(Spirit Lake)—The Spirit Lake city council last (Tues.) evening took no action on a request from the Lakes Community Land Trust for $50,000 in funds from the city’s LMI, or low to moderate income housing fund. Jim Golden of the Lakes Community Land Trust told the council it had been three years since the city last contributed to the entity and that the $50,000 would help reimburse the trust for some projects it’s carried out in the city during that time. The council referred the matter to the city’s Finance Committee.
The council voted 4-1 to approve the second reading of a proposal to rezone a property at 1412 Hill Avenue from Multi-Family Residential to General Commercial. Plans call for a vacant house on that property to be converted to a flower store. Councilman Steve Balm cast the no vote. He previously has expressed concern over spot zoning and parking issues with the proposal.
The council also last (Tues.) evening voted to move ahead with a grant application for the Safe Routes To School program. Public Works Director Dwight Dohlman told the council it would help fund a trail along the west side of Hill Avenue between 29th and 36th streets…(click here for comment.) “The Safe Routes To School program is in its last year and we have a project that should be very attractive to them. There’s 100 percent funding for this project. We just have to commit to maintaining it for 10 years if we’re successful in getting the grant.”
In other business, the council approved an agreement with Iowa Lakes Regional Water for service territory and they set March 12th as the date for a public hearing on the city’s proposed 2014 fiscal year budget.
