New London City Council talks TIF district, skate park

BY KARYN SPORY

Mt. Pleasant News

NEW LONDON ? As housing was beckoned back onto the discussion table last month, the New London City Council decided a tutorial in tax increment financing (TIF) would be beneficial.

Zach James, of Southeast Iowa Regional Planning Commission (SEIRPC), met with the council to discuss the nuances of a TIF district and answer any questions the council may have about creating one.

?He came in and described (the TIF district) to them,? said City Clerk Kasi Howard.

Howard said the discussion did not go far as James was waiting for an answer from an attorney regarding New London?s desired TIF district.

Howard said that with any TIF district, the city must come up with an urban renewal area. ?If we could, we?d like to make that whole 30-40 acres there along Pine and Adams streets the urban renewal area,? she said. ?But we?d like to have our TIF district just be a smaller area up where the lots are.?

Howard said the smaller TIF area, rather than the full 30-40 acres would change when the clock would start on the 10-year payback.

Howard said she is still waiting to hear back from James.

On Tuesday, the council also spoke with several local kids who are interested in constructing a skate park in New London. Howard said the kids brought in some conceptual drawings to show the council.

The council had said before they were interested in helping the kids build a skate park. Howard said the conceptual art looked at using 10,000 square feet and would cost in the ballpark of $200,000. At this point, Howard said the teens were looking for a land commitment from the city. The city made no official commitment, but said they would continue the discussion. The designs had placed the skate park east of the baseball diamonds on East Cleveland Street.

On Tuesday, the Healthy Henry County Communities (HHCC) approved using roughly $4,500 to build a skate park in Henry County. The money had originally been raised for a skate park in Mt. Pleasant, but plans within the city stalled out. Those funds have not been given to New London, but the city, or any Henry County community, would be able to request the funds.

In other business, the council discussed reducing the speed limit on East Main Street. Residents had been complaining of how fast drivers come into town and asked if the city would consider reducing the speed.

Howard said the county brought out their speed trailers to watch the area. After collecting the data from the speed trailers, Howard said the county recommended leaving the speed zone as is.

?I?m not sure which way we?re going to go,? admitted Howard. ?However, the county said if we did reduce the speed they would go along with it and move their speed zones out further.?

Looking forward to October, the council authorized the closing of the public way for the Holiday Stroll?s Monster Mash 5K Run on Oct. 22 from 5-7 p.m.

The council also set the city?s trick or treat for Oct. 31, from 5 to 7 p.m.

The next meeting of the New London City Council will be held on Tuesday, Oct. 4, at 6 p.m., at City Office.