A lot is going on in Perry, according to Perry City Administrator Sven Peterson, who stopped by the weekly lunch meeting of the Perry Kiwanis to share details.
Peterson began by discussing the housing tax abatement that was passed by the Perry City Council in September.
New single family units will receive a five-year property tax abatement, he said, and existing units in which improvements are made will be eligible for a five-year abatement of up to 20 percent of the increased assessed value of the home.
There has been no new home building for at least five years in Perry, Peterson told the Kiwanians.
Peterson discussed several housing units currently under construction or soon to be. On Eighth Street across from the Perry Elementary School will be three duplexes. These are called Casalina Chateau.
The Sunflower Flats development near Eighth and North streets is also expected to have several single family units or duplexes, according to the city administrator.
The Hamlin-Bell Apartments and Willis Avenue Apartments will be opening in late winter or early spring, Peterson said.
The city is working with AccuJet to jet and camera the sanitary sewer system. Two sections are yet to be completed. Some sections of sewer no longer contain sewer pipes because the pipes have rotted away. These missing pipes are also being replaced.
Peterson said 42 repairs have been made, and there will be a video record of the sewer system for future reference. Federal grants are helping with this project.
The soccer complex at Pattee Park will be re-seeded. This soccer-field project was originally planned to be completed in three stages, but the bids were low enough to allow this project to be completed all at once.
Peterson said the McCreary Community Building needs a new roof. He plans to replace it and pay it off over three years with local option sales tax revenues. The MCB also has much of its original equipment in place and is nearly 35 years old. Most of this will need to be updated in the near future, Peterson said.
The old bridge crossing Frog Creek on Willis Avenue is scheduled for re[placement. The original bids were about $300,000, Peterson said, so new bids will be taken for this project.
The First Avenue plaza is under new ownership. Work is currently being done on the parking lot.
A second round of interviews for a new Perry Building Official were held last week, Peterson said. The building official will also serve as the city’s compliance officer. The city might also hire a part-time compliance officer in the summer, he said.
Peterson also noted there are 50 to 60 houses in town that are dilapidated and need work in order to be brought back to a safe condition. Many of these properties have absentee owners who bought them at tax sales.
Peterson said the owner will be contacted by the city and if they do not make repairs, then the buildings may be taken over by the city under Chapter 657 of the Iowa Code. They then may be torn down or sold.
Welcoming Peterson was three-year Perry Kiwanis member Hank Schmidt. Photograph by Doug Wood Perry Kiwanis Secretary.
