Published: August 26, 2008 09:53 am      

Council to reconsider Manufacturing Drive project

CLINTON — The Clinton City Council could re-approve a $1 million Manufacturing Drive Paving Project and include $160,000 for a stop light to be installed at Valley West Drive.

The council first approved the project award on Aug. 12 following a public hearing concerning the plans, specifications, form of contract and estimate of cost for the Manufacturing Drive Paving Project, but voted 4 to 2 on an amendment to remove the $160,000 included for Valley West Drive signalization.

The project was awarded to Clinton Engineering Co. at $1.07 million by a vote of 5 to 1 with At-Large Councilman Ron Mallicoat voting no.

After the vote on Aug. 12, local Realtor Dan Jefferies advised the council that he thought the intersection will be very busy soon and commented that traveling east and attempting to turn left may become difficult.

Mallicoat remarked the council made a bad decision by taking out the $160,000 traffic light option without considering all the factors involved and urged that if the matter was discussed further, the council be allowed to re-vote on the project and amendment.

City Administrator Gary Boden said one of the council members who voted in the majority would have to ask the measure be reintroduced.

but said typically, approximately one-third of properties raise in value, one-third of properties lower in value and one-third of properties remain constant in value.

At tonight’s council meeting at 7 p.m. in City Hall Council Chambers, the council will return to the resolution for further discussion of traffic signalization and potentially rescind the previous resolution. A new resolution would award the contract including alternate number one for the installation of stop lights at Valley West Drive and Manufacturing Drive. If approved, the project would cost a total of $1,232,072.

Later in the agenda, the council could approve a motion to take a resolution approving a two-year extension of the Harding School building contract reversion from the table and consider the resolution. On Aug. 12, the council voted 6 to 0 to table approval of the resolution that would have authorized a two-year extension on the agreement between the city and the Clinton School District on the Harding Elementary School, 1401 12th Ave. North, and adjacent property. The original five-year agreement, set to revert March 16, 2009, allowed the city to purchase the building for $1 and investigate the possibility of renovating it for use as a public library. The council could approve the resolution extending the agreement by two years at tonight’s meeting.

Up for its second and third consideration is a city ordinance amendment that would add a new section establishing camping time limits for Willow Island. The amended ordinance would authorize the city to restrict camping up to a maximum of five days during any 15-consecutive-day period on Willow Island, restrict people from camping within 100 feet of the Discovery Trail or the gazebo on Willow Island, ban camping on Joyce Island and authorize the city to enforce the restrictions. The city already has amended a lease agreement with the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers to provide for the restrictions. The first consideration of the ordinance amendment was approved by the council on Aug. 12.

The council will consider three resolutions amending Iowa Great Places Agreements regarding the public art project, public beach project and the disc golf project. Two of the resolutions would approve the transfer of $8,000 from the public art project to the public beach project for the installation of 22 light fixtures. The disc golf project agreement amendment includes a new completion date of Oct. 31, as similarly amended in the public beach project agreement.

The council also will consider motions and resolutions:

• approving the hiring of the law firm of Hall and Associates of Washington, D.C., to provide legal services related to the Iowa Department of Natural Resources and the United States Environmental Protection Agency enforcement of regulatory compliance;

• approving the purchase of 338 Eighth Ave. South from Go-Tane Service Stations, Inc. for $127,260;

• authorizing and providing for the issuance of $6,270,000 general obligation bonds, series 2008A, and levying a tax to pay said bonds;

• approving Bankers Trust Company, N.S. of Des Moines to serve as paying agent, bond registrar and transfer agent, approving the paying agent and bond registrar and transfer agent agreement and authorizing execution of the agreement;

• approving exclusive use of the Alliant Energy Field ballpark parking lot west of the stadium by the Clinton LumberKings for July 4 and 5, 2009, for regularly scheduled games that coincide with the annual Riverboat Days celebration;

• amending the 28E Agreement with the Iowa Department of Natural Resources by reducing the number of transient boat slips from 50 to 30;

• to approve and place on file the form of Tax Exemption Certificate;

• to approve and place on file the Continuing Disclosure Certificate; and

• to accept the donation of a steel walkway bridge with handrails and a 130-foot by 50-foot double raked deck barge from Celebration River Cruises for use to disembark and load passengers at a dock site downstream of the Amenities Building.