The FD Council will consider the issue of the operation of rivers, fees for communal deposits News, Sports, Work

A Des Moines river project and a deal that could help secure a federal grant for a new recreation center are on the agenda at today’s Fort Dodge City Council meeting.

The meeting will begin at 5:00 PM at the Municipal Building, 819 First Ave. S., from the renewal of the “Beacon of Hope” shelter. Beacon of Hope is a homeless men’s shelter located at 1021 First Ave. N.

The next working meeting of the council will start at 18.00 in the House of the municipality.

During this session, the council will consider the possibility of entering into a contract for the construction of additional piers that will protrude into the Des Moines River. A row of six jetties was built near the site where the Little Dam once stood.

Fort Dodge-based Doyle Construction submitted the apparent low bid of about $1.4 million for the project.

Also on the agenda is a proposed agreement between the city and the privately held Fort Dodge Community Recreation Center. The agreement establishes a framework under which both entities will apply for grants from the federal Inflation Reduction Act to help pay for construction of the new recreation center.

The goal of building a new recreation center has been set for more than a dozen years. At the time, new centers were proposed on First Avenue South and Sixth Street, as well as in the 900 block of First Avenue South, in connection with the planned redevelopment of Warden Plaza and the construction of a multimodal transportation center.

Council will also consider raising the deposit fee that new residents must pay when signing up for water and sewer services. This fee has been $100 since July 2003. A proposal being considered by the board would raise that to $200.

Under the proposal, the reconnection fee charged to customers who had their water shut off due to unpaid bills would increase from $60 to $105.