City council addresses old business
By TYLER ELLYSON — CNA staff reporter tellyson@crestonnews.com
Creston City Council took time to clean up past issues at its regular meeting Tuesday night.
Two previous oversights were on the light agenda.
A public hearing on a development agreement with Assisted Living of Creston LLC, has been set for 6 p.m. Nov. 17.
City Administrator Mike Taylor said this agreement is needed because there were no commercial abatements allowed in the area developed by Assisted Living of Creston at the time construction began. He added that talk among the mayor and city council at that time involved giving the company an incentive to build the Prairie View Assisted Living facility.
“We can’t give a tax abatement because we don’t have it in our ordinance to allow that,” said Taylor. “This is to allow the city to rebate tax to the developer as their incentive.”
Approximately $147,847 in economic development grants would be paid to Assisted Living of Creston over the next six years.
Councilman Larry Wynn solely opposed establishing the public hearing.
Water works
A second oversight involved Creston Water Works Board of Trustees pay.
In 2005, Creston Water Works Board of Trustees approved stipends for themselves to begin April 1, 2005. These stipends included $75 per meeting for the chairman, $50 per meeting for other board members and $25 per member for each special meeting attended.
While board of trustees members have been receiving the stipends, they were never approved by Creston City Council.
“The water board wasn’t aware it had to be done according to city ordinance,” said Mayor Warren Woods.
Woods said city attorney Arnold O. “Skip” Kenyon III recommended the council approve the oversight by resolution, making all payments made from April 1, 2005, until now valid.
Councilwoman Betty Shelton voted against the resolution.
In other business, the board:
• Appointed Katie Strider to the Creston Airport Commission with term expiring Nov. 13, 2015.
• Unanimously opposed an application for commercial tax abatement for Country Hearts Design LLC. Owner Kay Wagner made $9,902 in improvements to her building, but the council didn’t believe it was substantial enough to pass the city’s tax abatement ordinance, which requires a 15 percent assessment increase.
• Set a public hearing for 6 p.m. Nov. 17 to address an easement request at 202 N. Elm St. Video Escape owner Alan Lorenz would like to install a video drop box and two advertising flags on the city right of way at the property.
• Approved a temporary street closing for parking spaces located in front of Iowa State Savings Bank during the annual Christmas Parade Dec. 3.
• Approved a contract with Kone Inc. for an annual hydraulic elevator safety test inspection at Gibson Memorial Library.
• Assessed mowing nuisance abatement charges because of non-payment by property owners to five properties — 310 N. Mulberry St., 501 N. Walnut St., 606 S. Elm St., 411 1/2 N. Walnut St. and 209 S. Maple St.
