The Jefferson City Council met Tuesday night in regular session.
During open forum, resident Bruce Bannister addressed the Council about his neighbor Eric Crystal and complained about his nuisance property. Bannister said nuisance issues have been going on for five years and asked why the city hasn’t enforced the nuisance property ordinance violations and removed those items. City Building Official Chad Stevens pointed out he is working with Crystal to remove items from the property and will be sending a letter through certified mail to further address the issues. Council member Darren Jackson asked to have a formalized procedure for these issues to have due process before the city can forcibly remove items from a nuisance property.
The Council then approved the second reading for two amended ordinances to increase water rates to five percent to begin later this year, and sewer rates to 11 percent to begin at the start of the next fiscal year on July 1st. They also approved the first reading to amend an ordinance to increase the landfill fees to $3 and solid waste rates to $12.50 for the remainder of this year and have an annual increase of $0.25 for each of the next four fiscal years.
The Council also approved a $104,261 bid from Westbrooke Construction of Urbandale to install one family restroom and replace the cabinets in the lifeguard office of the swimming pool, which will be paid through hotel/motel tax revenue. Additionally, the Council approved a change order of -$11,953, the final pay estimate of $74,440 and a resolution for final completion of the runway extension project at the municipal airport. Next, the Council approved the first pay estimate of $117,352 for the Russell Street water main improvement project, writing off $16,647 of bad debt from 2010-11 and an administrative contract with Region XII Council of Governments for a Community Development Block Grant application for two upper story apartments at 100 East State Street.
Finally, during the report from Jefferson Matters: A Main Street and Chamber Community that director Beth Vander Wilt has taken a leave of absence until further notice.