[{"_1":2,"_99":-5,"_100":-5},"loaderData",{"_3":4,"_26":27},"root",{"_5":6,"_17":10,"_18":19,"_20":21,"_22":10,"_23":-5,"_24":-5,"_25":10},"user",{"_7":8,"_9":10,"_11":10,"_12":-5,"_13":-5,"_14":15,"_16":-5},"roles",[],"isAuthenticated",false,"isPremium","planName","subscriptionStatus","featureFlags",{},"insightsBudget","isDevelopmentHost","userPreferences",{},"recaptchaSiteKey","6LcvOJcUAAAAAHsB-gPGfGktcRlKpH7OTIU_dMTD","isImpersonating","impersonation","affiliateStatus","isFreedomPortal","routes/v2/article/layout",{"_28":29,"_30":31},"notFound",true,"relatedArticles",[32,75,87],{"_33":34,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":40,"_41":42,"_43":44,"_45":46,"_47":48,"_49":50,"_51":52,"_53":54,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":60,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":66,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":68,"_72":73,"_74":73},"mediaId",6647477,"mediaKeyId","2522232-8fd4deb55b588636786bdef14c43f3b3","parentId",2522232,"title","Norwalk council approves CIP, zoning actions, beautification, sign and franchise ordinances; summary of votes","audioSeconds",2134,"startMs",4906000,"endMs",7040000,"viewUrl","/Search/View?dp=1&key=2522232-8fd4deb55b588636786bdef14c43f3b3&start=4906&end=7040","thumbnailUrl","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/2522232-8fd4deb55b588636786bdef14c43f3b3/thumbnail_4906000.jpg","articleUrl","/articles/6647477/Norwalk-City/Warren-County/Iowa/Norwalk-council-approves-CIP-zoning-actions-beautification-sign-and-franchise-ordinances-summary-of-votes","mediaUrl","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6647477-376cecd6cfac44220b3b01e428f7f73c/orig.mp4?Expires=1771166572&Signature=YwhZ56A244TcKxxWNu3PHrxfvtvdLnmqXg2r8VoUf460p2DWIDc3OsQR7oTPt4xcVPx9U2vX7ZjRqmoL9KPyXwRVTIy9p50uuSlWjDFyBKZgkYhPI9l2I0BKGtjtga2k35kyQVrr5L2xzwtZdoITIBUw7aMRd0pFZyIlpfS81ViPE-6PBLPIAeAB6f0BCOMWJz6D5Phl-thQY~bJswbpgdyriWyKHfQpMfHSj~HNbw2027slPelelIqoChot6aZE3uV03HWi~t7j5GB8kGCXEiIIdpIiD9wWCfqfUOixcO7HAcqjJ6tPeR4TeWrf75vlEj4FECW65-fipjd4oIH56A__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","author","Norwalk","date","2025-03-07T03:08:17.283Z","article","The Norwalk City Council took a series of votes on March 6 covering the capital improvement plan, zoning changes, public-works contracts, a Highway 28 beautification project, and franchise and ordinance matters. Below are the items the council acted on, with outcomes and key details from staff presentations.

Votes at a glance

- Approval of agenda (amended to remove item 10): motion carried (voice vote).

- Consent agenda (routine items): approved by roll call (motion by Livingston, second by Cool) — motion carries.

- Item 7A: Resolution approving a 28E intergovernmental agreement to provide fire and EMS services to an adjacent city under a formula rate. Staff said the agreement sets the charge for the other city at $1.98 per $1,000 of taxable valuation to align with Norwalk levy for the same services. Motion carried by roll call (yes votes recorded).

- Item 7B: Resolution directing staff to prepare an ordinance to allow off-road utility vehicles (UTVs) to operate on certain city streets. Council approved direction to draft a formal ordinance (motion carried). Staff noted state law limits UTV top speed to 35 mph and restricts travel on divided highways and crossings; the draft will address where within city limits UTVs would be allowed and where they would not.

