City Council Highlights 7.14.2026

More than 100 items were considered by the City Council, Municipal Authority, and Economic Development Authority at the meeting held on July 14, 2026.

The Council also authorized two agenda items with Kimley-Horn and Associates, Inc.

The first is a $243,810 professional consulting services agreement for the design of the 79th Street (Midway Road) and Kenosha Street Intersection Widening Project. The project was approved by voters in the 2026 General Obligation Bond program and will include widening the intersection of Kenosha Street and Midway Road to add left-turn lanes, signals, and drainage improvements.

The second item amended a previous agreement for the 20^th Street and Hillside Drive Intersection and Corridor Study and will cost $130,700. The Council was presented with three design options for this intersection and chose the design that included a new traffic signal and additional lanes to minimize congestion.

The 2026 Manual of Fees was discussed; it details the rates the city charges for public utilities, such as water, sanitary sewer, trash, as well as rates for many other city services. Rates take effect each year on October 1 and remain in effect through September 30. The Manual of Fees will be considered for adoption during a City Council meeting in August.

A noise ordinance will be waived on Aug. 8-9 at Nienhuis Park so a national veterans organization can host The Shootout for Soldiers, a 24-hour continuous lacrosse tournament at the park. The waiver allows activities to continue uninterrupted from 11 p.m. on Aug. 8, 2026, to 7 a.m. on Aug. 9, 2026. A public meeting was held on July 1, and 1,046 notification letters were mailed to residents in the surrounding area prior to approval.

The Council approved a variance to permit temporary construction activity noise outside of the hours of 7 a.m. and 10 p.m. The property is located on the south side of E. College St. between N. 15^th St. and S. 193^rd E. Ave. The waiver will allow the contractor to pour concrete slabs outside the hours set in the ordinance.

At the Municipal Authority meeting, the Trustees received the May 2026 reports on the volume of water treated for customer use, the monthly operational report, volume of wastewater collected and treated, and the Regional Metropolitan Utility Authority Quarterly Report.

The Trustees also authorized a professional consulting agreement with Burns & McDonnell to conduct a feasibility study for a proposed transfer station. A high-efficiency transfer station would be designed to serve as a central hub for the city's Solid Waste and Recycling Department. The study will cost $79,400 and include a financial analysis, a review of hauling requirements, an evaluation of impacts on collection operations, and a site analysis.

At the Economic Development Authority Meeting, the trustees approved an Economic Development Agreement with Rise, Grind & Ride, LLC. This project will introduce a new business concept at 224 S. Main St. It will feature a neighborhood market and deli offering grab-and-go food, everyday grocery essentials, and locally sourced products. The property has been vacant and boarded up for almost four years.

Rise Grind & Ride, LLC, submitted an incentive application requesting cost-sharing in the rehabilitation of the property. The proposed project includes renovating a 2,200-square-foot, highly visible commercial space with a total capital investment of approximately $255,310. Upon completion of the property renovations and the opening of the District Mercantile, Rise Grind & Ride, LLC will receive up to 50 percent of the renovation costs and the permitting and inspection fees, not to exceed $80,000.

There were many other items on the agendas of the City Council, Municipal Authority, and Economic Development Authority meetings. You can view the full agendas and an archive of the livestream video on the city's website.

The next regular meeting of the City Council is scheduled for Aug. 3, 2026, at 6:30 p.m.