The Indianola City Council met in regular session Monday evening. The council was presented with options from city staff on how to proceed with the Streetscape Project after a lone bid came in well over the projected $6.8 million, including rejecting the bid and rebidding the project at a later date, awarding the contract and using possible funds from the American Rescue Plan, using Local Option Sales Tax funding, or issuing additional bonds. After dozens of public comments both against and for going ahead with the project, the council voted 7-0 in favor of accepting the bid and discussed using available LOSST (Local Option Sales and Service Tax) funds to make up the deficit.
The council also approved the second reading of an ordinance to change the traffic on the downtown square from one-way to two-way traffic, a resolution approving recycling services for appliance and electronics drop-off, an increase in the stormwater utility fees from $2 to $6 per equivalent residential unit and an event application for the Friday Night Live Concert Series this summer before going into closed session to discuss litigation.