April 24, 2009
By MELANIE LAGESCHULTE
REGISTER WRITER
Plans for a new City Hall-library in the Prairie Trail development took another step forward Monday as City Council members voted 5-0 to seek a lease-purchase agreement for the proposed building.
Officials have said that once designs and costs are refined, the city will seek an agreement for the project with DRA Properties, the master developer for Prairie Trail. The cost of the City Hall-library plan, as voted on Monday, is not to exceed $23 million.
Council members Monday also approved an updated document detailing the civic trust fund agreement with DRA by a vote of 5-0. The developer pays into the trust fund based on the amount of money the city spends on streets, utilities and other improvements to Prairie Trail. Officials also voted 5-0 to increase the amount of civic trust fund money earmarked for the Future Farmers of America state headquarters in Prairie Trail to $1.25 million from $1 million.
Plans for the Rock Creek sewer project proposed by Polk County were approved 5-0. Council members at a meeting earlier this year rejected a proposal that called for Ankeny to build a portion of the sewer. That would have required area residents wishing to hook into the city-built part of the project to sign documents saying they would not protest possible annexation by Ankeny.
The revised plan voted on Monday calls for Polk County to build that section of the sewer project. The change would mean residents would not need to sign annexation agreements with Ankeny to access the service.
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