Creston housing gets a boost from grants and possible new projects

Housing in Creston occupied much of the city council agenda Tuesday with a grant submitted for a housing improvements, rehabilitation projects approved, the start of acquiring a nuisance property, a grant approved for work on uptown apartments, and the beginning steps of selling a vacant lot for a three-story commercial space and apartment building.

A resolution was passed to ask for $417,000 in new Community Block Development Grant funding for 10 projects including six exterior improvement and four architectural barrier projects. No city funding is required for this grant. There were 110 preapplications of which 25 applicants eventually qualified for the project, Jeremy Rounds of Southern Iowa Council of Governments said.

Bids of $27,540 from F&M Carpentry in Kellerton and $28,000 by B&S Construction from Moravia to finish up a 2017 CDBG project to rehabilitate homes in Creston were accepted.

City Administrator Mike Taylor explained that the city was accepting an alternative bid for the second project. The bid was approximately $400 higher than the lowest bid, which was from F&M Carpentry, but Taylor was concerned that the low bidder would not be able to complete both projects in a timely manner.

“We are accepting the alternative bid. ... That’s allowable per the rules the state put out,” Taylor said. “We’ve only got three months to finish this first CDBG project and we are a little concerned that if we give too much work to one contractor, he just won’t get it done. .... We feel like we need to do that or we may lose the balance of that CDBG funding.”

Property sale

A public hearing on the previously discussed sale of 701 W. Adams St. to the Union County Development Association was set for Aug. 18. If this project goes as expected, it will result in market value apartments.

Nuisance property

Mike Bruce, building/nuisance official, requested the city to allow him to start proceedings to declare the property at 600 N. Sycamore St. an unsafe an abandoned building as it has been unoccupied and had its utilities turned off since 2014. The council approved the request unanimously.

Maple Street

Addam Wall of RANT met with the council to discuss the possible purchase of the vacant lot at 120 N. Maple St. in order to build a three-story building with commercial space and 17 one- and two- bedroom apartments.

The council approved an Iowa Economic Development Association community catalyst grant received by Hot Air Brewing for up to $100,000.

Food pantry grant

Acceptance of a Community Block Development Grant of $5,000 for the Creston Area Food Pantry to use for food, personal hygiene items and refrigeration costs required the council to sign a set of six policies including equal opportunity, equal housing, prohibiting excessive force by law enforcement and a code of conduct. The resolution to accept the policies passed unanimously with no discussion.

Fireworks

The council also discussed the possible upcoming changes to the city’s firework ordinance to allow fireworks within city limits during specified dates and times. Council members reiterated their hope that a new ordinance would include methods for easier enforcement of the ordinance.

Creston Police Chief Paul VerMeer commented that although there were many reports of fireworks over the 4th of July weekend, officers were only able to write two citations because of the current stipulation that officers can only cite the person who lights the firework and therefore must see it happen.

“That’s all we could catch is two,” VerMeer said. “If you want to write one (a firework ordinance) it needs to be easy so we could charge just about anybody, landowner, person in charge, person throwing or using them.”

Council member Rich Madison submitted a spread sheet created by Creston resident Galen Ramsey that detailed more than 150 instances of fireworks, many of which were multiple firings, near the 1100 block of West Mills Street between May 15 and July 7. Technical difficulties prevented Ramsey from speaking to the council.

Discussion of the fireworks ordinance will be placed on the July 21 agenda.

In other city business:

• a public hearing was set for July 21 to discuss sidewalk seating at 301. W. Adams St.