Keota Council Discusses Trailer Bid

KEOTA – During the March 4 meeting of the Keota City Council, the council discussed a second bid from Trials and Tribulations Ministry, a non-profit operating out of Washington, for the trailer home located at the Green Street property. Trials and Tribulations Ministry previously had City Administrator Alycia Horras randomly choose between four different envelopes containing different bid amounts. The envelope chosen by Horras contained a bid for $500 and was addressed to the city of Keokuk. During the council’s Feb. 5 meeting, this bid was rejected, on the grounds that it was not addressed to the right city.

Darren Brown of Trials and Tribulations attended the Monday meeting and apologized for any discomfort he may have caused. Brown stated he did not mean to imply with the bid amount that he thought the city should just give him the trailer because Trials and Tribulations is a non-profit. He explained that he plans to give the trailer to a woman who attends his church. This woman currently lives in a trailer in Keota, which Brown has watched deteriorate over time. Brown noted that the city requires trailers be placed on concrete slabs, which will be costly.

Brown stated that he had struggled with how much to bid, going back and forth between bidding $500, $750, $1,000, or $1,500. Brown stated that he decided to leave it up to God, via the random choice, and that he would have stood by whatever bid was chosen. Brown’s second bid was also for $500, a number which he believes is God’s will. Councilman Curt Burroughs stated that, “in his walk with God,” there is “no time for chance.” Burroughs stated that the council did not know Brown and that the original bid looked manipulative at the time.

Brown explained that the misspelling of the town name was a mistake and that he also works with a homeless center in Keokuk. He pointed out that he personally delivered the bid to the city, meaning it was clear who the bid was addressed to. Councilman Matt Greiner stated that the bid was rejected because he was unsure if the city could legally accept it. Greiner stated that the rejection was not about money. Burroughs agreed, stating the city would have sold the trailer for $1.

Councilman Keith Conrad asked for a timeline on moving the trailer. Brown stated he would hope to move it by May or sooner, although that will be dependent on him finding someone local to pour the foundation. He stated that he can do the foundation himself, if needed, but it would take longer. Brown stated that there was a property in town that might let him keep the trailer there until the foundation is poured. The other councilmen agreed a timeline was important and that they did not want the project to drag on. Councilman Mike Bender stated the city had been “burned” by people not meeting timelines in the past.

Burroughs explained that the concrete slab requirement was made to encourage people to move their trailers out of town, but that he does see Brown’s vision. Bender stated that he wants to see the trailer moved out of town, not in. He stated that he likes the idea of helping a family, but the city is a business that they need to make better. Brown stated he would make the project a priority, move the trailer by the end of May, and have the project completed by July or August. The council approved selling the trailer to Trials and Tribulations Ministry, contingent on Brown and the zoning administrator agreeing to a timeline.

Bender stated that he had met with Adam Clark of the Sigourney City Council to discuss possibly sharing law enforcement. Clark and Bender discussed having Keota pay monthly to have Sigourney PD officers work part-time in Keota. This agreement has been approved by the Sigourney Safety Committee, but has not been approved by the Sigourney City Council. Councilman Heath McDonald stated he liked the idea of monthly payments and the city not being held liable for police lawsuits. Greiner stated the city should reach out to the officers who previously talked about working part-time for the city and let them know.

Horras informed the council that she had been contacted by the Keokuk County Assessor’s Office, who informed her that the urban revitalization area, established by city ordinances in 2012, had expired in April of 2022, meaning the city can not offer tax abatement. The council amended the ordinances so the urban revitalization are will persist until repealed by the city and renewed the tax abatement program.

The council discussed 2017 zoning ordinances that require new homes to be built at least 25 feet from the road. Houses built before the ordinance went into effect have been grandfathered into having houses closer to the road. The city has received several requests over the years from homeowners wanting to build garages in line with their houses. In the past, these requests have been handed over to the adjustment board, who have historically rejected the building of garages closer to the road. The council amended the zoning ordinance to allow garages to be built in line with houses, with council approval.

The council discussed two possible bids for grass mowing at the city cemetery, a $24,000 bid from Scott Westendorf and a $19,000 bid from Alex Deeks. Westendorf has mowed the city cemetery for years and the members of the council are satisfied with his work. Westendorf also offered to let the city look in the price at $24,000 for three years. McDonald stated it would be a good idea to lock in a price, because prices will go up in the future due to inflation. Greiner agreed and pointed out that Westendorf employs kids in the community. Burroughs pointed out that Westendorf’s proposal is to mow the entire cemetery weekly, while Deeks’s is to mow half of the cemetery weekly. Burroughs stated that the citizens are happy with Westendorf. Conrad and Bender both stated that, if it isn’t broke, don’t fix it, with Bender repeating that it is good that Westendorf hires local kids. The council approved Westendorf’s bid.

The council gave support to Keota Unlimited in seeking a grant from the Washington County Riverboat Foundation to put up way signs in Keota. The council gave Horras approval to seek out a grant from the Miller-Meeks Community Project Funding program. Grants from this program are offered for communities with populations under 10,000 and can be used for improvements to water and wastewater. The council hopes the grant, if given, will pay for most of the cost of switching to rural water, which could cost $2,000,000 or more. Horras noted that the grant required at least 25% of a project’s funding come from non-federal sources. The council also agreed to write personal letters in support of the project.

The council discussed changes to the city’s insurance due to the acquisition of the property on Fulton Street. The city bought this property to use the land surrounding it, but has agreed to continue renting it to a woman living there. Greiner pointed out that the city bought the building just to tear it down and suggested the city only insure it for liability reasons. The council approved getting only the bare minimum insurance for the building.

The council discussed buying a Side-by-side for city employee usage. The council set April 1 as the date of a property tax hearing. Horras noted that the max levy will likely be half a percent lower this year.