OTTUMWA —
In the next two years, the city will fund $5.2 million in capital improvements projects throughout Ottumwa.
The City Council approved the 2013-14 Capital Improvements Projects plan at their Tuesday night meeting.
The 28 projects total more than $9.8 million, though nearly half of that will be funded through other sources, including grants, Tax Increment Financing (TIF) districts and Local Option Sales Tax.
“It will be paid out of several different sources,” said Finance Director Bob Jay. “A small amount out of Airport TIF, another out of Westgate TIF and the balance out of the debt service. With that in mind, the debt service levy is predicted to be on track with the current levy.”
CIP plans normally settle with the city funding around $3 million, Jay said, but with good interest rates this year, the city shot for more.
“In 2008, we did a four to five year issue ... when we were considering buying a fire truck and thought we were going to get a grant, but that didn’t materialize,” Jay said.
Jay said he looked at the cash flow so it’s spread out while looking down the road at future CIP plans, “so we don’t consume all the tax levy we have for that.”
“It is a large issue, but our sources of funding are varied and the repayment period of those are varied, so we’ll try to stretch this out where it’s not impeding our future projects, but also not hitting everything all at once real hard,” Jay said.
Jay told the council to keep in mind that when they go to market for the bond, if rates are the same he’ll go with this request, otherwise, “we may come back and pare some of these off a little bit.”
The biggest chunk of the plan includes 11 street and bridge projects over the next two years, which total nearly $7.4 million, half of which will be funded through outside sources.
Quincy Avenue, “one of the most traveled streets and heaviest arteries in town,” Morgan said, will be reconstructed from Albia Road to U.S. Highway 34 and from U.S. Highway 34 to city limits.
Bridges won’t be ignored either, with the Market Street Bridge receiving a long-awaited $3.2 million overhaul and the Eisenhower Pedestrian Bridge seeing $220,000 in repairs.
The city will only have to fund $700,000 of the $3.2 million Market Street Bridge project, with the rest coming from Westgate TIF.
Councilman Brian Morgan also noted that the upgrade of police radio equipment and update of the outdoor warning system are key to public safety.
“That’s a $196,000 project that’s only costing us $60,000,” Morgan said, since the remaining balance will come from E-911 and a JAG grant.
Other projects include Marilyn Road, Maple Street, Church Street reconstruction, Jefferson Street viaduct and a new HVAC system at the Beach Ottumwa.
The council also approved:
• A new Subway restaurant at the former Kum & Go at 1108 N. Quincy Ave.
• A request for a special election regarding the 1 percent Local Option Sales Tax in Eldon, which failed by two votes during the general election.
• The installation of six traffic loops at Iowa Avenue and U.S. Highway 34, replacing the six loops which don’t function correctly. Currently, the traffic light changes on a set interval regardless if cars are not present.
Ottumwa
Capital improvements projects to include $7.4 million in street repairs
- Ottumwa
-
-
Barber shows no signs of cutting career short
OTTUMWA -- Darrell Smith's hands are steady and sure as he picks up his clippers and straight razor to begin his first haircut and shave of the day. Smith, 88, has cut hair for 62 years and has owned Smitty's Barber Shop on Albia Road for the past 58
- Roaring winds Southeast Iowa in clean-up mode after storm passes through OTTUMWA — Work crews in and around Wapello County put in a lot of hours. And they were ready to do it again. “We had the storms roll through there last night,” said Ryan Stensland, a spokesman for Alliant Energy. “Down in southeast part of the state,
-
Flood debris removal up for consideration
OTTUMWA — A month after heavy rainfall caused rivers and streams to flood Ottumwa streets and homes, the city council will solidify a plan to remove the debris left behind. At the council's meeting tonight, members will consider awarding the $12,500
-
Reviving downtown's upper stories
Building by building, the upper stories of downtown Ottumwa are coming back to life after some have sat empty for half a century.
- Expanding Ottumwa's trail system OTTUMWA — The Market Street Bridge is a major link in connecting Ottumwa's north side to its south side. The seventh annual Wapello County Trails Council mediathon kicked off Saturday morning with volunteers on the phones taking pledges from the comm
-
Searching for the perfect book
A steady stream of people snatched up books, magazines, DVDs and more at the annual Pages for Pennies book sale at Bridge View Center this weekend.
-
Staff eager for swimmers Beach Ottumwa improvements
OTTUMWA — When kids talk about the last weeks of school, one subject that often comes up is The Beach Ottumwa. It'll be ready soon, said employees. On Friday, the maintenance staff was installing the fountain heads that shoot water straight up at the
- Mixed reactions to tax reduction OTTUMWA — During past public forums in Ottumwa, Sen. Mark Chelgren, R-Ottumwa, told voters the state should follow its own laws and make taxes equal across the board. This week, legislators in Des Moines took a first step toward that goal, which is a
-
New sports store coming to mall
OTTUMWA — A new tenant is coming to Quincy Place Mall. Lexington Realty International announced Friday afternoon the mall's newest tenant, MC Sports. Construction has already begun, and the store is anticipated to open just in time for back-to-school
- Wellness challenge asks people to live healthy OTTUMWA — Are you ready for the Live Healthy Iowa 10-Week Wellness Challenge? Some of the city employees joined Live Healthy Iowa, and Jody Gates, the city's health director, was captain of one of the two teams of about a dozen people. "Our goals for
- More Ottumwa Headlines
-
