The Panora City Council met in regular session Monday.

The meeting began with the Council holding a public hearing and approving the first reading of the amended and substituted agreement creating the Guthrie County Regional Airport Authority. The second and third readings were waived, and the Council will hold a public hearing and first reading of the ordinance establishing the tax levy for the Authority at their next meeting.

Next, the Council approved a bond purchase agreement to refinance the approximate $1 million bond that was issued for the city hall project. The Council also received water and sewer rate recommendations from Public Financial Management of Des Moines. A 3%, or an average $1.67, monthly increase for water was suggested, in addition to a $2.98 monthly increase in the availability charge to $17.50 per month and a 5%, or an average $.55 increase for the sewer rate. The Council will take action on the rates at their March 11th meeting, and the Council also set March 11th for the public hearing to present their fiscal year 2020 budget.

Finally, the Council approved a new 28E agreement with a $20 quarterly per capita fee for the Transfer Station, a $4 increase, which City Administrator Lisa Grossman says the City expects to absorb that increase, for the first year of the agreement. The Council also approved levying assessments to three property owners for the sidewalk program and approved an interfund transfer for special assessments collected to debt service.