City Administrator Jordan Cook told the Nevada City Council on Feb. 23 that staff proposes raising the local business-grant program to a total of $50,000 per award cycle and that the city has funds available in the local-option sales fund to support a $25,000 city contribution with a matching $25,000 from NADC.
Cook said the program would be open to the whole community (not limited to downtown) and that grant sizes could range from approximately $5,000 up to $25,000 per applicant, with the city and NADC splitting the recommended total award. He noted last year’s program supported three businesses and that staff will provide details on eligibility and application review processes handled by Main Street and NEC.
On recycling, Cook summarized two options presented by the City of Ames: individual curbside collection at an estimated $4.50 per month per cart (disposal costs separate) or a community roll-off container at roughly $275 per haul plus disposal; council asked staff for a comparative chart and asked Cook to solicit additional pricing from vendors. Cook said the city must still complete due diligence and that disposal/tipping fees remain to be set by the resource recovery operator.
Staff also updated the council on infrastructure projects: pipelines work on West 18th Street, an Iowa DOT appraisal for part of a recently purchased new well field (staff will submit appraisal materials and await an offer), street-reconstruction planning on N Avenue and other routes, and sanitary-sewer smoke-test results that identified infiltration in about 38 manholes along Indian Creek requiring repairs.
Quote: “We’d increase it to 50,000, so it'd be 25,000 would come from the city, and the other 25,000 would come from NADC,” Jordan Cook said, describing the proposed business-grant expansion.
What’s next: Staff will prepare a chart comparing recycling options and return grant-application details and project timelines to the council for further action.