FD council considers river works and utility bond fees

A Des Moines River project and an agreement that could help secure a federal grant for a new recreation center are on the agenda for tonight’s Fort Dodge City Council meeting.

The meeting will begin at 5:00 PM at the Municipal Building, 819 First Ave. S., with an update from the Beacon of Hope shelter. The Beacon of Hope is a men’s homeless shelter located at 1021 First Ave. N.

The council’s regular meeting begins at 6 p.m. in the municipal building.

During that session, the council will consider awarding a contract to build more jetties that will extend into the Des Moines River. A series of six jetties were built near where the Kleine Dam once stood.

Doyle Construction, of Fort Dodge, submitted the apparently low bid of about $1.4 million for the project.

Also on the agenda is a proposed agreement between the city and the privately owned Fort Dodge Community Recreation Center. The agreement creates the framework under which the two entities would apply for federal Inflation Reduction Act grants to help pay for the construction of a new recreation center.

Building a new recreation center has been a goal for more than a decade. At that time, new centers were proposed at First Avenue South and Sixth Street and in the 900 block of First Avenue South in connection with a planned renovation of Warden Plaza and construction of a multimodal transportation center.

The municipality will also consider increasing the deposit that new residents must pay when registering for the water and sewer service. That fee has been $100 since July 2003. The proposal before the council would increase it to $200.

Reconnection fees charged to customers whose water service is disconnected due to unpaid bills would increase from $60 to $105 under the proposal.