[{"_1":2,"_87":-5,"_88":-5},"loaderData",{"_3":4,"_26":27},"root",{"_5":6,"_17":10,"_18":19,"_20":21,"_22":10,"_23":-5,"_24":-5,"_25":10},"user",{"_7":8,"_9":10,"_11":10,"_12":-5,"_13":-5,"_14":15,"_16":-5},"roles",[],"isAuthenticated",false,"isPremium","planName","subscriptionStatus","featureFlags",{},"insightsBudget","isDevelopmentHost","userPreferences",{},"recaptchaSiteKey","6LcvOJcUAAAAAHsB-gPGfGktcRlKpH7OTIU_dMTD","isImpersonating","impersonation","affiliateStatus","isFreedomPortal","routes/v2/article/layout",{"_28":29,"_30":31},"notFound",true,"relatedArticles",[32,75],{"_33":34,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":40,"_41":42,"_43":44,"_45":46,"_47":48,"_49":50,"_51":52,"_53":54,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":60,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":66,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":68,"_72":73,"_74":73},"mediaId",6677283,"mediaKeyId","2245650-efcd0395794bb9d40624f4608b361812","parentId",2245650,"title","Norwalk staff outline FY2026 budget pressures; departments request targeted staffing and cuts","audioSeconds",2335,"startMs",204000,"endMs",2539000,"viewUrl","/Search/View?dp=1&key=2245650-efcd0395794bb9d40624f4608b361812&start=204&end=2539","thumbnailUrl","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/2245650-efcd0395794bb9d40624f4608b361812/thumbnail_204000.jpg","articleUrl","/articles/6677283/Norwalk-City/Warren-County/Iowa/Norwalk-staff-outline-FY2026-budget-pressures-departments-request-targeted-staffing-and-cuts","mediaUrl","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6677283-a86c9cce78aa24cb69a5009cf82d0ba2/orig.mp4?Expires=1771218754&Signature=PVYisIchP9IFjdUrkAfSTsunlk3s~xqnEkFpDK92CHSHwYvNFpRF-6CTmBntomK0Pc0pOhvwu2Am9TweaRdjWld~w1iXtexscS1Y8JGIe-OZl-cK4lMEBC3jwGidcKHHRGpCCpkfm9LIeE031Az1hDqTdOCXIISc7Yi42OrrZ4guKtei~iivsJv4P~ZbHFQCuJTLd3VheM569QQtOKUYoD478Kt07OoxMD4SKa5bBertpBDBZatc0vE9K8seNV-LH1kDxEQHD4VJOs2gv5v0eOoztrT~G9tp7~yDXcILALqg-19G-vq~tfsMYl7GsRUyCjXSwAU3ekH1X9YnJ0hE0g__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","author","Norwalk","date","2025-02-07T03:06:58.827Z","article","Norwalk department heads presented their FY2026 budget proposals during a dedicated work session, giving council a line-by-line view of staffing requests, recommended reductions and assumptions tied to state-level property tax changes.

Economic Development director Holly (last name in record: Holly) said her department reduced its FY2026 budget by about 2% but requested that an existing part-time technician be converted to a full-time position to retain institutional knowledge and capacity. Holly told council her department helped generate approximately $20 million in new commercial and industrial valuation in the last year, producing an estimated $744,000 per year in new property taxes, and that since 2017 commercial values increased substantially. To balance tighter revenues, Holly said staff recommended cuts including reducing meetings/conferences from $10,000 to $6,000, eliminating an off-site building/maintenance expense, and trimming payment-for-service contracts: WCDC funding from $25,000 to $20,000, the Chamber from $21,000 to $19,000, and fourth-of-July activities from $15,000 to $13,000.

Fire Chief Porter presented the Fire/EMS budget and reiterated ongoing staffing challenges. The department currently operates with 12 full-time firefighters supplemented by part-time staff; staffing density was described as 0.93 firefighters per 1,000 residents, below national averages. The chief said call volume increased to 1,796 calls in 2024 (a 9.7% increase year over year) and outlined two staffing requests: restoring part-time hours (requested amount $46,000; recommended $40,000) and reclassifying the fire inspector into a fire marshal position (requested-cost $26,000; recommended partial funding $15,000). The total amount requested for those two items was about $72,000; staff recommended partially funding $55,000 now and returning to council later if expected contract revenues from a bordering community materialize. Chief Porter also discussed overtime pressures (overtime budget roughly $62,000) and continued pursuit of FEMA SAFER grants for hiring.

