Due to Presidents Day on Monday, the Perry City Council met in regular session on Tuesday.

According to Marketing and Engagement Coordinator Chris Cohea, two related public hearings were held with one as a proposal to vacate streets in Perry and the other on the intent to dispose of public property by sale. He noted that Housing and Development Manager Molly Milosevich discussed the proposed street vacation as a portion of Rawson Street east of 1st Street and west of 2nd Street, along with the south portion of the alley that runs between 1st and 2nd Streets. He mentioned that the parcels are owned by VanKirk Storage LLC, and that the city’s intent was to dispose of the public right-of-way by sale to the adjourning property owner. 

Cohea said that a resident spoke during the hearing to inform the council that she didn’t receive a letter in the mail detailing that this process was happening, but that she wasn’t upset and was in favor of the proposal. Following the hearings, an ordinance was passed to vacate the portion of the aforementioned roadways in the City of Perry, requiring a second reading at the next meeting on March 3rd.

A third public hearing was held on a proposed franchise agreement of chapter 110 of the Code of Ordinances by approving a 25 year non-exclusive natural gas supply, operation and maintenance franchise with MidAmerican Energy, along with establishing a franchise fee of four percent, which was a a two percent increase from the current agreement. Cohea confirmed that following the hearing the council approved the first reading to amend the ordinance ordinance.

Cohea said additional items on the agenda that the council approved included a resolution for a purchase agreement for the sale of a property located at 1624 West 2nd Street between the City of Perry and Randy Dawson, a Community Development Block Grant for the Upper Story Housing Conversion contract in the amount of $44,160, a resolution of notice and intent to dispose of abandoned and unused and outdated property by the Perry Police Department, a resolution for a memorandum of understanding with the Heart of America Foundation for a “Mini-Pitch” Court to be installed at Pattee Park, and authorizing the submittal of a Transportation Alternatives Set-Aside Program Grant application to the Central Iowa Regional Transportation Planning Alliance.

Finally, the council also set public hearings on two proposed zoning ordinance amendments for Chapter 23 and 165 for the March 17th meeting.