owners.
Sullivan then asked if the City would be willing to contribute to the expense of extending the street, a cost he estimated at around $7,500, noting that the extension of the street would ultimately result in the City collecting an additional $6,000 in property taxes. Councilman Don Steffens asked if helping with the cost of the development would set a precedent, to which City Attorney Jim Garrett replied that the City has helped financially with other developments. Mayor Loren Beneke said that he would like to see a more formal proposal and Lyon noted that a survey of the proposed plats would need to be completed before moving forward.
Lyon then requested that the Council set a date for a public hearing regarding proposed changes to the City's zoning ordinance. The first proposed change, he said, would add fire stations as a conditional use in the Park Place Subdivision, while the second would allow for a lumber yard as a conditional use on the Stillwell's portion of the former Town and Country Trailer Park. The Council set April 7 as the date for the hearings.
Lyon also reported that Innovative Ag intends to expand its existing facility to the south and that the Planning and Zoning Commission has recommended annexation of the expansion area. City Attorney Garrett asked the Council to also consider extending the City's tax rebate agreement to the expanded area. Garrett added that Brian Kramer of Innovative Ag could be invited to attend a future Council meeting to discuss the expansion plans.
Police Chief Phil Young then requested that the Council consider making changes to the contract with police officers regarding reimbursement for training expenses. Young said that currently, officers who leave the City's employment earlier than four years are contractually obligated to reimburse the City for the cost of their training. He said that the current contract contains some unnecessary language and also allows payment at a rate of just $100 per month. He noted that officers are frequently paid considerable sums in vacation pay and comp time when they leave and that he thinks the reimbursement to the City could be paid more quickly. After some discussion, the Council agreed to add a 10 percent reduction in the reimbursement as an incentive to pay the full reimbursement within 60 days and to increase the minimum monthly payment to $250.
In other business, the Council agreed to allow the installation of signs that would extend over City property at the State Farm Insurance office. The Council also agreed to allow the payment to McMillan Muffler for repairs to the Police Department's Dodge Durango that exceeded the initial estimate by $100.