Parks and Recreation Director Robin Leeper asked council to fund one full-time park technician (staff recommendation of $30,000 funded; the department requested additional full-time staff to cover expanded park acreage). Parks staff reported they now maintain 237 acres of parkland and 11 miles of trail and that seasonal staffing turnover increases training costs; the department is recommending several CIP items including drainage and grading work at Brody's Landing, completion of trail connections near Oviatt Elementary (a Multi-Modal MPO grant of $100,000 was noted), permanent dugout covers at the sports complex, and pool repairs including slide recoating and diving-board replacement.

Council and staff repeatedly noted uncertainty created by House File 718, which changed property tax and revaluation processes and requires an explicit property tax-rate statement and a separate public hearing. City staff said the new property-tax notice can be confusing for residents because sample scenarios in the state-provided form can show large percentage increases that do not reflect typical year-to-year changes for most homeowners. Staff recommended publishing a link to the Iowa Department of Management's property-tax estimator and additional local explanations to help residents interpret the notice.

Across departments, staff said they made reductions where possible (training, travel, some contractual services) but that base staffing and wages continue to be the largest drivers of costs. Several department heads noted reliance on potential external revenue streams (grants and a pending contract with a neighboring community for fire services) and requested council consider contingencies and midyear adjustments if those revenues are secured.

Council requested staff return with more detail on several items, including more precise overtime drivers for the Fire Department, options to phase-in staffing requests midyear depending on realized revenues, and documentation to explain the state's property-tax notice for residents.

Why it matters
Norwalk faces limited new general-fund revenue in FY2026; staff estimated total new dollars available in the general fund around $200,000. The decisions on whether to approve the specific staffing additions and CIP items will determine whether services (public safety, parks maintenance, plan review turnaround) can be maintained at current levels amid the legislative changes affecting property tax revenue flows.

What council will see next
Staff included the franchise-fee estimate in the FY2026 budget; department budget requests and recommended partial funding levels will be part of follow-up budget hearings and the council's formal budget adoption calendar.","mediaType","Video","parentTitle","February 6, 2025 Norwalk City Council Meeting","oneSentenceSummary","City department heads presented FY2026 budget proposals and adjustments during a work session. Economic Development, Fire, and Parks & Recreation described staffing requests, program reductions and revenue expectations amid uncertainty tied to House File 718.","taxTitle","Norwalk City, Warren County, Iowa","taxId",64209,"location","headline","","shortSummary",{"_33":76,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":77,"_41":78,"_43":79,"_45":80,"_47":81,"_49":82,"_51":83,"_53":84,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":85,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":86,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":68,"_72":73,"_74":73},6677287,"Norwalk council sets 1% franchise fee, approves first readings of MidAmerican gas and electric ordinances",3531,4234000,7765000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=2245650-efcd0395794bb9d40624f4608b361812&start=4234&end=7765","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/2245650-efcd0395794bb9d40624f4608b361812/thumbnail_4234000.jpg","/articles/6677287/Norwalk-City/Warren-County/Iowa/Norwalk-council-sets-1-franchise-fee-approves-first-readings-of-MidAmerican-gas-and-electric-ordinances","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6677287-ea0195472995af63ccb6e092a577d6ca/orig.mp4?Expires=1771218754&Signature=Ki18dJd7pC9cziD3eJ9LdoiOsCJmGVHjhkH1LVOImBHBeUidOXdDeuR1xVE64Q~Cw6OldxLDg6Ua5NX23l5PuTrl040mXzqa5oV5lK4MlSmjg-OojKc7dF3U6B24P4TMUNQ7xaNhmsZZfkpwlXylWFKDb07mCgzxQAOF-oI6LEooqcaUEwxQrxBMS8QAfM7~RQixvdWf6dsAdN4fbaPpJ7dvxML46Z1fLEQpJ1wYe089U6YTpGEsxjYhWGZCK6trHbLPhXg6V6nFM0hiBqyHW-aYSva5GK14OjwxZIKBOe2bOFesy~haCOEX1bSBgiB7m8ZU7C5uJRiUhowa9H7XHw__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","The Norwalk City Council set a 1% franchise fee and approved first readings of separate ordinances renewing MidAmerican Energy Company's nonexclusive natural gas and electric franchises after public comment and a lengthy council debate on Thursday.

