The Jefferson City Council met last night in regular session.

The Council set February 24th’s meeting for a public hearing to amend the Urban Renewal Plan to allow for $215,000 of additional tax increment financing for Cobblestone Hotel’s already approved $800,000 of TIF funds.  Another public hearing will be on that same date for a development agreement with Jefferson Hotel Group, LLC.  City Administrator Mike Palmer says anytime the City makes an agreement with a private organization, they usually enter into an agreement with its investment group which in this case is Jefferson Hotel Group for Cobblestone Hotel.

Palmer describes some of the details of the agreement that the Council will consider at the February 24th meeting.

“One of the key points is might guarantee how much tax they’re going to pay over a certain amount of time.  Another area will be how many jobs they’re going to create (and) what the facility is going to look like.  Again, we said the (swimming) pool is an important feature, we want to make sure that’s in there.”

That same meeting will be another public hearing about the the 2015 Water and Sanitary Sewer Improvement projects.  The first one will be extending sewer service to the Wild Rose Jefferson facility and the other project is to extend water and sewer to two Greene County Development Corporation lots on Gallup Road.

Other items the Council approved included updating the City’s zoning map due to six reclassification changes and setting the budget workshop for Tuesday, February 3rd at 5:30pm.

The Council also denied a request to build a home at 507 South Locust Street due to the bid being too high.

Finally, Dave Diderickson requested the Council to come to a kick-off event for The Bully Project.  He wants to certify Greene County to be officially part of the national anti-bullying organization for Iowa.  The kick-off event will be on February 21st.