October 16, 2008
By OLSON GUNNAR
REGISTER STAFF WRITER
More than 43 percent of Ankeny’s $37.8 million wish list of projects in 2009 would be spent in the Prairie Trail development, according to a proposed plan presented Monday to the Ankeny City Council.
That compares to roughly 26 percent for transportation projects elsewhere, about 14 percent for water and sewer projects and about 11 percent for ongoing maintenance of streets, parks and utilities.
The document, called the capital improvements plan, reflects the council’s goal of trying to establish Ankeny as a regional business center but also its goal of maintaining the existing parts of the city, City Manager Carl Metzger said in an interview Tuesday.
“It’s critical that the CIP reflect … a balance between reinvesting in what we have and investing in the future,” he said.
The plan, which is updated annually, would cover the next five years, starting in calendar year 2009. It represents what officials would like to do but it doesn’t give actual approval to any one project. The city council would have to approve each one by separate votes.
The biggest share of the money during the next five years – 39 percent – would go into Prairie Trail and the Crosswinds business park. The second biggest share – 35 percent – would go toward road, bridge and other transportation projects.
The city council is expected to approve the plan, not necessarily in the form presented Monday, by December.
However, Metzger cautioned the council members Monday that the plan was subject to change.
“There’s some areas where we just don’t have enough information to feed it into the capital improvements program,” he said.
The city has commissioned several studies of areas that were hit especially hard by this summer’s heavy rains. When those are complete, they will likely include proposed projects. Metzger told the council members that they will then have to decide how to prioritize the city’s spending.
The other unknown that could affect the city’s plans is where the school board decides to locate its second high school. The board’s plans currently call for one high school in Prairie Trail and another off of 18th Street. However, school officials have also considered moving the second high school to property off of 36th Street or renovating the existing high school. A decision is expected by year’s end.
Councilman Craig Block said he was leery of the school board deciding on a plan without first checking with city officials to see that it is feasible for the city, as well.
“We were dragged into something we didn’t get any input on in the first place,” he said.
The proposals for Prairie Trail include money for parks, roads, a new aquatic center and for a new town center.
However, that shouldn’t affect property owners’ tax rates, Metzger said. That’s because most of that money will come from the Civic Trust Fund set up between the city and developer DRA Properties. The developer matches the money that the city spends on projects inside the development, and that money is then put to use back in the development.
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