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Monday night the City Council of Webster City voted unanimously to buy 545 Second Street, once home to Kelly's Bar & Grill, from owner Cindy Bettis, for $65,000. This clears the way for the city to dispose of the property, selling it to new owners, or as is widely expected, demolishing it. The building is next-door to the former Coulter's Drapery Shop, vacant for over five years, and officially classified as structurally unsafe since August, 2023.
Councilman John Marvel, a downtown businessman who's interested and engaged in downtown revitalization, hailed the action as "a great example of what we need to be doing downtown."
Marvel added, "a lot of us believe in preservation (of downtown's historic buildings), but we need to be realistic." City Development Director, Ariel Bertran, said the city was "being proactive" in downtown revitalization in moving forward with the purchase.
Marvel, other council members and downtown interests have prioritized removal of barricades in front of three unstable buildings downtown, and it appears that work may now proceed. The city has taken ownership of 707 Second Street, home to the Lotus Treasures thrift shop, and has plans to stabilize its eastern wall, which is in seriously degraded condition, and site of a barricade. This will enable Lotus to resume operation of its store. Some combination of TIF funds and a hoped-for grant will pay for the project.
Council also approved a proposal from Tasler, Inc. asking the city to allow an interconnection between a planned 145 KW solar-powered electrical generator on its property, and the city's electric grid. Ryan Orton, Interim Electric Utility Supervisor, explained three other solar installations; Brigg's Woods, Van Tech and Murray McMurray Hatchery, are already connected to city lines with such interconnectors, and no problems have arisen.
The agreement between Tasler and the city requires the company to reimburse the city for any connection, switching, metering, transmission, distribution, safety or administrative costs. The city can also require Tasler to filter any interference to telephone, radio, TV or other reception
caused by the new installation, should that occur. Corn Belt Electric Co-Op, has agreed to buy any excess power generated at the Tasler facility.
In other action, Council:
•passed a second reading of an ordinance amending the Code of Webster City, Chapter 46, Article X, Section 46-435, which would allow three-wheeled golf cars to be operated on city streets. Council also waived the required third reading, and passed and adopted the measure.
Up to now, only four-wheeled golf carts have been allowed. The code amendment came at the request of a citizen who owns a three-wheeled golf cart.
•agreed to accept a $292,550 bid from Carrico Aquatic Resources of Oelwein, to replace the filter, pump and piping at the outdoor pool. Recreation Director Breann Lesher told council members that the present filter and pump, installed in 2004 or earlier, had "reached the end of its useful life."
Lesher said she recommended Carrico as it offered "a comprehensive proposal," providing a "turnkey solution" for the project. The work will be scheduled after next summer's pool season. Although the present equipment remains operative it could fail at any time, which would cause closure of the pool. "We're being proactive here," Lesher said.