Friday, February 17, 2012

News Items - February 21, 2012

1. Brush Facility: Roxanne Hunerdosse is recommending the brush facility fees remain the same for the 2011 season which will begin April 5 and end November 18 (memo attached).

2. Bond Schedule: The 2012A (Wellness Center) and 2012B (streets, ambulance, jet/vac truck, J&K realignment and water slide) and street assessment schedule is below:

Feb 21st Adopt assessment policy and Public Hearing on 2012B Bonds
March 5th Initiate 2012 Street Replacement Project
March 19th Direct Advertisement for 2012A and 2012B Bonds
Approve Preliminary Official Statement
April 2nd Hearing on Resolution of Necessity for Street Project
Order Plans, Specs, Bidding
Sale and Award of 2012A & 2012B bonds
April 16th Authorize Issuance on 2012A & 2012B Bonds
May 1st Close and Delivery of 2012A & 2012B Bonds

Please let me know if you have any questions.

3. Holiday: City offices will be closed Monday in recognition of President’s Day.

Friday, February 3, 2012

News Items _ February 6, 2012

1. YMCA: In the packet is a letter from SVPA’s Vitus Bering indicating that their architectural fee will increase from $765,000 to $882,650 given the construction budget of $12.7 million. That brings the total to $14,817,650. The city can issue up to $12.5 million per the March 1, 2010 referendum.

The next Vision Iowa meeting is February 15.

2. ELECTRIC LINE UNDERGROUND: According to General Manager Todd Kielkopf, Dig America has requested to start the Highway 65/69 project ASAP and P&E Engineering is preparing the official notice to proceed. The project will start at the corner of Country Club & West Iowa and will proceed eastward along Iowa Ave. There won’t be any services converted (feeders only) until it gets closer to the highway so only the rights-of-way will be disturbed during this initial phase. The schedule is to hang customer notices this week (door knockers), staking next week, and then starting to bore the next (all based on favorable forecasts).

3. W HWY 92: The IDOT Project Management Team meeting has been moved to February 28 in Ames. Project updates for the improvement from the Fairgrounds west to R-57 will be provided and discussed. That information will be shared with elected officials.

4. SRF/WATER QUALITY PROJECT: A third meeting was held on the 31st to discuss water quality projects (drainage improvement, water gardens, permeable paving) that can be funded with the interest on a Sanitary Sewer State Revolving Loan Fund (SRF) Project and the consensus was that those projects with sanitary sewer benefit could qualify. In addition, the attorneys were to work on language that clarifies the ability to issue sanitary sewer debt and use the interest for water quality projects.

If the language is changed, interest that “would” be paid to the SRF can instead be used for water quality projects. In short, water quality projects would cost nothing to our citizens.

5. SUSTAINABLE EVENT: In your packet is a memo from the Sustainability Committee requesting $500 in funds for their annual April 2012 event. I have authorized the request.