1. TAX RATE: City Clerk Diana Bowlin drafted the comparison surveys (packet) for cities with a population of 6,500 and greater and also included Adel, Bondurant, Grimes and Polk City. Of the 62 cities surveyed, Indianola ranks the following (1 is the lowest and 62 highest):
Tax rate 12th
Taxes paid per capita 9th
Tax Base per capita 28th
These numbers rank very well especially considering the tax base is about 65% residential.
2. SUMERCREST HILLS PLAT/TIF: Developers plan to submit a preliminary plat and also ask for Tax Increment Finance funding to provide paving for their development. The TIF request will be on the November 1 agenda and the preliminary plat schedule is as follows:
October 1: Submittal to Development Department of preliminary plat 3 for review.
October 11: Submittal of revised preliminary plat and proposed final plat to Development Department.
October 26: Special Planning and Zoning Meeting to consider preliminary and final plat.
November 1: City Council Meeting to consider preliminary plat.
3. PROSPECT: Todd Kielkopf and I met with Tiffany Coleman (WCEDC) and Jerry Kelley (IDA) to draft an incentive package for a call center who is reviewing options to lease an existing building and employ 45 full-time equivalents with an average of $10/hr. The incentive package (packet) will be considered by council at an October or November meeting.
FYI – Tiffany resigned her position with WCEDC effective October 22.
4. IDA: Indianola Development Association will present their budget request at the joint council/trustee meeting in December. In the packet is an update of their progress.
5. W HWY 92 TRAIL: In the packet are letters of support for a trail to be part of the W Hwy 92 Improvement Project (“R” Street thru R-57) scheduled for 2013. A trail to connect Summerset and the Great Western in Martensdale has been discussed since the early stages of the Hwy 92 Project.
6. STREET REPLACEMENT PROJECT: Staff is meeting with Snyder reps on the 12th to begin dialogue on streets to be replaced in 2011. Ed Yando and Chuck Burgin have listed over 40 streets and the engineer will narrow the list to about 20 to fit our $2.5 million budget. Criteria such as core samples, traffic, curb and surface conditions will be used by the engineer to prioritize. A recommendation will be placed on the December committee agenda for review.
7. NORWALK/CARLISLE: As written previously, the meeting has been moved to October 28 at 6:00 pm in the Norwalk Library.
8. ONLINE BILLING: Billing Clerk Lindsey Offenburger reports 902 customers have signed on for online billing access. 114 receive their bills online which means there are 114 less stamps, envelopes and bills. The savings are beginning to mount.
9. ROSENBERGER TRUCK SHOP: The buffer fence was installed on Friday October 1 therefore John Hoyman did not file the municipal infraction for failure to comply with the city code. Good news!
10. CAF PARKING: The School District is working with an engineer and Chuck Burgin on the Community Athletic Facilities parking lot on South 15th. Installation is expected during the summer of 2011.
11. BALLOON MUSEUM DITCH: Work is scheduled to start next week. Traffic control is lined up for Tuesday morning and will pull the lane closure off around 3:30 or 4:00 p.m. to accommodate evening traffic. More details will be provided when available.
12. “C” STREET STUDY: Veenstra and Kimm will set traffic counters in the next couple week. A meeting will be held with Simpson, school, police and fire at the end of October.
