Rental housing ordinance tabled
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Notice of clarification/correction printed in the June 27, 2024 issue
The following clarification is related to the article “Rental housing ordinance tabled; Henle appointed to fill open position on council” originally published on the front page of the June 20, 2024 issue.
The Mount Ayr city council approved proceeding with the appointment process at their regular meeting Monday, June 17.
While Matt Henle has expressed interest in the council position, and was introduced at the June 20 meeting, the formal appointment would occur at the next council meeting.
The City of Mount Ayr published a notice of intent in the June 20, 2024 issue on page 3 stating “They will make that appointment July 1, 2024, at the regularly scheduled city council meeting to be held at 6 p.m. at Mount Ayr City Hall.”
The notice of intent is required to be published not less than four and not more than 20 days before the date the council considers the appointment in accordance with Section 362.3 of the Code of Iowa.
If Matt Henle is appointed to the city council, he would fill the vacant seat left after the resignation of Jessica Bishop. That council term would continue through 2025.
Members of the public may challenge the appointment, to request the city hold a special election in the fall. It is estimated that a special election would cost the city roughly $2,500.
The Mount Ayr city council heard feedback from landlords about the proposed rental housing ordinance, and appointed a new council member at their regular meeting Monday, June 17.
Mayor Steve Fetty opened the meeting and welcomed those in attendance to speak during the public forum after the council approved the consent agenda.
Rental Housing Ordinance
Guy and Cynthia Fisher, Mark and Lynda Triggs, Matthew Hudson, and Matt Henle were all present to address council members Monday night.
“There’s two sides to every story, and I can see myself in either situation,” stated Guy Fisher.
“Personally, I probably won’t play the game. I have two rental houses in town. I’ll probably sell them,” said Fisher, “Because Cindy and I have done this community no harm. We’ve actually offered, in my opinion, a service.”
“I just don’t feel that I should be singled out and taxed,” stated Fisher, “I wonder if there’s another way to handle some of the problems.”
“I would ask that you really think that there are people behind these ordinances you’re voting for, and you know that,” said Fisher, “There’s both tenants and there’s landlords. By and large, landlords are not the dredges of society.”
“That is Iowa code,” clarified Brent Wise, “It’s not that we dreamt it up. So it wasn’t our group that really put it together.”
“But we do. I hear what you’re saying,” stated Wise.
“I know we need government to regulate and all that,” said Fisher, “But when does it overstep its bounds?”
“Have you considered what’s going to happen to the rental housing when there’s already such a shortage,” asked Lynda Triggs. “I have five to ten calls a week,” said Triggs, “People can’t get a place to live.”
“The rental housing ordinance is not reinventing a wheel,” explained Wise, “It is something that exists that is required by a law if communities are over a certain population.”
“To try to address your question, the intent is to make it more viable and more available, not to make it go the other direction,” stated Wise, “Obviously, we don’t want to see less places for people to be.”
“Right now, because we don’t have the ordinance, we don’t have that authority,” said Wise, “It’s an Iowa Code situation, but we would need an attorney to get involved and do whatever it is that we have to do.”
“I know some people don’t approve of everybody that lives in some of the houses,” said Triggs, “But those people do need a place to live.”
Matthew Hudson shared an update on the building renovation project he is finishing using state and federal grants, and also commented about the rental housing ordinance.
“I do like the idea of having some kind of a code that we have to follow just to make sure that things are upkept and in good shape,” said Hudson, “We don’t want things falling down, but at the same time I understand not everybody can afford the Ritz.”
The council decided to hold off on passing the proposed rental housing ordinance, choosing to table it until after Jason VanAusdall has a chance to address questions and concerns at a series of upcoming meetings.
The City of Mount Ayr will hold two landlord meetings with Jason VanAusdall, on Wednesday, June 19 at 3:30 p.m. and 5:00 p.m. Another meeting is scheduled for June 26 in the evening.
The council also tabled proposed rental housing fees, choosing not to discuss them until landlord meetings are held.
Council Appointment
The council approved the appointment of Matt Henle to fill vacant liaison duties through 2025.
Alternatively, a special election could be held, but would cost the city roughly $2,500. If a member of the public challenges the appointment, then the city would need to hold a special election in the fall.
Other business
In other regular business, the council approved:
- Setting a public hearing for a budget amendment on July 15 at 4:00 p.m. The city has received $240,000 from insurance to fix storm damage. In order to expend the funds, a budget amendment is necessary. Another $49,000 not yet used for a street project, will also be moved out of the street fund from this budget year to the next, along with park funds and nuisance funds.
- A pool change order for five sunshades at a total cost of roughly $48,000. With the pool project cost coming in lower than expected, they are able to afford the sunshades, but need a change order so they can get them ordered.
- Resolution 2024-848 to increase wages for the two librarians, with new wages increasing to $1,269.67 and $969.90 a month. Corbin Swank has attained a CDL since he was hired, and Wise recommended raising Swank’s pay rate to $17.50 an hour retroactive to the past Friday. An expected July 1 pay raise would then bump Swank’s hourly rate to $18.44, starting with the pay period following July 1;
- An addendum to the Veenstra & Kimm sewer project;
- A request for urban chickens, with a total of five chickens being approved;
- Paying for bus transportation to Grant City, MO and two adult chaperons for summer swimming lessons in partnership with the Mount Ayr School District. Lessons will be offered to all kids going into Kindergarten through 6th grade July 15-19 from 11:00 a.m. to noon for $20 per child. Families can contact Mount Ayr City Hall at 641-464-2402 for more information.
Administrative Update
City Administrator Wise invited council members to attend an upcoming pool progress meeting on June 25 at 9:00 a.m. “This is a progress meeting, but anyone would be more than welcome to attend,” stated Wise.
He also discussed setting up a work session with council members, to discuss planning for streets, personnel, and other matters. The council agreed to meet at their regular time of 6:00 p.m. on July 22 and/or July 29 to conduct work sessions.
Wise also shared the council member Mike Wik suggested conducting a city-wide recycling survey.
“Mike came up with this idea, and I think it’s a good one,” said Wise, “The thought process was to send a survey type deal to all the residents.”
The goal would be to learn how many people are recycling, and what they recycle the most of, so the city can best meet the needs for recycling.
“If we’re recycling 85% cardboard, maybe we need to look at going to just cardboard recycling and just dropping it off here in town and save us $24,000 a year,” suggested Wik.
The local B&M Recycling drop off location does take corrugated cardboard recycling, so the city would need to determine what amount of press board boxes are recycled in addition to corrugated cardboard.
Currently, recycling costs the city more than taking garbage to the landfill.
