Charles City Council holds first reading of ordinance to raise parking fines

By Travis Fischer, tkfischer@charlescitypress.com

The Charles City Council discussed rental codes, sewer work, and parking tickets during its regular meeting on Monday, March 20.

The council held the first reading of an ordinance to increase the fine for parking tickets. Along with updating the penalty for regular parking violations from $15 to $25, and $50 for violating the city’s snow ordinance, the update will also increase the penalty for illegally parking in a handicapped reserved parking spot from $100 to $200, bringing it in-line with the state code.

The council also held the third and final reading of an update to the city’s property maintenance and rental inspection codes. The update doesn’t make any substantial changes to the code, but brings it in line with the current International Property Maintenance code standards and adds clarifying language to the rental inspection portion to make it easier for landlords to reference.

On a similar note, Mayor Andrews noted that the housing board will be hosting an informational meeting at the Zastrow River Room in the Charles City Public Library on Thursday, March 30, at 5:30 p.m. There, the housing board will be available to answer questions about the city’s rental ordinances to make sure everybody is on the same page.

“We encourage all landlords to come to this,” said Andrews. “The housing commission is looking to work with landlords to make it better for them.”

In other business, the council held a public hearing to approve the max levy for the 2023-24 budget. Noting that the “max levy rate” is something of a misnomer, as it does not include additional levies on debt service, aviation, or the library.

With the max levy approved, the council will hold a public hearing for the total levy rate, $16.53 per $1,000 of taxable valuation, at the April 3 meeting.

Following up from last week’s workshop, the council approved a façade grant application from Joe Alvarez of Burrito Mexpress requesting $1,600 to go towards new exterior signage for the burrito shop located inside Hot Shots Billiards.

While the funds earmarked for façade grants has been expended, there are still funds remaining in the Culture and Entertainment District fund that can be used until the next fiscal year begins.

“They’re really one pot of money that we can cross back and forth,” said Chamber of Commerce Director Mark Wicks.

The council also decided that the city should remain with CUSB as their primary bank. Every three years the city must seek out bids to do business with a bank. This year four bids came back, with the two most competitive coming from CUSB and First Security. While noting that First Security offered 0.02% more interest, it was decided that the administrative expense of switching banks would negate the benefits.

In sewer business, the council approved preliminary plans for the 2023 Sanitary Sewer Lining Project. The city is seeking bids to install lining along 3,300 feet of pipe down Main Street, with alternate bids to include 1,600 ft. along Jackson Street and 900 feet down North Grand Ave.

Bid letting will be held on April 13 and a public hearing for the final plans will be held on April 17.

In more expedient matters, the city has identified problems with the storm and sanitary sewer that need to be addressed as quickly as possible. A seven-foot section of the sanitary sewer main has been blocked while tree root intrusion has impacted both the storm sewer and sanitary sewer. The city will start the process of lining up contractors for the repairs with the expectation that the council will approve the expenditure at the next regular meeting.

Also at the meeting, Mayor Dean Andrews recommended the re-appointment of Jeremy Heyer and Linda Klemesrud to the Housing Board. Both currently serve on the board and are up for new terms.