3 27 06 Minutes this meeting
CITY OF DUBUQUE, IOWA
COUNCIL PROCEEDINGS
OFFICIAL
City Council, Special Session, March 27, 2006
Council met in special session at 5: 15 p.m. in the Five Flags Center Majestic Room
Present: Mayor Buol, Council Members Connors, Jones, Lynch, Michalski, City Manager Van
Milligen, City Attorney Lindahl
Absent: Council Members Braig, Cline
Mayor Buol read the call and stated this is a special session of the City Council called for the
purpose of discussing Old Main Historic District Sidewalk Paving Options
Staff explained that the project consisted of three components - an asphalt street overlay,
ornamental street lighting and decorative sidewalk paving. The sidewalk portion of the project
would be assessable to the property owners, while the street overlay and decorative lighting would
not be. Several meetings were held with property owners and consensus was reached on the
street overlay and decorative lighting portions of the project. However, consensus was not
reached on the sidewalk paving. Staff recommendation included an eleven-foot buff colored
sidewalk with no "bump outs." Planning Services Manager Laura Carstens provided background
information on downtown sidewalk standards, which were adopted by the City Council in
November, 2004. Dubuque Main Street Ltd has been awarded a $100,000 grant from the City's
Historic District Public Improvement Program (HDPIP) to be used to help offset the sidewalk
assessments to the property owners in the Old Main District. However, the grant funds would only
be available if the replacement sidewalk complies with the City's standards.
City Engineer Gus Psihoyos reviewed the various cost factors for the decorative sidewalk paving
and stated that property owners would be paying less than 21 percent of the total replacement
cost. If property owners were to install the sidewalk on their own and not use the City standards
they would pay 100 percent of the total cost.
Staff stated they would be meeting again with property owners to determine the preferred
timeline for the project.
There being no further business, upon motion meeting adjourned at 6:36 p.m.
/s/ Jeanne F. Schneider, CMC
City Clerk
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