Improvement Projects Gets Green Light During Ft. Madison City Council Meeting

Fort Madison City Council made the decision under the advice of city publics director Larry Driscoll, to move forward with the Storm Sewer Boring project along 7th St. and Avenue H.

The construction contract awarded to EJM Pipe Service of Lino Lakes, Minnesota, is in the amount of $231,933.

A Grant of $169,000 from the Iowa Department of Transportation will be put toward this project.

The City Council also amended and extended the continuation of the City-Wide Urban Revitalization Tax Exemption District Plan (URTED)for another three years in order to encourage resident and commercial property owners in Fort Madison, to continue making improvements and additions to their property.

City Manager David Varley explained how (URTED) works

“The improvements have to be at least 10% of the value of your house, whatever the taxes would be on that amount. Let’s say, you improve the house by 12% of the value, whatever that dollar amount that you would pay on taxes, this allows the city to then say for the next three years you are exempt from paying property taxes on that 12%.”

For residential property the improvements have to be at least 10% of the value of the property, for commercial property it has to be at least 15%.

Varley says that all residential and commercial properties in the city are eligible. Applications for the URTED must be filed with the county assessor by February 1st of the year the value is added.