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West Branch council approves multiple construction change orders, budget items and agrees to homeowner billing relief
Summary
At its July 7 meeting the West Branch City Council approved a package of construction change orders and pay estimates tied to city street projects, amended FY27 salaries, authorized use of cemetery perpetual-care funds for road work, set a public hearing on CIP implementation and agreed to provide utility-bill relief for a homeowner affected by the Cedar-Johnson Road reconstruction.
The West Branch City Council approved several resolutions and administrative actions at its July 7 regular meeting, including construction change orders and pay estimates related to local road projects, amendments to FY27 salaries, and a funding agreement for a community event.
Key approvals included Change Order #2 for the W Main Street Overlay Project (Resolution 2026-61) in the amount of $11,830.50 to install a subdrain at a widened shoulder area, and Change Order No. 5 plus Pay Estimate No. 10 for the 2025 Cedar-Johnson Road Reconstruction Project (Resolutions 2026-63 and 2026-64). The pay estimate approved to Boomerang Corp. was for $42,604.34. Motions for these items carried unanimously.
The council also amended FY27 salaries for appointed officials and employees by approving Resolution 2026-62, and approved Resolution 2026-65 authorizing use of Perpetual Care Account funds to finish a road improvement in the West Branch Cemetery. Resolution 2026-66 sets a public hearing on Capital Improvement Plan implementation, while Resolution 2026-69 authorizes a Community and Economic Development funding agreement with the Hoover’s Hometown Days Committee. Personnel action included a salary adjustment for Public Works employee Harrison Goodale (Resolution 2026-67). All listed resolutions passed by recorded voice votes with unanimous AYES where recorded.
Consent-agenda approvals included appointment of Jeff Tadlock to the Board of Adjustments; special event permits for WBHS Homecoming; multiple liquor licenses for HHTD (Hoover’s Hometown Days), Main Street West Branch and retail licenses for local stores; the May financial statement; and claims for July 7, 2026, with total expenditures reported in the transcript as $618,089.88 across funds.
During a separate agenda item on utility-bill relief, Tim and Lisa Stull of 707 Cedar-Johnson Road told the council that their property was missed in fall 2025/early spring 2026 seeding related to the reconstruction project and required sod placement in June. They said the late sod required heavy watering in June and caused approximately double their normal water usage. The council concluded the extra usage resulted from the city’s road project and the contractor’s failure to seed the property on schedule; members directed city staff to apply a credit reducing the Stulls’ water bill for the excess usage and to calculate a proportional sewer credit once the landscape meter is returned, read and calculated.
Other business: Administrator Adam Kofoed presented the final University of Iowa student CIP presentation for council consideration and said the plan will be voted on following a public hearing at the next meeting. City Engineer Dave Schechinger reported ongoing conversations with West Branch Village management about connecting to the city sewer, noting potential funding through Iowa Economic Development Association CDBG grants and a two-year project timeline.
Motions and votes noted in the minutes were largely unanimous; where movers and seconders are recorded, they are summarized in the actions list below. The meeting adjourned at 6:58 p.m.