- Item 7C: Discussion and direction to work with the Iowa Department of Transportation on potential transfer of a DOT right-of-way adjacent to addresses on Sunset Drive; council directed staff to explore transfer and whether property could be ceded to adjacent homeowners (motion carried).

- Items 7D/7E: Public hearing and adoption of the FY26 Capital Improvement Plan (CIP). Staff summarized a $10.7 million CIP funded by general obligation bonds (approximately $6.7M), local option sales tax, SRF loans and other sources; council adopted the CIP by roll-call vote.

- Item 7F: Public hearing and first reading — rezoning of 1421 Sunset Drive from C-2 (community commercial) to an Infill Planned Unit Development (IPUD) with C-2 uses (first reading approved).

- Item 7H: Public hearing and first reading — rezoning 7680 County Line Road from AR (Agricultural Reserve) to RE-1 (Rural Estate) to allow property improvements (first reading approved).

- Items 7J/7K/7L/7M: Highway 28 beautification project (wall/fence). Council held a public hearing and approved plans/specifications/estimate (7K). Council later awarded the contract to Jorgensen Contracting Company for $779,201.50 (resolution 7L) and approved contract/bond (7M). Staff recommended the 8-foot option; council approved the 8-foot wall. Council also discussed lighting options to add later.

- Items 7N/7O/7Q/7R/7S: Cherry Parkway widening project. Council opened and closed a public hearing and approved plans/specs/estimate (7O). Council discussed lowest-responsible-bidder issues and, after a separate resolution finding TK Concrete a responsible bidder (7P), awarded the Cherry Parkway contract to TK Concrete ($388,427) (7Q) and approved contract/bond (7R). Council also approved a supplemental engineering agreement for construction administration (7S).

- Items 7T/7U/7V/7W: Norwalk community entry sign. Council held a public hearing, approved plans/specs/estimate (7U), awarded the contract to Edge Commercial for $74,400 (7V), and approved contract and bond (7W).

- Items 7X/7Y/7AA/7BB: Main Street water main replacement project. Council held a public hearing, approved plans/specs/estimate (7Y), discussed lowest-responsible-bidder issues in tandem with the Cherry Parkway discussion (7Z), then awarded the Main Street water main contract to TK Concrete for $1,050,520 (7AA) and approved contract and bond (7BB). Staff cautioned the project could be complex and disruptive and said the city will coordinate water shutdowns with schools and residents.

- Item 7CC: Resolution initiating a rezoning referral to the Planning & Zoning Commission to change 818.5 North Avenue from C-4 (Founders Business) to RF (Founders Residential) — motion carried.

- Items 7DD and 7EE: Second readings of amendments to the Maple Heights PUD and Orchard Hills PUD; both second readings passed by roll call.

- Item 7FF / 7HH / 7II: Final readings of ordinances. Council adopted final ordinances to grant MidAmerican Energy Company 25-year franchises for natural gas and electric systems (replacing local option sales taxes on utility bills with 1% franchise fees), and adopted the Norwalk Technology and Industry Overlay District ordinance; council approved these final readings on roll-call votes.

- Item 7GG (water/fees): Second reading of changes to chapter 92 and chapter 177 — amendments to irrigation/secondary water rates. Council approved the second reading to move to an inclining block schedule year-round.

- Several first- and second-reading zoning matters and PUD amendments were approved or advanced for additional review, and staff will return with final ordinances or site plans as required.

What council asked staff to do next

- Draft the UTV ordinance for a formal first reading and broader public input.
- Work with the Iowa DOT on the Sunset Drive right-of-way transfer and investigate whether affected property owners would accept the transfer.
- Monitor contractor performance closely on awarded projects and require engineering construction administration and inspection.
- Proceed with contract administration steps for the awarded projects and schedule construction timing to reduce school-year disruptions.

