KALONA

“We’ve seen a real big increase [in building permits]. We had $5.5 to almost $6 million in permits pulled in the last 30 days,” City Administrator Ryan Schlabaugh told the Kalona City Council in his report at their Sept. 3 meeting, eliciting a “wow” and “nice” from council members.

That fast-paced growth means the need to work out a revised agreement with the City of Riverside over their shared building inspector, Dave Tornow, will be even more pressing, but Schlabaugh is optimistic the cities will find a way forward.

Development was a theme last Tuesday night. Schlabaugh noted that Kwik Star was making progress toward closing on property at the corner of Highways 1 and 22. The dog parks, splash pad, restrooms, and playground are taking shape at the Southtown Recreation Area, and the council approved payment of $818,832.88 to CJ Moyna & Sons for the work they have completed on the project. The council set a public hearing for Sept. 16 at 7 p.m. for the sale of the City’s half of the Kalona Bakery building; once the sale of the building is complete, plans for a new business can begin.

Phil Ropp, a board member at Kalona Valley Apartments, a nonprofit, government-subsidized rental community for those aged 62+, outlined a range of improvements the community would like to begin work on. They include the replacement of outdoor globe lights with adjustable LED lights and a mix of new and repainted poles; replacement of a picnic table and bench; and an upgraded gazebo.

“We’re trying to keep Kalona Valley respectable-looking and whatnot. It’s always a challenge,” Ropp said.

The 49-unit community is nearly always full, with prospective tenants on a waiting list that may take years to graduate.

The council approved $19,000 of city funds to aid in the updates. “It’s a very worthwhile project,” Schlabaugh said.

The city looks forward to building more affordable housing and supporting Kalona residents as needed. To this end, the council approved applications for the Washington County Riverboat Foundation’s fall grant awards; the city is requesting $50,000 for a job trailer for student-built housing projects, and $35,000 for refrigeration for the Kalona food pantry.

City Engineer Jack Pope has announced his retirement on Jan. 3, 2025, prompting the city to finalize some work in progress and begin transitioning to a new engineer from the same firm, Garden and Associates. The council set a work session for Tuesday, Sept. 16 at 5:45 p.m. where Pope will discuss plans for the sanitary sewer system as well as other projects.

The Kalona City Council will next meet on Tuesday, Sept. 16 for a 5:45 p.m. work session and 7 p.m. regular meeting at City Hall.