The Atlantic City Council has a full agenda for their meeting 5:30-p.m., Wednesday, at City Hall. The meeting includes public hearings on various matters, followed by resolutions on those issues. The first hearing is with regard to Adoption of the Fiscal Year 2019 Budget for the City of Atlantic. The budget amounts to nearly $12.5-million, which is a reduction of a little more than $1.8-million over last year. It also calls for an increase in the tax levy of 2.87%, to $16.86 per $1,000 assessed valuation. The levy will then be frozen for the FY 2020 and 2021 tax years. Following the hearing, the Council will act on approving a resolution adopting the FY 2019 Budget.

A Public Hearing is also scheduled with regard to Adopting the Proposed FY 2019 Ten-Year Capital Improvement Plan (CIP). City Administrator John Lund said City Department Heads began in 2016 with a five-year plan. This past Fall, they increased their planning horizon to 10-years, which Lund says is essential as the City reviews its long-term debt issuance, debt capacity and tax rate. The public hearing will also be followed by a Resolution adopting the 10-year plan. Another Resolution before the Council is with regard to setting salaries for City of Atlantic appointed officers and employees, for the fiscal year beginning July 1st, 2018, through June 30th, 2019. City Administrator John Lund says the City will begin negotiations with both of its Unions this fall, but the Council will need to meet to discuss future wage growth for all personnel, because it has a multi-year implication on the city’s budgets.

Action is also expected on a Resolution “Designating Distribution of Sales Tax Revenues to various funds for specific purposes.” Lund says last year, the City made changes to the Local Option Sales Tax (LOST) allocation formula, for the first time in decades. Since then, the State’s sales tax receipts have come in short of forecasts, a situation that occurred in Atlantic, as well. He said in order top keep the budgets whole, an additional change for FY 2018 is required to ensure minimum fund balances are maintained. “FY 2019,” according to Lund, “will see major investment into the Schildberg Recreation Area. Further changes are needed to make this possible. However, this resolution,” he says, “states that we are returning to the original allocation formula with the FY 2020 budget.”

The Atlantic City Council will also act on a Resolution “In support of a Workforce Housing Tax Credit Benefit Application to be submitted to the Iowa Economic Development Authority by Ash Land Development, LLC, for the Atlantic Boose Affordable Housing Project.”  Local developer Marty Boose is pursuing the housing tax credit program, the application for which requires a resolution of support from the City, and a small contribution of $1,000 per unit. Boose anticipates two or three houses will be applied on the credit. The City will be able to absorb $2,000 -to $3,000, according to Lund.  The Council will also act on a Resolution setting the date for a public hearing on a proposal to enter into a General Obligation General Purpose Loan Agreement, and to Borrow money thereunder. The City is issuing $2.68-million in debt, and assuming $304, 181 in general corporate purpose debt. The FY 2018 Bond portion of the CIP would be used for Fire Station improvements, beautification projects, phase 2 of the Library remodel, and an incinerator for the Atlantic Animal Shelter.

The Council is also expected to act on approving an Engineering Agreement with Snyder and Associates, for the Beautification Project. The agreement would be paid for out of budgeted sales tax dollars in the LOST Progress Fund.

A reminder to residents of Adair County, that a Special Election is being held today (Tuesday, March 6^th),with regard to passing an additional bond for the courthouse elevator project. The Special Election will ask voters of Adair County “Shall the Board of Supervisors bond for an amount not to exceed $650,000 for the purpose of installing an elevator?” Polling places include the Adair Community Center, Stuart Recreational Center, Fontanelle Community Building, Orient United Methodist Church, and the Adair County Health and Fitness Center. You may also still return absentee ballots to the Adair County Auditor’s office before the polls close at 8:00 p.m.

Adair County Auditor Mindy Schaefer told KJAN News back in November, the Board of Supervisors passed a Resolution calling for the Special Election. She said the need for a new elevator to replace one that was installed back in the 1980’s, became clear when officials with the State said the elevator does not meet current standards. The State says it will no longer approve the elevator for inspection. Schaefer said when it was installed in the 1980’s it was never intended for commercial use. Some of the current wheelchairs and motor scooters are difficult to maneuver into the elevator.  A Public Hearing was held last May to go out for a bond sale. $600,000 of that bond was designated for a new elevator. Schaefer said the initial feasibility studies placed the price tag for the project at $550,000. She says the County has a statutory limit of $600,000 that it cannot exceed without a special election.

The County went ahead and bonded for the $600,000. The bids for the project came in shockingly higher than expected. The lowest bid was $749,000. The highest was $1-million, $25,000. There were five bids in between. Mindy said the $600,000 limit was for the entire project, and did not take into account architects, soil surveys and other factors. The Board stripped everything possible to reduce costs, but the final answer was to ask the public for a bond to help pay for the rest.

The Cass County Board of Supervisors won’t meet until March 14th, but their counterparts in Adair County have a regular meeting set for tomorrow (Wednesday). On the agenda for their 9-a.m. meeting at the courthouse in Greenfield, is a Year of Service Awards and Coffee before the start of business at 9:30-a.m., during which there will be a Public Hearing on the Fiscal Year 2019 Adair County Budget. The Board will also act on a FY2019 Compensation Resolution, a Resolution to approve the FY 2019 budget, and a SICOG (Southern Iowa Council of Governments) resolution.

In other business, County Treasurer Brenda Wallace will present a Tax Sale Deed, and County Engineer Nick Kauffmann will present RCB (concrete box) Culvert replacement project contracts for signing. The Adair County Supervisors will then adjourn into a closed session to discuss the purchase of two parcels of real estate.

SIOUX CITY, Iowa (AP) — The City Council in Sioux City has voted to support those who want to open a medical marijuana oil dispensary in the northwest Iowa city. The council voted 4-1 Monday to send a letter of support to the Iowa Public Health Department, which intends to award licenses for up to five such dispensaries across the state.

The company MedPharm has been approved to sell medical marijuana in Iowa and had requested the Sioux City letter of support. The council instead decided to include support for any entity willing to do business with the city for a dispensary. Patients and primary caregivers with valid medical cannabidiol registration cards would be obtain the oil at the dispensaries.

HAMPTON, Iowa (AP) — The next sex abuse trial of a Charles City man is scheduled to be moved to Mason City in Cerro Gordo County. On Friday a judge set the trial of 62-year-old Doug Lindaman to begin April 9. Lindaman was convicted in 2016 of sexually abusing a 17-year-old boy in 2011. The Iowa Supreme Court later vacated the conviction, because Lindaman was allowed to represent himself without knowingly waiving his right to an attorney. Lindaman was running for a school board spot when arrested in 2015.

A mistrial in his second trial was declared Feb. 26 after two prosecution witnesses violated court instructions by referring to Lindaman’s criminal record. His second trial had been moved to Franklin County from Floyd County because of pretrial publicity.

Police in Glenwood report the arrest on Monday, of 39-year old Joseph Jack.  The Glenwood man was taken into custody for Forgery.