The Atlantic City Council will hold a regularly schedule meeting this Wednesday at City Hall, beginning at 5:30-p.m. Among the items on their agenda, is a presentation by Alexis Fleener, Lead Planner with SWIPCO, pertaining to property owner interest in participating in a downtown facade program. The Council has already committed $100,000 toward a revolving loan program, overseen by CADCO, to support small business development and growth. The facade program is being explored by means of a CDBG (Community Development Block Grant), which is under the auspices of the U-S Dept. of Housing and Urban Development.

The CDBG Downtown Revitalization Fund is managed in Iowa, by the Iowa Economic Development Authority (IEDA), and requires 25-percent Sponsor (City) funding ($250,000), as well as 25-percent Property Owner Funding ($250,000). The State would provide matching funds of $500,00, if the CDBG application is approved. Fleener reports 13 property owners have expressed interest in the program, seven have some interest, with 14 property owners currently reviewing the information to determine their level of interest.

Fleener says part of moving forward with the project is a $45,000 commitment from the City, for various studies required to develop an application for CDBG funds, if enough interest is received in the program. The $45,000 covers a Slum and Blight study, Historic District Study, and a project architect fee. City Administrator John Lund reports he has already adjusted the Local Option Sales Tax (LOST) Progress Fund budget for FY 2019 to reserve the $45,000. He’s also addressed the City’s grant match of $250,000, by proposing the City use the remaining $140,892 in the Economic Development Revolving fund in FY 2020, and then transfer $77,055 from the LOST progress fund in both FY 2019 and FY 2020 to cover the expenditures related to the project.

After the presentation by Fleener, the Council will act on an order to approve a contract with SWIPCO for the CDBG Downtown Revitalization application. In other business, the Atlantic City Council will act on approving: A Resolution approving contracts for Olive and Nishna Street Bridge repairs, and the Second Reading of an amendment to the City’s Code of Ordinances, with regard to Zoning Regulations (after changes were made in the definition of “Height,” the allowance of carport-to-garage upgrades installed prior to ordinance enactment; a change in setback regulations with regard to an accessory use of home addition is made; and for new construction, a 12-foot distance away from buildings of abutting lots, and other matters). John Lund says the effect of the changes is that “Hundreds, perhaps over a thousand residential properties would have greater flexibility to improve their properties without the costly, time-consuming headache of applying for an inappropriate variance that they may not even get.”

The Atlantic City Council will also hold the second reading of an amended Animal Control Ordinance, with regard to the number of days the City holds an animal before it is eligible for adoption. The current number of days an owner has to claim their animal, is seven. The State requires a minimum of three days, and Animal Control Officer Kris Erickson is requesting the City’s Ordinance mirror the State Code. Animals that are licensed and/or have an implanted ID chip, are generally not put up for adoption.

The Council will act on approving a request to close the corner of 3^rd and Chestnut Street to the north property line of the 1^st Whitney Bank on Sept. 11^th, from 3-until 8-p.m., for the dedication ceremony of a statue in honor of the City’s 150^th Anniversary, and, an order to close certain downtown streets August 26^th from 3:15-to 8-p.m., for the 2018 “Family Night Out” event.