[{"_1":2,"_99":-5,"_100":-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",[32,75,87],{"_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",5977568,"mediaKeyId","5838724-7bb1358e424af14c417037660599da1f","parentId",5838724,"title","City reports near-complete closeout of EPA Brownfields grants, cleanup at Reliance Battery site","audioSeconds",181,"startMs",20875,"endMs",202275,"viewUrl","/Search/View?dp=1&key=5838724-7bb1358e424af14c417037660599da1f&start=20&end=202","thumbnailUrl","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/5838724-7bb1358e424af14c417037660599da1f/thumbnail_20875.jpg","articleUrl","/articles/5977568/Council-Bluffs/Pottawattamie-County/Iowa/City-reports-near-complete-closeout-of-EPA-Brownfields-grants-cleanup-at-Reliance-Battery-site","mediaUrl","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/5977568-15393edc183865b9b57edde9816901ad/orig.mp4?Expires=1771193559&Signature=RQVMpg8RfykVvFGUuXzw6agPSaTxDwvNPf2EyzuzfFcN61Q4tfksvcDSC4-v5YVfq1kGum0WH08psV5~IDluPqRIS-IkdXzkBiVTQo8mPLkUC4SzOrtLFdV0J-8sS1fllHWfKVKhwdcvT772SBNUlLfEZCi6DqN5rDMK76A3k8iLoTOL8HWOfGjrHg8IDouW3pPUdKFMzw2RA8uZOeJmcmie9K352tfJ9KlxSj3plpODTXaixREH1Y1VRQlsQWXjNWRb3DiQhP5snjhQc8n9K91AG5Gym9q1BgniYhX1LDWtMXWHcvyL8rZDvSZD7KsT95r4jsHziQhMO4BWBsngyA__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","author","City of Council Bluffs, Iowa","date","2025-09-22T00:00:00Z","article","City staff told the Council Bluffs City Council that two EPA Brownfields grants are nearly closed out and that cleanup work at the former Reliance Battery Factory near Eighth and 22nd Avenue removed contaminated soil and enrolled the site in the state land-recycling program.

The update matters because the properties examined and remediated are in or adjacent to residential neighborhoods and the work affects what redevelopment or housing can occur on those parcels.

Staff said the first grant, an EPA Brownfields assessment grant of $300,000 that began in October 2020, supported preliminary work to identify potential contamination on properties the city or community might redevelop. \"We actually have two grants open right now, and this is just really a closeout that we're required to do just to give an update to the community about how we performed,\" the staff member said. The project produced 11 Phase I environmental site assessments, four Phase II assessments and two site-specific cleanup actions. Staff said the city spent about 95% of that assessment grant and may request a short extension or reprogramming to allow additional testing at the former battery factory site.

On the cleanup grant, staff said the city received $500,000 from the EPA for cleanup work and matched that amount with $100,000 in Community Development Block Grant (CDBG) funds. \"We actually came in under budget, but we're probably going to have to spend that if we can't get something because there's a little bit more testing that has to happen,\" the staff member said. The presenter reported that crews excavated what was described in the meeting as 660,000 cubic yards of lead- and arsenic-contaminated soil, plus an additional 1,900 cubic yards that required excavation and backfill; the staff member attributed those figures to the project reporting.

As part of enrolling the site in the land-recycling program, staff said the city collected about 80 samples across the area to establish background arsenic and lead levels in adjacent properties. The presenter said most measurements were consistent with those baselines but that three locations in the public right-of-way and one location on a neighboring property still require clarification. For the neighboring private parcel, staff said the city will need the landowner's permission before conducting additional testing: \"If they decide they don't want us to do that testing, we won't.\"

Staff also listed the required administrative steps completed during the cleanup: an alternatives analysis, quality assurance planning and the action report needed to close the grant. No new council action was requested at the meeting; staff said the cleanup grant is scheduled to close at the end of the month but that the city may seek a short extension if additional testing is authorized by the EPA.

The next steps, as described by staff, are to (1) attempt to secure EPA approval to reprogram remaining assessment funds for additional tests at the former battery site, (2) arrange testing with the private landowner if the owner consents, and (3) submit any required short-extension request to the EPA to finish sampling and close out the grant.","mediaType","Video","parentTitle","City of Bluffs City Council Sep 22, 2025","oneSentenceSummary","City staff told the Council Bluffs City Council that two EPA Brownfields grants are nearly closed out and that cleanup work at the former Reliance Battery Factory near Eighth and 22nd Avenue removed contaminated soil and enrolled the site in the state land-recycling program.","taxTitle","Council Bluffs, Pottawattamie County, Iowa","taxId",25021,"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},5977558,"Contractor and resident raises cost concerns over SUDAS 'thickened edge' sidewalk requirement",241,1219980,1461565,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=5838724-7bb1358e424af14c417037660599da1f&start=1219&end=1461","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/5838724-7bb1358e424af14c417037660599da1f/thumbnail_1219980.jpg","/articles/5977558/Council-Bluffs/Pottawattamie-County/Iowa/Contractor-and-resident-raises-cost-concerns-over-SUDAS-thickened-edge-sidewalk-requirement","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/5977558-69142f22e39ebbc134cea7d3a022333b/orig.mp4?Expires=1771193559&Signature=gZA-WY4h2ikpL4AFCQU7oh4jSSSQER0UA5Y3uVDkSKhU7Ujk6RAg7ZmeoCVDDQLizyMm0ugDnbxWr0tt5epEi4astN3XAOVBjQi7z9q8swqetVh0CbuGahdWeEyvXbdRXjtW~MhkqqB2xB4x6PmkO69aXiROc5tZGLDQ~Rd0tDPPHsVI6k6SyXxIsv0D0PyrzLByoXL3AsZJo49D1yuXuplNFJ9YXkz0ok2cK1OmNweON0P~eSuBFwhiR1giuevpSceKT5lIBNYyymmfyekoaWBQnPNHQvgHkVk70tzLC9f5NDG6-wIIbNG14k0uYdI5cciG5h4qPm2nsMeBY6GLJw__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","John Avey, a local concrete contractor, told the Council Bluffs City Council that new emphasis on a SUDAS sidewalk detail requiring a 12-inch \"thickened edge\" where sidewalks abut the curb is increasing costs for homeowners and may be unnecessary in residential settings.

