Resident asks council to review unpaid alley improvement in Valley Junction; staff to survey property owners

Dr. Vicky Long Hill told the West Des Moines City Council on Sept. 2 that one alley included in the Valley Junction Alley Improvements Phase 10 remains unpaid and requested the council pull the consent agenda item so the council could discuss the parcel. The alley is located on the east side of Tenth Street, north from the railroad, and Dr. Long Hill told the council it is the only alley in that Valley Junction paving project that has not been paid. She said she knocked on doors and collected signatures from most property owners but believed at least one property owner had been opposed in the past and that a business adjacent to the alley — identified in testimony as "Colorado Feed" and a food truck — also uses the alley frequently. City Engineer Brian Hemisette told the council staff had not recently re-surveyed property owners in the area and that in prior phases the project was delayed because a majority of owners initially did not grant access for the work. Hemisette said the practical issue is securing permission to enter private property to perform sewer or gravel work and then restore the surface. Council members said they did not want to delay the paving for other property owners. The mayor proposed leaving the consent agenda item on the agenda for approval that night and handling the alley question at the Public Services meeting the following Monday at 11:30. City staff said they will add the item to the Public Services pipeline, re-survey property owners and report back; if property owners sign off staff will "tack on" the alley to the next paving run. No formal change to assessments or to the consent agenda was approved Sept. 2; the recorded action was direction to place the alley on the Public Services meeting agenda for follow-up and surveying of property owners.