Council adopts ordinance vacating Cedar Street, approves water plant upgrades and Main Street façade grant

The Charles City Council completed the third reading and adopted Ordinance No. 11-193 to vacate and convey a portion of Cedar Street that was platted but never constructed, the mayor said. Council members moved and seconded the adoption and published the ordinance; staff said a resolution and deed to convey will appear on the next agenda.

On water infrastructure, staff member Cory presented Resolution 8125 to replace a variable frequency drive (VFD) on the main 200-horsepower pump at the water treatment plant. The item was budgeted at $30,000 but the vendor Primex provided a quote of $19,777; the council approved the purchase as a capital improvement.

Council also approved Resolution 8225 to buy the last two programmable logic controllers (PLCs) at the water plant, which staff described as outdated and difficult to replace. Members moved and passed the resolution as part of ongoing capital updates to the plant’s control systems.

Under the Charles City façade program, council approved Resolution 8325 for a project at 100 South Main Street. Laney, the business owner/applicant, said the work will add a kitchen, frame in an east-side garage door, match the existing siding and add signage that will read 'brewery plus kitchen' on the building’s north side. Councilmembers voiced support for the expansion as another dining option for the community and moved to approve the façade grant.

The council also approved a street-closure request for the Harvest Moon Festival after noting Chief Anderson had signed off on event plans. Several consent and procedural items were adopted earlier in the meeting.