(Estherville)– The Estherville City Council Monday evening set February 15th as the date for a public hearing on a development agreement that would allow an industry in that city to expand. City Administrator Penny Clayton told the council it would allow Farmer’s Union Industries LLC, doing business as Redwood Farms, to add a cold storage facility to its operations in Estherville…
“They’re going to be adding four jobs. They are going to build, I think they’re total project cost is a little over $4 million. And I’m not sure, the assessed valuation is probably about half of that because part of that is the equipment and stuff I would have to guess.”
Clayton says the development agreement would include a tax rebate for the new valuation created by the project for two years. She added the city would also provide the company with a $25,000 job creation grant, which would require a change to the city’s urban renewal plan. The council Monday evening set February 15th as the date for a public hearing on that proposal as well. Councilman Brandon Carlin says the project would be a win-win for Estherville…
“They’re loading a lot out of Spencer which I realize they go over there. If they start loading more out of Estherville that’s more trucks and fuel here. That’s more drivers that stop to get something to eat here. There’s other spin off to this that is positive. The more of that we can keep in town, that’s huge.”
In other business, the Estherville City Council awarded a bid of $34,735 to demolish the former outdoor swimming pool. Clayton says the existing bath house would become an enclosed shelter with the filter building being renovated into an exterior shelter. She says the baby pool would become a large sand play area for children…
“The idea with this park is to create a multi generational play area so that we have something kind of for all age levels. So we’d have the sand park, we would have a two to five play feature so for the real little kids; we would have a five to 12 feature; we would put in an obstacle challenge course.”
Clayton says a low hanging zip line is also being planned for the park.
The Estherville City Council also Monday evening approved the purchase of a lot for $10,000 from the Avenue of Flags Foundation, which is adjacent to one of the city’s water wells.
The council also authorized city staff to apply for a state RISE grant to help fund proposed street infrastructure projects in the city’s Industrial Park.
