Kalona revitalization project has $2.6 million price tag

By Mary Zielinski
The Kalona City Council hopes to finance the estimated $2.6 million downtown revitalization project with $1.1 million from Kalona itself, $1 million from a possible Washington County Riverboat Foundation (WCRF) grant and $500,000 in a Vision Iowa (VI) grant. The council Monday discussed the plan for which it previously approved applying to the WCRF and VI. Application deadline for the fall WCRF grant cycle is 5 p.m. Friday, October 9.
Council member Ken Herington said that some of the city funds will be from road use, TIF, and local option sales tax revenues. A first stage of the plan is to address infrastructure needs, especially drainage and sewers.
Herington added that the welcome (or gateway entrance) signs will not be installed until next spring, making them part of the grant application package. He added that all the WCRF municipal allocations to Kalona (which since inception now exceed $400,000) will “all be used” for the project.
Herington noted that grant funds cannot be used to pay for engineering or architectural fees.
Plans include having benches, trash receptacles and planters which could be done by MaxCast in Kalona. Herington said, “We will do as much locally as possible.”

In other business, the council:

• heard from resident Dwight Schumann about drainage problems on D Avenue from Highway 1 east to the creek. Schumann and other residents on the street have had numerous water problems, including seepage into basements and he also asked the city if it could do something about the issue. Suggestions included curbs and gutters, dredging the ditch and extending drainage tubes. Schumann said that much of the problem appears to be because the road is higher than the adjacent properties;
• approved payment No. 11 in the amount of 418,525 to C. L. Carroll for the 6th Street lift station project;
• approved a resolution accepting public improvements regarding the 10th Street and F Avenue paving project done by All-American Concrete Inc.;
• learned that work will start this week on the Community Center repairs (roofing and re-siding);
• learned that a water main broke on Highway 22 Sunday at 1:30 a.m. and has been repaired;
• learned that the municipal pool has “a clean bill of health” and that some long-term issues are “being worked on”, said City Administrator Ryan Schlabaugh. He said that the meeting with Jeff Thomann, Lori Swan and Jeanine Wolf of the county Environmental Health Department went well, adding there were no violations, only some recommendations which will be discussed and considered by the Park Board next week. There also is the possibility of having a concession area at the pool which could be handled by regular staff;
• learned that campground revenues for September 21 to October 2 were $2,600, an increase;
• learned that the Amish run bakery, Golden Delight, would like to connect with the city’s water/sewer infrastructure. They are within the city’s two-mile jurisdiction. The request came after the business had problems with its well failing. The city will consider the issue;
• were asked by Public Works Director Mike Bowlin to consider major upgrades to the city’s maintenance building especially to provide needed storage space and maintenance for the city equipment. Plans would include replacing the dirt floor with concrete. Bowling noted “It is a dirt floor and is treated like dirt,” noting that things are dropped on it and left there. He also asked that the building be weatherized and bird proofed since bird droppings regularly land all over the vehicles and other equipment. Estimated cost is $68,981 and the council authorized Bowlin to work with Schlabaugh on final bids and plans. Council member Dave Bentley said that the addition of a mezzanine in the building would require the services of a structural engineer; and
• approved Thursday, October 29, as Trick or Treat Night. It is the same night the Optimists Club holds its annual Halloween Party.