The council held two separate public hearings, one for the natural gas franchise and one for the electric franchise, before voting to set the franchise fee amount at 1% and to approve the ordinances'first readings. City attorneys and staff told the council the 1% fee would replace the local option sales tax line item that currently appears on utility bills; under that switch, staff said customers would not see an increase on their MidAmerican bills, and all of the revenue from that 1% would be retained by Norwalk rather than being distributed across Warren County under the current sales-tax allocation.

City Manager Luke Paris and City Attorney Jim (last name on the record as Jim) explained the legal process: the council must adopt franchise ordinances by ordinance readings; state law caps local franchise fees at 5% and preserves a petition process that can force a public vote if residents collect the required signatures. Paris and Jim told the council the staff recommendation was a 1% fee this year and that any future increase above that would require the same public hearing and could be petitioned to a public vote under Iowa Code.

Residents who spoke during public comment expressed mixed views. Lynn Dewey told council she supported keeping the fee at 1% but opposed any higher rate, asking council to build in \"guardrails\" against future increases. Another speaker, Vaughn Breese, urged caution about tax increases and questioned the city's spending priorities in general.

Council members debated whether to set the rate at 1% (the staff recommendation) or higher. Councilmember Jackie (last name on the record as Jackie in transcript) argued for a larger fee (advocating for 2%) to provide more immediate revenue to cover projected shortfalls in the coming fiscal years; other council members said increasing beyond 1% risked triggering a petition and a public vote after budget adoption and would expose the city to a mid-year revenue shortfall if a petition succeeded.

To resolve the immediate procedural question, Councilmember Brown moved, and Councilmember Meineke seconded, a motion to set the percentage in the franchise ordinances to 1%. The roll call on the motion to set the percentage to 1% recorded the following votes: Councilmember Baker: yes; Councilmember Brown: yes; Councilmember Cool: yes; Councilmember Livingston: no; Councilmember Meineke: yes. After that vote, the council voted to approve the first reading of the ordinance granting the natural gas franchise and separately approved the first reading of the ordinance granting the electric franchise; those first-reading votes were recorded in the public minutes and the ordinance process will continue to the required subsequent readings.

City staff told the council that the fiscal impact of switching from the county-distributed local option sales tax to a city franchise fee is roughly $100,000 in additional revenue projected for FY2026; staff said that figure has been incorporated into the FY2026 draft budget. Staff also reminded council that some types of users (for example, tax-exempt entities) do not currently pay the local option sales tax and that any future change in the fee percentage would again be subject to legal notice, public hearings and the signature-petition option available under state law.

The council recessed after the votes and will consider further ordinance readings and any petition filings in future meetings.

Votes at a glance
- Ordinance (first reading): Grant nonexclusive natural gas franchise to MidAmerican Energy Company; franchise term 25 years; council set the franchise-fee percentage at 1% (motion to set percentage: Baker yes; Brown yes; Cool yes; Livingston no; Meineke yes). Outcome: first reading approved.
- Ordinance (first reading): Grant nonexclusive electric franchise to MidAmerican Energy Company; franchise term 25 years; council set the franchise-fee percentage at 1% (motion and roll call for ordinance first reading carried). Outcome: first reading approved.

What happens next
The ordinances require subsequent readings before final adoption. Under Iowa Code the public may gather signatures on a petition to require a citizen referendum on any franchise fee increase; staff reminded the public that petitions must meet statutory signature thresholds and deadlines in order to force an election.

Documentation of public comment and staff estimates of revenue from the franchise fee are part of the FY2026 budget documents that staff presented simultaneously with this item.","After public comment and heated council debate, Norwalk city council set a 1% franchise fee to replace the city's share of the local option sales tax on MidAmerican Energy bills and approved first readings of separate ordinances renewing 25-year gas and electric franchises.","actionData","errors"]

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Norwalk staff outline FY2026 budget pressures; departments request targeted staffing and cuts

Norwalk council sets 1% franchise fee, approves first readings of MidAmerican gas and electric ordinances