Jefferson council OKs new animal shelter board, approves Lincoln Way construction

By Rick Morain
Jefferson Herald

The new Greene County Animal Shelter has found its leaders.
The Jefferson city council March 14 approved a seven-member animal shelter board that will govern the new $1.1 million, 3,000 square foot shelter located on the northwest edge of Jefferson. Members and the groups they represent are as follows:
Ann Wenthold, PAWS; Jason Kroger, law enforcement; Laura Snider, Greene County; Darren Jackson, city council member; Amy Klauber, veterinarian; Samantha Hardaway and Bonnie Silbaugh, at large members. Wenthold and Snider were appointed by the groups they represent; the other five members were recommended by Mayor Matt Gordon.

CITY BUDGET ESTABLISHED
The council also approved the city’s budget for fiscal year 2023-24, which begins July 1.
The budget calls for total general fund expenditures next fiscal year of $3,262,204, a decrease of  $41,480 or about 1.2 percent from the comparable $3,303,684 for the current fiscal year.
Next fiscal year’s property levy rate for the city budget is pegged at $15.25 per thousand dollars of taxable property, a decrease of seven cents or about one-half of one percent from the current year’s $15.32 levy rate.
Approval followed a public hearing on the proposed budget, with no oral or written comments received.

LINCOLN WAY CONSTRUCTION
A contract with Fort Dodge Asphalt was approved for the resurfacing of Lincoln Way from Elm Street (Highway 4) west to Grimmell Road, a distance of about seven blocks. Four estimates were received, with Fort Dodge Asphalt filing the lowest at $160,942.92.
The cost will be paid with funds from local option sales and service tax. Plans call for the project to be completed before the RAGBRAI bicycle route comes through Jefferson on Lincoln Way on Tuesday, July 25.
    
MORE DOWNTOWN APARTMENTS
The council, by resolution, approved a Community Development Block Grant contract for $453,071 between the Iowa Economic Development Authority and the city of Jefferson. The state grant will create two apartments above the building at 100 East State Street, the Centennial building that houses The Centennial restaurant on its first floor.

PAYMENTS
• Pay Estimate No. One to Accujet LLC in the amount of $55,653.20 for sanitary sewer lining was approved. The partial payment is for work completed through Feb. 25. Total cost of the project is $335,835. City staff members have completed several spot repairs on sewer segments so those segments can be lined properly.
• The council approved Pay Estimate No. One to Shank Constructors Inc. in the amount of $671,313.70 for the wastewater treatment plant upgrade. It was the first of 25 or 30 pay estimates for the project.
• The purchase of equipment to upgrade the audio system in downtown Jefferson was also approved. The city and county worked together to replace the existing equipment. Cost of the new equipment is $22,460.86. It will be funded with monies received from Grow Greene County Gaming Corporation.
The council meets regularly the second and fourth Tuesdays of every month in the council chambers on second floor of city hall.