The matter matters because the requirement changes repair and replacement costs for residential sidewalks and because the city uses SUDAS (the statewide municipal standard) as its construction manual; any deviation raises questions about cost, durability and legal risk.

Avey, who identified himself as the owner of a concrete company and gave his address to the record, said the thickened edge detail—described in the meeting as 12 inches deep by 12 inches wide that then feathers back to the standard 4-inch sidewalk—adds substantial materials and labor costs. He cited a recent bid in which a homeowner would pay \"almost $2,000 extra just in concrete and labor\" for the thickened edge. Avey suggested alternatives such as adding a few pieces of rebar to increase flexural strength, and he warned that in freezing climates the heavier thickened edge could lead to differential frost movement and cracking at the change in section. \"This is just one thing that doesn't make sense,\" Avey said.

A councilmember asked whether the change is recent; Avey said it has become enforced more strictly this year and that the detail historically applied to commercial work. A staff member responded that the city adopted the SUDAS manual and that deviating from SUDAS could expose the city to legal risk: \"SUDAS really protects the city. And so if we vary from the SUDAS requirements, then attorneys can litigate against the city because SUDAS recommended one standard and we agreed to a lesser standard.\" The staff member said they would follow up and invited Avey to share contact information.

No council action was taken at the meeting on the sidewalk standard. The staff member asked Avey to provide contact information and said staff would review the concern and follow up with the contractor.","Resident and concrete contractor John Avey told the council that a recent emphasis on SUDAS sidewalk standards requiring a 12-inch thickened edge where sidewalks meet curbs is increasing homeowner costs, and he urged the city to consider alternatives such as reinforcement; staff said SUDAS protects the city and staff will follow up.",{"_33":88,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":89,"_41":90,"_43":91,"_45":92,"_47":93,"_49":94,"_51":95,"_53":96,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":97,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":98,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":68,"_72":73,"_74":73},5977563,"Council authorizes consultant selection process for 2050 comprehensive plan and downtown master plan",625,391930,1017154,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=5838724-7bb1358e424af14c417037660599da1f&start=391&end=1017","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/5838724-7bb1358e424af14c417037660599da1f/thumbnail_391930.jpg","/articles/5977563/Council-Bluffs/Pottawattamie-County/Iowa/Council-authorizes-consultant-selection-process-for-2050-comprehensive-plan-and-downtown-master-plan","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/5977563-17cc36314e1aad7bf4c948b20020523c/orig.mp4?Expires=1771193559&Signature=nqioRVDqOckoWxTv1a68Yw~bLlk5BujAtGwop7gBWevXShyXzz4klndamZ0KVuo67hunBR1fjrAoMVNeUbjx~00uR4GQRcGR5GkDQqPHMslYIrh6k8UCFc3NCaW84~HPrii3cAfP1PdZJm9t6Lv4fTNrrSJ5Juc1wzvnz0eEDzyH1DAi9OKGhlpXdBQcjCB7shlA9xxBPi7S7Ndg4jkgynLvq~oxejPG6P-Do10l~rZcCDNXs0dmV8k23-dePnb3J5k~gJDSZkKS~9e2yBwjhlpLE2EoI4G1mxtq~4UPqLPwDcAIRiBoTgTTD9Tk3eQsvDsu1KjZaA21TS34lpY3~g__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","The Council Bluffs City Council voted to authorize staff to select a consultant or consultant team to prepare a 2050 comprehensive plan and an updated downtown master plan, a process staff said will include robust community engagement and is funded by previously budgeted money.

The decision matters because the comprehensive plan guides land use, development and downtown priorities for years; the city’s current plan is set to lapse in 2026 and staff said an update will help set policy through mid-century.

A resolution before the council (Resolution 25-246) authorized the community development director to select the consultant team. A staff member told the council the city budgeted $600,000 for the work last year and that the update will also include a focused downtown plan that has not been revisited in roughly 20 years. \"From last year's comprehensive plan, we budgeted the $600,000,\" the staff member said. The staff member described a planned process that includes issuing an RFP, evaluating proposals to meet the city's objectives within that budget, and conducting at least three to four public meetings plus focus groups with staff, elected officials and boards.

Council debate centered on timing and scope. One councilmember urged the importance of planning and said, \"If you fail the plan, you're planning for failure,\" arguing for being proactive. Other councilmembers expressed concern about an 18‑month schedule and said the timeline should allow extra time to address any issues that arise; the staff member said completing the project within 18 months would leave a window to correct problems before the current plan expires in 2026.

No changes to funding were made at the meeting; the resolution authorized the selection process, not a contract award. The next steps are issuance of the RFP, proposal evaluations, consultant selection and a series of public engagement events to develop the draft plan for future council review.","The City Council approved a resolution to authorize staff to select a consultant or consultant team to prepare the 2050 Council Bluffs comprehensive plan and a downtown master plan update, with staff saying $600,000 was budgeted and public participation will include multiple meetings and focus groups.","actionData","errors"]

Article not found

City reports near-complete closeout of EPA Brownfields grants, cleanup at Reliance Battery site

Contractor and resident raises cost concerns over SUDAS 'thickened edge' sidewalk requirement

Council authorizes consultant selection process for 2050 comprehensive plan and downtown master plan