More apartments coming to downtown Mt. Pleasant?

Mt. Pleasant City Council members are supporting future changes to the former Brazelton Building on the corner of Monroe and Main streets in downtown Mt. Pleasant.

Hobart Historic Restoration, L.L.C. of Cedar Rapids is planning to construct 19 residential apartments in the upper floors of the four-story building which now houses Sound Advice.

Council members, during their regular meeting Wednesday night, passed a resolution supporting Hobart Historic Restoration?s application to the Iowa Economic Development Authority for workforce housing tax credits.

The city also is offering a 10-year, 100-percent tax exemption to Hobart if 19 apartments are constructed.

Most of the other council action fell under the ?routine? heading.

A second reading of six proposed ordinances was passed. The specific ordinances follow.

? Prohibiting parking on the south side of West Monroe Street from White to McCoy streets.

? Language changes in the city ordinance regarding animals. The most significant change is adding the definition of a service animal. The amendment defines service animal as: ?Service animal means guide dogs, signal dog or other animal individually trained to provide assistance to an individual with a disability. Animals are considered service animals regardless of whether they have been licensed or certified by a state or local government. A service animal is not a pet.?

? Deletion of language regarding supplemental electrical standards in city code.

? Deletion of language concerning electrical contractors in city code.

? Addition of electric code appeals to items following under the jurisdiction of the city?s construction board of appeals.

? Deletion of language regarding electrician license fees in city code.

The council approved property tax abatement (due to new construction or renovations) for three residences with a total project valuation of $325,000 and $175,000 of eligible expenses; one commercial application with a total project valuation and eligible expense of $3,400,000 and one multi-residential application with a total valuation and eligible expense of $745,000.

For the 2014 property tax year, the city approved 22 residential applications, four commercial applications and one multi-residential application for property tax abatement under terms of the urban revitalization rules and regulations. The entire city has been declared an urban revitalization area.

Total project value of the applications is nearly $15 million.

Final action saw the council:

? Approve the hiring of Piper Jaffery to provide the city with the financial services to refinance current bonds and sell new bonds for future projects.

? Approved an encroachment permit on the city right-of-way for T.H.E. Company to display utility trailers on West Washington Street.

? Set the public hearing for the fiscal-year 2016 city budget for Wednesday, March 4, at 5 p.m. at City Hall.

Council members meet again in regular session Wednesday, Feb. 25, at 5:30 p.m. in City Hall.