The Muscatine City Council will conduct four public hearings and vote on the sale of Tom Bruner Field to the Muscatine School District during its first meeting of July this Thursday (July 6).
The City Council will meet at 6 p.m. Thursday in the Council Chambers at Muscatine City Hall. The public is welcomed, and encouraged, to attend the meeting in person.
The City Council session will also be broadcast live on the City of Muscatine YouTube channel and on Civic-TV (Muscatine Power & Water Cable Channel 2). A virtual meeting option is available upon request by emailing Kevin Jenison, Communications Director. (kjenison@muscatineiowa.gov)
Council members and audience members will enter into a freshly painted City Council Chambers Thursday night, part of a renovation project for the chambers. Since Council did not meet for the past two weeks, the Building and Grounds Division of the Public Works Department was able to clean and paint the Council chambers.
This is just the first part of the renovation project that will also include new carpet and new chairs for the audience.
The first public hearing will be on a proposed ordinance amending the Home Occupations section of the Muscatine City Code (Title 10, Section 4, Chapter 20) to bring it into compliance with the Iowa Code on Home Occupations adopted in June 2022. The Muscatine section was adopted in 2018.
Home occupations are an important part of any local economy and a critical component of allowing the local economy to grow through the entrepreneurial activities of its residents. These regulations foster the establishment of new businesses by eliminating the need for some small businesses to rent commercial space, a factor which could make all the difference to a new business.
Allowing work at home can save commuting and child care costs, and can give those who might be unable to work outside of the home, including single parents, the elderly and the disabled, an opportunity to earn a living. However, any benefits of home occupations must be balanced with neighbors’ rights not to be disturbed by excessive noise, odors, traffic and other nuisances that are not characteristic of a residential area.
The next two public hearings regard the vacation and disposal of a right-of-way adjacent to Tom Bruner Field, and an easement agreement allowing for encroachment of Tom Bruner Field on an adjoining City owned parcel. The final public hearing is in regards to vacating a sewer easement at 2417 Grandview Avenue.
The Council is also schedule to act on:
- Using $350,000 of American Rescue Plan Act funds as a donation to the Mulberry Health Clinic Building Project;
- Approve entering the U.S. Department of Energy’s Solsmart Program that is aimed at making it easier to use solar energy systems;
- Approve an agreement with the Iowa Department of Transportation accepting a Federal Transit Administration ARPA grant for MuscaBus operating expenses;
- Set a July 20 public hearing on an ordinance amending Nuisance Regulations contained within City Code.
Information on the other agenda items can be found by clicking AGENDA to download a PDF version of the City Council agenda and/or attachments. The agenda contains the link for the virtual meeting.