The Perry City Council met in regular session on Monday.
The meeting began with honoring Perry Fire Chief Grason Hill, who was presented with the Rotary Club’s Civil Servant of the Year for 2024. Club President Kevin Vidergar spoke about Hill’s commitment to always putting his life on the line for residents, as he just completed his first year as the chief. Hill then thanked the community for their support and said that he was surprised to win the award. Also, Josh Shields from Bolton and Menk discussed that they’re working with the city on PerryNext’s Strategic Plan to navigate forward with school safety measures, housing needs, and backing businesses.
Items on the agenda that were approved included a resolution for a purchase agreement with for the sale of city owned property in the 2500 block of Lucinda Street and a development agreement with Michael Hupp in the amount of $16,000; a second resolution for a purchase agreement with the sale of a city owned property in the 1900 block of West 4th Street and a development agreement with JC and JC Homes LLC for $7,000; a resolution to adopt the annual budget for fiscal year ending on June 30th, 2026, a contract number of $9,080 for the CDBG Upper Story Housing Conversion Grant, and a resolution for an agreement addendum to the General Aviation Vertical Infrastructure Airport Program to put grant funds towards a new structure as well as acquiring a Construction Manager at Risk. At-Large Chuck Schott was opposed to the resolution after expressing concerns about not building on the existing structure.
Additional approved items on the agenda featured a pay application for the Wastewater Treatment Facility improvements in the amount of $53,820, a pay application for the Frog Creek Restoration project for $86,461.87, a resolution to accept the insurance administration contracts and renewing the “Blue Choice” insurance plan with Wellmark Iowa Governmental Health Care Plan for a .26 percent increase from the current rate, a resolution to accept the group dental and vision insurance renewal with Principal Life Insurance for a 6.8 percent increase, and a resolution for a renewal of The Hartford Insurance Policy for Group Term Life and Long Term Disability Benefits for a 32.07 percent increase for the long term and no cost for the group term.
More items on the agenda that were approved related to a resolution to accept the application of A.D.R. Axles USA Incorporated to build its North American headquarters in Perry, Iowa with a facility that is 54,000 square feet that represents a $14.3 million capital investment that will seek to create 35 jobs, a resolution to authorize the submission of an application for the Iowa Department of Transportation Airport funding and certifying eligibility requirements for $121,500 for site improvements as well as $64,278.95 for the hangars building, and a resolution to accept Salomon Ochoa Rivera’s application to join the Perry Volunteer Fire Department.
The council also had first readings on two ordinances with one adding subsection to chapter 96 for building sewers and connections, plus interceptors to be required, while the second was for creating chapter 116 for the Perry Municipal Airport to have specific standards and rules to abide by. The second readings will be on the next meeting agenda in May.
