Johnston council approves multiple infrastructure contracts, TIF amendment and easement; rezoning item withdrawn

The Johnston City Council on April 14, 2025 approved a string of infrastructure contracts and a tax-increment financing amendment, and granted a gas-pipeline easement, while a separate rezoning request was withdrawn by the applicant.

The council approved plans and awarded construction contracts for multiple public-works projects, including the Northwest Cedar Hill Drive water-main project (segments B and C) and the Little Beaver Creek sanitary-sewer extension (segment B). Staff told the council engineers' cost estimates for the larger water-main and sewer projects were roughly $9 million and $8.7 million, respectively, and the low bids came in substantially below those estimates. Councilors also approved a Merle Hay Road water-trail access project and an overlay/overlay-related amendment to the East Central urban renewal plan that increases the budget for certain Merle Hay corridor improvements.

Why it matters: the projects add or upgrade water, sewer and trail access in parts of Johnston and use tax-increment financing (TIF) and city capital funds. Several contracts were awarded at prices well under engineers' estimates, a detail council members noted during the meeting.

Most important votes and contract awards

- Northwest Cedar Hill Drive water main (segments B and C): council opened the public hearing, received three bids for segments B and C and approved the project. The engineer's opinion of probable cost was $9,029,107.25; staff reported the low bid from OnTrack Construction at $6,704,779 (about 25% under estimate). The council…