The Jefferson City Council met Tuesday night in regular session.

The meeting started with a requested nuisance hearing for Eric and Jill Johnson that live at 401 West Lincoln Way. They were cited for not being compliant with having a shed in the driveway, one vehicle that was viewed as a junk vehicle, along with a topper and a golf cart. Jill said she was caught off guard with the nuisance notification and said the vehicle is licensed and registered and is functioning. She also said the shed was on skids. The Council tabled the hearing and will send the matter to the housing committee for review and Mayor Matt Gordon said he hoped to find a compromise.

The Council then approved a resolution waiving the right to review a plat of survey for Rita Dunivan and wanted to subdivide a property that was within two miles of being outside of the city limits. The Council also approved the first reading and waived the second and third readings for final adoption of amending the floodplain ordinance after a public hearing, as presented and required by the Iowa Department of Natural Resources. They also approved the first reading to amend an ordinance to have the customer pay for time and materials for a water service line that is more than one inch from the water main to the curb shutoff, due to the exceedingly high cost for the city to install it. The city would then maintain the service line after installation. 

Following a discussion with residents and council members about the proposed changes to camper, recreational vehicle, boat and trailer parking on private properties; along with zero lot line zoning, front yard setback for infill lots, and fencing regulations, the Council decided to send the matter to the housing committee for further public input and review. 

Additionally, the Council approved to remove no parking hash marks on the east and west sides of South Vine Street, adjacent to Monroe Street and create that area with angled parking. The Council also approved a policy for issuing solicitors licenses as presented, the first change order for the airport hangar project of over $48,000 to add a roll-up door and taxiway paving from a recent Iowa Department of Transportation grant, changing to an influent line for the Wastewater Treatment Plant Improvement Project of between $35,000-$40,000 to replace 100-feet of drainage pipe, and two engineering contract amendments of $6,000 from the Russell Street Water Main Improvement Project and $10,500 from the City Hall Entrance Improvement Project. 

They also approved two asphalt overlay projects, including on Grimmell Road from Monroe Street to Lincoln Way for $48,790 and the city-owned parking lot north of the Jefferson Elks Lodge for $21,594. Both projects are to be done by Blacktop Service Company. 

The Council then heard an update on the Kading Properties housing project in the Greene County Development Corporation East Business Park along Gallup Road. Council member Harry Ahrenholtz said Kading Properties is asking from the city for a ten year tax abatement, building an access road from Gallup to their property line, as well as extending utilities to their property line and hooking a retention pond into the city’s system once it is built. The total cost of the project from the city is $1.3 million and Ahrenholtz said based on the 20 year evaluation they did, he added this would be a positive project for the city in the long run. Residents and other landlords voiced concerns such as the need for 150-200 rental units, looking at the city’s current vacancy rate of available apartments, and giving away too much in property taxes. No action was taken by the Council since it was just an update on the project.