Votes and roll-call summaries were recorded for all referenced approvals; most roll-call votes recorded unanimous approval. For items where discussion occurred (notably the TK bidder finding and awards), the council requested closer oversight and reserved performance remedies in contract terms.","mediaType","Video","parentTitle","March 6, 2025 Norwalk City Council Meeting","oneSentenceSummary","At its March 6 meeting the Norwalk City Council adopted its FY26 CIP, approved multiple contract awards and zoning actions, directed staff to draft a UTV ordinance, and passed final franchise ordinances for electric and natural gas.","taxTitle","Norwalk City, Warren County, Iowa","taxId",64209,"location","headline","","shortSummary",{"_33":76,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":77,"_41":78,"_43":79,"_45":80,"_47":81,"_49":82,"_51":83,"_53":84,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":85,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":86,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":68,"_72":73,"_74":73},6647482,"Norwalk council affirms TK Concrete as responsible bidder, awards Cherry Parkway and Main Street water contracts amid past litigation concerns",1069,5727000,6796000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=2522232-8fd4deb55b588636786bdef14c43f3b3&start=5727&end=6796","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/2522232-8fd4deb55b588636786bdef14c43f3b3/thumbnail_5727000.jpg","/articles/6647482/Norwalk-City/Warren-County/Iowa/Norwalk-council-affirms-TK-Concrete-as-responsible-bidder-awards-Cherry-Parkway-and-Main-Street-water-contracts-amid-past-litigation-concerns","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6647482-e447317ea7aa0d47580eccb622825f4a/orig.mp4?Expires=1771166572&Signature=lw8BttEpnLx4Zr0nRkl6WEx~lraSpySoqvhE1iVFTbJUhcQcaWmPfd1sW9FY0spG39yuRVWyBMrDCfepNtKWypoxgi4j2FhKmHHpKt3levajQQe9-mpxGze93cLhdxibNWgTWq6SizWFGqwdanL8G3WXQFYQ5k6ERWmDQL0CiWiuxPlOZkmxX2yOXqFgEjPRZG3DAZBQ5V-WlB0cLMoUXX-TvJCDRvjMg-MBj00XO1VS7EU51FWzF5hnMwZnYIzd~WExDt4WOKuWl6Ks~MUMSJvzosO0EvRryEOhJp4QtVWbbUS12E8hxFdThUVGLclWrFL~pkdpFGBj0JrzBdG02w__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","The Norwalk City Council voted March 6 to declare TK Concrete a \"responsible bidder\" for municipal construction work and to award the firm separate contracts for the Cherry Parkway widening project and the Main Street water main replacement.

Council discussion directly addressed a 10-year-old contract dispute on a prior Norwalk project with the same company. Jim (city attorney) and several council members reviewed the city's prior litigation and performance concerns and said those matters informed the discussion before the votes. \"We had litigation with 1 contractor over an improvement project, and it was TK concrete on that Wakanda project...it came in extremely late,\" the city attorney said during the earlier discussion, describing missed deadlines and poor restoration work on that prior job.

Council received written references and recent project examples for TK; contractor representatives attending the meeting said management and staffing have changed and that the company has completed successful projects for other municipalities in recent years. Two TK project managers told council they would provide on-site project management for Norwalk work and said the company had improved hiring and oversight.

Despite the historical dispute, the council voted to find TK a responsible bidder and then approved the two contract awards. The Cherry Parkway widening contract was awarded to TK Concrete for $388,427.00; council later approved the contract and bond for that project. For the Main Street water main replacement project — a larger, more complex water system job — the council awarded TK Concrete a contract for $1,050,520.00 and subsequently approved the contract and bond.

Mayor and council members emphasized that the respondents' past problems informed the debate, but that bondability, responsiveness to reference requests and updated management plans affected the decision. Wayne (public works) noted the city received competitive bids and had budgeted for the projects; he told council the low bids came in under engineering estimates.

Council also approved related contract-administration work with the city's engineering consultant for Cherry Parkway and authorized construction administration services to support inspection and coordination during construction.

The votes were recorded on roll calls. Council expressed a desire to monitor performance closely and said the city retains remedies for nonperformance, including withholding final payments, assessing liquidated damages and taking corrective steps as necessary.

