City administrator Chris Nosbisch gave an update on the projects for the city in the foreseeable future at Lester Buresh Family Community Wellness Center’s adult speaker series.
Nosbisch reminded citizens that the city will be raising the levy rate for the second year in a row, with an ultimate goal of $13.50 per $1,000. That is after the city increased the levy rate last year from it’s longstanding $12.99 per $1,000.
“That levy rate was just getting harder to work with for some of the improvements the city needs to make,” Nosbisch said.
Nosbisch knows property valuations were made last year, with many residences seeing an increase in value.
“Those housing valuations have nothing to do with the city, though,” Nosbisch said. “Those reassessments are done by the county and state.”
Tax reform has been mentioned by the state as an area that may need to be pursued. While the city’s valuation grew by 8.8 percent in value, with property tax rollbacks, the city saw 1.5 percent less from the state last year.
Projects upcoming include the downtown streetscape project, the Hwy. 1 road construction project and improvements to the pool.
Nosbisch said JEO Consulting will be conducting the streetscape project, and there will be several sessions for input from property owners and businesses impacted in the streetscape.
“We expect the study to give us the Taj Mahal [highest cost] and the barebones options,” Nosbisch said. “I expect any action we take will be somewhere in the middle of the options presented.”
Nosbisch said that the study was needed as many bricks are starting to settle and create tripping hazards along the sidewalks, and other infrastructure improvements are needed.
That project will likely be staggered with the other road construction project – the Highway 1 improvements that the Iowa Department of Transportation is looking to complete in 2027. The city will be responsible for engineering the project, which will amount to roughly $500,000. Iowa DOT will be responsible for $5 to $6 million.
Nosbisch said the project will likely be completed in two phases – one from the roundabout to south of First Street, and the other north of First Street to the railroad.
The pool improvements are looking like $1.5 million to $2 million for renovations to the existing facility. Without a significant donation to help the new aquatic center construction, it will be at least a decade before that $12 to $13 million project could be funded. The improvements to the existing pool will extend that pool’s life.
The city water radio meter read project is still moving forward, and Nosbisch said it will be a huge positive for the community, especially in letting residents know when they have service that is above their regular usage. As part of the project, they will also be looking to determine if lead fittings and pipes are used at a residence and noting those for replacement, part of the federal guidelines.
There will be another phase to the wastewater treatment plant completed in 2026 to 2027, required by the Iowa Department of Natural Resources.
“That’s a project many will not see, but is required to be completed,” Nosbisch said.
Work on the police station is wrapping up the first phase.
Questions from attendees concerned a chance for noise control signs from the highway, especially for the use of airbrakes on semis.
Nosbisch said most of those are unenforceable. While the city could put signs up discouraging those uses, it would be hard for law enforcement to locate people who did that.
An attendee asked about the area north of the bypass along Highway 1, if there were any plans for further development in that area. Nosbisch said likely a convenience store may end up in some of that area. A department store had looked into building along Business 30 bypass area but was unwilling to meet the design guidelines established by the city.
An attendee asked about the fiberoptic lines coming through town, if the contractors had to let citizens know those are happening. Nosbisch said no, the city is informed of the work, but there is no obligation for contractors to let citizens know.
“Some companies are better than others at communicating, however,” Nosbisch said.
The wayfinding signage efforts will most likely be tabled until after the improvements to Hwy. 1 and the streetscape project are now completed.
Nosbisch said his guiding principle has always been complacency is the killer of many communities.
“You see it all the time in other communities where they can’t find people willing to run for school boards or city councils,” Nosbisch said. “That’s usually when things start going south for those communities is when they can’t find those people willing to help in those areas.”