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The amount of work, as well as the cost, to bring the Burlington Depot on South Main Street back up to par will soon be made clear to the Burlington City Council. The council voted unanimously Monday to move forward with a feasibility study that will determine what needs to happen to make the depot shipshape again. The feasibility study will determine what renovations the depot needs and how much it will cost to make those renovations. The study will cost $17,260 and will be conducted by Burlington firm Metzger Johnson Architects. "They (Metzger Johnson) will be looking at efficiencies of the building, as well as ... taking a look at the mechanical, electrical, architectural structure components," City Manager Bruce Slagle said. "We also asked that they take a look at elevations as it compares to flood issues ... and making recommendations on that." Brian Tapp, executive director of the Southeast Iowa Regional Planning Commission, told the council recently that his organization, which has offices in Memorial Auditorium on Front Street, needs more space and would be interested in relocating to a renovated depot. Should the council later determine that it wants to renovate the building, Tapp said the commission would apply for state and federal grants to help assist the city with the costs. In another matter, the council voted 5–0 in favor of raising sewer rates. Councilman–elect Tim Scott said the city should provide the option to residents to pay their bills for sewer, water and garbage rates by monthly installments. Currently, pay for the services in one quarterly bill. "I know the waterworks department does have a program where you can open up your checking account and they can withdraw from it on a monthly basis," he said. "I think that's a great idea. That works for a lot of folks, but it's not helping the ones that need it the most." Some residents who don't have checking accounts are required to pay their sewer, water and garbage utility bill in one large quarterly chunk, Scott said. As it stands, the waterworks department doesn't have a computer program that would enable the city to bill customers on a monthly basis, he said. "I would encourage the council to talk with the waterworks board to come up with that programming they had talked about three years ago so that they can bill on a monthly basis or at least customers can pay those bills on a monthly basis," Scott said. The council approved two resolutions in the consent agenda that will raise Burlington Regional RecPlex rates and Flint Hills Municipal Golf Course rates. Local housing developer Scott Peck suggested to the council during the resident call–in session that the cap on the city's urban revitalization tax abatement program should be eliminated. As it stands, the abatement program, among other things, applies to the construction or rehabilitation of any single–family residential dwelling with an assessed value below $200,000. Peck believes that by removing the $200,000 cap, more people would be willing to build more expensive houses. Mayor Mike Edwards said the council will discuss possible changes to the abatement program after the council reorganizes in January. Slagle reported he received a letter from Catfish Bend Riverboat Casino regarding the gambling boat's proposed installation of large barges next to its boat. The Army Corps of Engineers recently contacted the city regarding an application the corps received from Catfish Bend, which wants to install two 120–foot–long by 30–foot–wide barges aside of the riverboat. Slagle sent a letter to the corps requesting a hearing on the matter, particularly because it was unclear whether the barges would be permanent. Catfish Bend sent a letter to the city indicating the barges, which would be held in place with 8,000–pound anchors, would only be present when the gambling boat docks in Burlington, which is every October through April. This is cache, read story here
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