Council divvies up budget funds

BY CINDY TOOPES COURIER STAFF WRITER

July 09, 2009 11:10 pm

— OTTUMWA — The city has numerous projects to handle daily and that usually means spending taxpayers’ money.
How much money? For what projects? The complete list and totals are too long to print here but a glance at the July 7 City Council meeting might give you a good idea.
At Tuesday’s meeting, the council approved setting a meeting to reallocate unspent bond proceeds from the $430,000 Series B Notes. From those notes $160,000 was allocated for The Beach Ottumwa parking lot and $101,252 was spent to complete that project.
City staff recommended the remaining $58,748 be used for urban renewal projects within the Westgate Urban Renewal Area’s Park Project Fund. That fund includes the kids’ play area at The Beach.
Public Works Director Larry Seals requested a public hearing on spending $7,018 of the $40,000 earmarked for the electromagnetic flow meter project. The meter itself costs $7,018 and most likely the rest will be spent on installing the meter, which will include labor, materials and necessary equipment.
The council also approved:
• Dues of $5,814 for the Iowa League of Cities membership (2009-10). City Administrator Joe Helfenberger said there is $5,700 in the budget for dues and the remaining $114 “will be absorbed within the administration budget.”
• Spending $24,720 for a 4WD compact tractor with 72-inch mower deck for Ottumwa Regional Airport. In the 2008-09 budget, the city had budgeted $26,000 for this item.
• An $18,945 contract for demolishing three properties.
• The $548,712 contract for the Water Pollution Control Facility’s biosolids storage facility expansion.
• Spending $9,999.60 for a membership in and financial support of the Area 15 Regional Planning Commission for 2009-10.
The items above total $775,208.60.
Thanks to grants, the city does receive funds that don’t come from taxpayers. At Tuesday’s meeting the council conducted a public hearing on the plans, specifications, contract and cost for the Ottumwanoc Tribal Trail Connection (John Deere Loop Segment 4).
The city had applied for and received a REAP Grant through the Iowa Department of Natural Resources, which will provide 100 percent of development costs up to a maximum amount of $150,000. No match money is required from the city.
Cindy Toopes can be reached at (641) 683-5376 or via e-mail at cindy@ottumwacourier.com.