Just a month ago Webster City learned the former Natural Shrimp building, 401 Des Moines St., would be converted to a high-volume protein supplement factory run by Edible Gardens Prairie Hills, LLC.

Ultimately, the 400,000-square-foot manufacturing facility will make 100,000,000 units of the protein drink annually for an as-yet unnamed launch customer.

Last night, council approved an application for a $1,000,000 loan for Edible Gardens under the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Rural Economic Development program. The no-interest loan, will run for a term of 10 years. Edible Gardens will use the money for unspecified factory equipment.

The loan is in addition to a $6.5 million incentive package provided by the City of Webster City. This loan will be funded exclusively by tax-increment financing, not taxes.

Steven Benne, vice president, Development Finance for Iowa Area Development Group (IADG) of Des Moines, which aids business growth and expansion in Iowa, addressed the council, characterizing the USDA loans as “a unique, niche program in which utilities apply for a loan on behalf of a business.” Webster City municipal utilities will apply on behalf of Edible Gardens. An application filed by Corn Belt Power Co-Op, may potentially allow Edible Gardens to receive a total of $2,000,000.

In other actions, the city council:

• Agreed to sell 128 Apple Ave. to Becky and Bret Holdgraver for $20,000. The city acquired the property through abandonment proceedings and paid $18,065 to tear down an unoccupied home that was declared a nuisance. The Holdgravers plan to build a garage on the property.

• Set a public hearing to alert citizens the city will offer for sale two parcels of land, the first between Fair and Woolsey Avenues, the other, outlet “C” of the Lawn Hill Addition, to the highest bidder. Both parcels are on the eastern edge of the new Kwik Star convenience store on Overpass Drive. The hearing will be held June 1 at City Hall at 6:05 p.m.

• Heard a first reading of an ordinance amending Chapter 8, Section 8-29, of the Code of Webster City, pertaining to livestock within city limits, particularly households who keep chickens. The measure limits chickens on standard residential lots to six; up to 12 would be allowed on properties of an acre or more. Hens only are allowed; roosters are prohibited. Finally, chickens must be kept in the rear yard, and in an enclosure or coop.

The change in policy was reviewed by the Planning & Zoning Commission which favored enacting the changes, noting the following: “While the city does not intend to proactively police or audit existing chickens currently in the community, this ordinance provides a necessary legal framework to resolve neighbor complaints.”