At the Wilton City Council meeting on July 25, Wilton Development Corporation Director Becky Allgood announced that construction on Chandler Pointe, the new assisted living complex on W. Fifth Street, is now 70 percent complete.
When finished, Chandler Pointe will offer 35 one- and two-bedroom apartments. Four will be leased at market rates.
Allgood said the complex’s developer, Woda Cooper Companies, Inc., informed her that it will begin interviewing potential tenants in the near future.
She plans to meet with the developer this week to learn more information.
At a previous council meeting, Allgood reported that there were more than 30 parties interested in applying for an apartment at Chandler Pointe.
Maker space open house
Allgood invited council members to attend an open house for the new “maker space” at the Wilton Public Library on August 24 from 5 to 7 p.m.
A maker space is a community workspace that contains equipment residents can use to experiment with designing, building, and creating different projects.
The open house will feature food and beverages, as well as a live band. Attendees will have the opportunity to try out the new technology featured in the space.
Additional WDC updates
Allgood shared that she will be a panelist at the 2022 Iowa Downtown Conference in Pella, where she will discuss several of the positive aspects of Wilton’s downtown revitalization.
Potential pool building concerns
City Administrator Jeff Horne said he talked with Pool Director Stephanie Willey to review several maintenance concerns with the pool building and its mechanicals. The pool is temporarily closed due to a problem with its pump system.
After talking with Willey, Horne reached out to a structural engineering firm from Ankeny and a local contractor who does tuckpointing. He asked both to evaluate the pool building and its blueprints.
Horne said their findings would be shared with the Rec Center Committee and discussed during an upcoming joint school board / city council meeting.
“It was a big enough issue that we thought we should meet together,” he said. He expects the joint school board / city council meeting to occur in August or September.
“We thought it was important for the Rec Center Committee as as well to know what we were up against fully with the [pool] building before we go forward with [rec center plans] at all,” he added.
Wilton is in the process of designing a recreation center. The city and school district have a tentative agreement to construct it on the grounds of the former elementary building.
Other Administrative Updates
Horne said the city’s sidewalk project is “going right along,” and work has commenced on the restrooms at Cherrydale Park.
Horne attended the 2022 Iowa City/County Management Association Summer Conference in Lake Rathbun.
Horne said he and Wilton Ambulance Director Nick Frommelt are making progress with on working through a significant amount of Medicare billing tasks for the ambulance service.
Inventive grants approved
Council approved inventive grant applications for the Wilton Candy Kitchen and former Star Drug Store building. A total of $5,852.11 was reumbursed for interior and exterior improvments at both buildings.
Local businesses are encouraged to apply for the interior and exterior incentive grant programs, which cover the cost of one third of qualifying repairs up to $4,500 for each application.
Update on UTV/ATV ordinance revisions
Council member Bill Voss asked Horn and Police Chief Dave Clark for an update on the city’s plan to revise Wilton’s UTV/ATV ordinances, in light of changes at the state level.
Iowa adopted a statewide UTV/ATV law July 1 that allows riders to operate in all 99 counties as long as they observe certain requirements.
Cities are allowed to enact community ordinances regarding UTV/ATV use as they see fit, as long as there isn’t a charge for a permit.
Horne said he and Clark are still working on revising the city’s ordinance, and will bring something before council at a future meeting.
Other items
Mayor Keith Stanley recognized the Wilton High School Girls Varisty Softball Team. “We’re very proud of them and the way they represented the Wilton community,” Stanley said.
Morgan Jones was hired to work for the city’s public works department.
Council plans to discuss wages for Wilton Ambulance members at the next council meeting.
The community center has updated interior paint and stage lighting.
Council approved a property tax abatement request for a property in town.
Council approved a resolution ammending the language of a personel policy.
Council member Ted Marolf announced that the Second Annual Freedom Rock Smorgasboard is scheduled for Labor Day, Monday, September 5.
The Wilton High School Alumni Association will be performing a play called “The Pony Expresso” during Founders Day, Friday August 19 and Saturday August 20, at the Masonic Temple Lodge.
Council member Steve Owens shared his observation that the demolition work for the sidwalk repair project has left wide spaces on either side of the sidewalk that need to be later filled in by city crews. This is due to the size of the skid steer bucket being utilized. Owens enquired whether the contractor could use a smaller-width bucket on future phases of the project. Horne said it would depend on equipment available to the contractor.