County pulls east side of 227th Street paving work

The Jefferson County Board of Supervisors voted this morning to remove the 1,320 feet of 227th Street east of Highway 1 from the proposed special assessment project.

A resolution to proceed with paving Grimes Avenue west of Brookville Road and 930 feet of 227th Street west of Highway 1 was unanimously approved. As was a resolution directing French-Reneker-Associates Inc. to proceed with preparing plans and specifications for bidders.

The Fairfield City Council still must act on the resolutions regarding 227th Street. AmericInn developers will fund 100 percent of the city?s portion of paving 227th Street along the hotel?s property per a tax increment financing agreement.

Within the county?s jurisdiction, expense of the project is to be split 25-75, with property owners assessed 75 percent of the cost according to a formula based on frontage and distance from the roadway.

Fairfield Economic Development Association Executive Director Tracy Vance said, ?There?s been an agreement reached between the affected landowner and the hotel. ? It?s a private matter between those two.?

Bill Haines of 2118 227th St. had objected to the project at a joint public hearing held Feb. 13.

Jeannie Belgarde, owner of CR Quilts at 2255 Highway 1 South, also objected to the project at that time, prompting the board to rethink inclusion of the eastern section of 227th Street. Supervisors Dick Reed and Lee Dimmitt have said the Iowa Department of Transportation should be accountable for the damage its trucks have caused on the roadway since constructing a new maintenance office there.

An unaffected rural property owner questioned this morning the county?s ability to assess any property for paving projects. He was afraid the county could hand him a bill at any time.

?Counties don?t do it very often,? supervisor Steve Burgmeier answered. He referenced the board?s decision to eliminate 227th Street east from the project, saying the board looks for willing participants to proceed.

?We aren?t cramming it down anybody?s throat,? Reed said. ?We?re trying to have a friendly resolution to get hard surface roads.?

In the long run, the 25 percent footed by taxpayers will be cheaper than continually re-rocking the gravel road, he added.

Burgmeier said if landowners holding enough of the involved property value object, the resolution can only pass with board consensus.

During public comments, a resident of Marigold Boulevard, which extends off 227th Street east, brought up dangerous driving conditions on the route due to most traffic driving in the same lane and whiteout conditions caused by dust. It was mentioned the situation may improve once projects at the city?s wastewater treatment plant are complete.

Reed said roughly 100 miles of Jefferson County road is dirt and another 100 miles is hard surface ? the rest, roughly 550 miles, is gravel.

?Gravel roads are a true challenge,? he said. ?To dust proof every one is not going to happen. ? We try to keep things as equitable and safe as possible.?

Another resident said the intersection at 227th Street and Highway 1 is becoming more and more dangerous with cars exiting Highway 34 and vehicles accelerating on their way out of town.

During committee reports, Reed mentioned room rates at halfway houses in Ottumwa and Burlington are increasing $1 per night. Rates will increase another $1 with the next fiscal year.

He said the houses are underfunded roughly $250,000.

The board operating the houses is cautious about raising rates for residents just coming out of prison.

?They?re just getting their feet on the ground. You don?t want to overburden them,? Reed said.

Reed also mentioned tonnage fees at Southeast Iowa Multi-County Solid Waste Agency Landfill may decrease another $5 per ton a year from now. He said the agency has a strong cash reserve and a couple million dollars in restricted funds.

Dimmitt reported the state Legislature could possibly pass a social host ordinance.

An ordinance that would hold adults accountable for underage drinking on their property has been considered this year in Jefferson County. Reed and Burgmeier are reluctant to pass it, as they believe it would be difficult to enforce.