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Charles City Council sets goals at work session: broadband, housing, EMS

By Travis Fischer, tkfischer@charlescitypress.com

The Charles City Council reviewed its priorities for the upcoming year with a special goal-setting work session on Wednesday at the Charles City Public Library. All of the priorities they came up with have been on the city’s radar for awhile.

The three-hour marathon session included a comprehensive update on projects that the city has been working on, projects that the city has completed, and discussion on where the city should prioritize its efforts in the future.

Overall, the council identified improving access to high-speed internet, housing, and EMS service as the highest priorities the city should be focused on.

Increasing the availability of fiber internet service in particular is a high priority.

“You’ve got to have fiber,” said council member Patrick Lumley. “If you don’t have fiber, you’re going backwards.”

For several years now, the city has been making an effort to establish a municipally owned network, rather than depend on a third party to provide internet service. However, difficulty in securing financing to cover the start-up costs has left the project stalled. With businesses such as OmniTel starting projects to install fiber internet downtown, the council discussed whether a municipal service was necessary or practical.

“I don’t know that it’s worth spending a lot more time and resources to continue,” said council member DeLaine Freeseman.

At the same time, with no guarantees from OmniTel regarding residential projects, the council still emphasized a need to create incentives or seek partners that can provide modern internet service that includes the residential areas throughout the city.

Housing was another major area of concern for the council, noting a lack of available units at every level, apartments to single family homes. It’s an issue that is common across Iowa and cities struggle to secure new developments while also dealing with blighted properties.

Not to dwell entirely on challenges ahead of them, the council also noted the successes they have had, small and large, from regular infrastructure improvements to getting the one million gallon clear well project designed and ready for bid.

The city is also gaining ground on other projects, such as the NIACC Career Academy expansion, revising the city’s property code, and establishing a communications director that can coordinate activities with other entities in the area.

Beyond the major priorities, the council and staff reviewed other goals to focus on, from improving the city’s cyber security to securing a firearms training range for the police department to establishing a site for yard waste.

Not every goal has an easy solution, but the work session allows everybody to get on the same page regarding where their efforts should be focused for the coming year, officials said.

“I think it’s always good to have these sessions. When we can do it in a group like this sometimes the discussion leads to more discussion,” said Mayor Dean Andrews. “I think we have some new ideas on how to go about to solve the problems.”

 

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