Our Agency

Call to order 1:00 p.m.
Present
Dennis Plautz, Board Chairperson* Jim Halverson, Board Vice Chairperson* Mackenzie O’Hair*

Absent
Mari Bunney Chris McKee

Others Present
Matt Rasmussen, Administrator, City Development Board
Betty Hessing, Administrative Assistant, City Development Board
Emily Willits, Iowa Department of Justice
Vicky Clinkscales, IT Department, IEDA
Travis Thornburgh, Snyder & Associates. Inc., City Engineer for Polk City
Chelsea Huisman, City Manager, City of Polk City
Laura Berkley, Development & Planning Administrator, City of Davenport*
Matt Werderitch, Planner, City of Davenport*
Nathan Aronson, IDOT*
Lori Judge, IDOT*
enny Backer, Mitchell County Economic Development Director*
Erin Kokemiller, Guest*
Chris Schuling, Guest*
*Participated via Teams Webinar

Introduction by Chairperson Dennis Plautz

Roll Call by Matt Rasmussen, Board Administrator
A quorum was established.

Request for amendments to agenda
Motion by
Jim Halverson
Motion
I move to approve the agenda as presented.
Second
Mackenzie O’Hair
Roll Call
All ayes. Motion approved.

Consideration of October 12, 2022 Business Meeting Minutes
Motion by
Jim Halverson
Motion
I move the Business meeting minutes of October 12, 2022 be approved as submitted.
Second
Mackenzie O’Hair
Roll Call
All ayes. Motion approved.

Old Business
UA22-40 Polk City
Matt Rasmussen explained this was an annexation which was before the Board last month. It is a 100% voluntary annexation petition for the City of Polk City. Betty Hessing displayed the map of the annexation area and Matt Rasmussen explained that it had originally only included half of the State-owned road right-of-way and the IDOT requested the City annex the entire road right-of-way. The determination was made that the City of Polk City needed a waiver of an administrative rule. There is an administrative rule that does not allow for the addition of territory after an annexation packet has been submitted. Before the Board today is a Petition for Waiver Pursuant to Iowa Administrative Rule 263-6 which Polk City has submitted to the Board. The Board needs to determine whether to approve that request to waive that rule. Emily Willits explained further that because it is an administrative rule and not in the Iowa Code, through our rule waiver process, the Board can approve a waiver. Present were Travis Thornburgh, City Engineer for the City of Polk City and Chelsea Huisman, City Manager for the City of Polk City. Their address is 2727 SW Snyder Blvd., Ankeny, Iowa. Mr. Thornburgh stated that their reasoning for submitting this rule waiver is because this is technically a neutral territory, being a State-owned entity. I think the spirit of that rule is that you are not adding additional privately owned parcels to that territory. We were already annexing the north half of that right-of-way and it more falls in-line with the IDOT’s preferences of either taking the whole right-of-way or none of the right-of-way. Chairperson Plautz thanked Travis Thornburgh and asked if Board members had questions. Jim Halverson asked Emily Willits and Matt Rasmussen if they have reviewed the Petition for Waiver that was submitted by the City of Polk City and Emily Willits replied that she had and she wanted to make sure the Board had no objections or public comments or concerns. From Emily’s perspective, they have covered all the requirements of your waiver rule in their petition and they have touched on each of those required elements so if someone were to make a motion, just incorporate all of the reasons stated in the petition. Chairperson Plautz agreed and stated that when we start waiving administrative rules, they have to be very limited and very straightforward, which I think this one is. I think it is important that we document how limited this is and the reasons for doing it so we are not setting a precedence that would get us in trouble later by waiving rules. Emily Willits agreed. Matt Rasmussen stated the packet of information does appear to be complete and properly filed. Ms. Willits asked Betty Hessing if she sent out notices of the proposed change and Betty Hessing confirmed that she did. Chairperson Plautz asked if anyone would like to make a motion on this.
Motion by
Mackenzie O’Hair
Motion
I move the Board approve the waiver request and amended annexation request for UA22-40, Polk City, and find it to be complete and properly filed and in the public interest and that is be approved.
Second
Jim Halverson
Roll Call
All ayes. Motion approved.

New Business
UA22-42 Davenport
Matt Rasmussen reported this is a 100% voluntary annexation for the City of Davenport consisting of 25.84 acres. The proposed annexation is located at the southwest corner of Slopertown Road and Hillandale Road to the City of Davenport. The annexation will extend to the centerlines of Hillandale Road to the east and Slopertown Road to the north. It is the overall intent to add this property to the inventory of "shovel-ready" sites well suited for industrial development. The property is currently in row crops. Upon annexation, the City will discuss rezoning the property to L-1, Light Industrial District, with the respective owners. Full urban services are already in place or are nearby, including power from Mid-American Energy Company and water from Iowa-American Water Company. Municipal services including sanitary sewer, public works and emergency response will be provided by the City of Davenport. The territory is not subject to an existing moratorium agreement. County-owned right-of-way has been included in the proposal and it was properly noticed. The maps do not reflect the RIVALDD Farms property within the City limits, but that annexation (UA22-31) is now in Davenport’s city boundaries and no island will be created. Matt Rasmussen stated the packet appears to be complete and properly filed.

Davenport representatives, Laura Berkley, Development & Planning Administrator and Matt Werderitch, Planner, were present to answer questions. No questions were asked.
Motion by
Jim Halverson
Motion
I move the Board finds UA22-42 as complete and properly filed and in the public interest and that is be approved.
Second
Mackenzie O’Hair
Roll Call
All ayes. Motion approved.
Staff Reports

Matt Rasmussen stated we do expect to receive three to four annexation petitions within the next couple weeks so the Board should plan to have the December 14th meeting. Also, we did have a public hearing scheduled for today at 1:30 p.m. and we have rescheduled that for 1:30 p.m. on December 14th, immediately following the December 14th City Development Board meeting. Emily Willits did not have a staff report.
Future Meeting/ Public Hearing December 14, 2022, at 1:00 p.m., City Development Board Business Meeting at IEDA, 1963 Bell Ave., Suite 200, Helmick Conference Room, Des Moines or via Teams Webinar. December 14, 2022, at 1:30 p.m., Runnells (NC22-38) Public Hearing at IEDA, 1963 Bell Ave., Suite 200, Helmick Conference Room, Des Moines or via Teams Webinar.

Adjourn
1:17 p.m.
Respectfully Submitted,
Betty Hessing, Administrative Assistant