KALONA

As the temperature peaked at 92° early Monday evening, the Kalona City Council spent the work session preceding their regular meeting on a driving tour that included a good portion of the city as well as Southtown. Dan Nisly drove the group that included Mary Audia of WEDG in the Kalona Byways tour bus.

A portion of the tour was focused on streets; City Administrator Ryan Schlabaugh pointed out areas in need of repair, such as crack-filling, manhole resets, and curb and gutter additions. A teardrop-shaped cul-de-sac on 8th Street is especially in need of work and considered a high priority; a recently redone cul-de-sac on 13th Street was visited as a model for what is possible.

As the Yoder property enters development, a preliminary FEMA design calls for about 10 acres of land to be used as a detention pond for flood mitigation. The council stopped at the corner of J Avenue and 6th Street to view the area, where Schlabaugh explained that the pond would be “aesthetically pleasing” and water entering from the creek and English River would be controlled through a monitored floodgate.

The tour’s final stop was at the Southtown Recreation Area, where progress on building and installing amenities is occurring daily. The council walked the areas where bathrooms are being built, playground equipment will be installed, and land is being leveled and prepared for the splash pad. Completion is expected by spring 2025.

Kwik Star, WEDG Updates

Back at City Hall for their June 17 regular meeting, Schlabaugh was asked how plans for the Kwik Star convenience store proposed for the corner of Highways 1 and 22 were progressing. He said the company was still in the due diligence phase and working on the site plan, but very close to closing on the property. Groundbreaking would likely occur in 2025.

Audia told the council that the WEDG (Washington Economic Development Group) office has returned to the Greiner Plaza after being displaced due to a fire in November 2022.

She also noted that WEDG held a presentation about FinCEN (Financial Crimes Enforcement Network) that attracted many small business owners. All businesses, including sole proprietorships and LLCs, are required to report information about the individuals who ultimately own or control them to the federal government by Dec. 31, 2024.

The consequences for not doing so are “pretty serious,” Audia said, including fines and prison time. WEDG can help with more information on how to file a report for those who need it.

Council Action

The council waived the second and approved the third and final reading of the amended Fence and Hedge Regulations ordinance. The new ordinance requires Kalona residents to apply for a $25 fence permit before installing fencing.

The council approved Pay App #1 for CJ Moyna & Sons LLC in the amount of $261,840.90 for the Vista Park Project at the Southtown Recreation Area.

The council passed a resolution adopting and approving tax compliance procedures relating to tax-exempt bonds.

“The local option sales tax bonds that we took out and issued are tax-exempt,” Schlabaugh explained, “This is truly the last piece of paperwork that we have to submit.”

The $2.1 million in bonds issued will be used to pay for development at the Southtown Recreation Area.

The Kalona City Council will next meet on Monday, July 1 at 7 p.m. at City Hall.