Work on Cherry Parkway and the Main Street water main replacement will proceed with construction phasing intended to limit disruption; staff warned residents to expect construction-related driveway and traffic impacts and said larger lane closures would be scheduled outside the school year when feasible.","After council discussion about a decade-old dispute with TK Concrete on a prior project, the city found the firm a responsible bidder and awarded contracts for the Cherry Parkway widening and Main Street water-main replacement totaling about $1.44 million.",{"_33":88,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":89,"_41":90,"_43":91,"_45":92,"_47":93,"_49":94,"_51":95,"_53":96,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":97,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":98,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":68,"_72":73,"_74":73},6647487,"Norwalk council hears Westcom report on 911 upgrades, staffing challenges",885,235000,1120000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=2522232-8fd4deb55b588636786bdef14c43f3b3&start=235&end=1120","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/2522232-8fd4deb55b588636786bdef14c43f3b3/thumbnail_235000.jpg","/articles/6647487/Norwalk-City/Warren-County/Iowa/Norwalk-council-hears-Westcom-report-on-911-upgrades-staffing-challenges","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6647487-1e3b0524b811eb57e1fb858e1492d2b1/orig.mp4?Expires=1771166572&Signature=KjDW1flPc5xTvx2wYsSacr-RK2MlGAE4yIY7LSHv6jEW7y2H0HMRbQR7CnfdkY27Z7cOlJLEGYXqIj7Qq0JETwp-a8B2JB0w59-bz46~BgnulzPEDqr9VYnqxlbuOm4zKaV4UasLCwbi2rIN4K0AA1w1NETHaKvNB~ZYcNG5OxOWonWBkRe5meM~chL8IiiEWJV5dAxV1hUAMVaiC8gnz9Cg0Vv0aWqIWstaoW4Kfh9vGilD6mTDMwGlU2U9ibRqjwHs5R7X7QjtBgjB6uxIRGh-zxvK5UVZv5Eo4MSk7-nSNj1rFIHwdsQHQwLPZi-vF1~i5g5JUUIvAMmqS1Sftg__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","Chief Mento of Westcom told the Norwalk City Council on March 6 that the regional public-safety communications center completed a full upgrade of its 911 telephone system in 2024 and is preparing for further automation and translation capabilities later this year.

The presentation outlined technology and workload changes and raised staffing and facility challenges. \"We upgraded the entire 911 telephone system to the latest version. Now it gives us text-to-911...we're looking forward to the next upgrade later this year, which should give us automated voice recognition and translation,\" Chief Mento said.

The nut of the report was Westcom's combined push on technology and workforce: it recently completed a computer-aided dispatch (CAD) software upgrade and moved police records to virtual servers hosted inside the West Des Moines complex to improve redundancy and reduce rent expenses. The agency also is nearing completion of a multiagency CAD-to-CAD interface meant to let dispatch centers in neighboring jurisdictions share units and incident information electronically rather than by telephone.

Westcom answered about 59,954 911 calls in 2024; the chief said roughly 86.6% of those calls originated from cell phones and that the center fielded 265 text-to-911 messages. He noted the center answered 98% of calls within 15 seconds, exceeding the 90% standard, and described extensive training and continuing-education hours for staff.

Council members asked about translation services, staffing and facilities. Westcom reported 34 different languages required translation services last year; Spanish accounted for roughly 75% of translated calls. The agency logged about 28,000 minutes of translation services at an estimated cost of $54,000 in 2024 and said it is pursuing AI-assisted translation options that may reduce future cost and response time.

Chief Mento acknowledged ongoing turnover: the national telecommunicator turnover rate is roughly 30%, and Westcom has experienced higher rates. The agency recently hired five new staffers and plans to implement mentors and scheduling changes, including a potential four-day work week, to improve retention.

On facilities, Mento said Westcom operates out of an underground location in a public-safety station and is reassessing whether to remain there or relocate as part of a \"Westcom reimagine\" campaign to improve identity, operations and efficiency. That campaign will examine expenses, vendor contracts and service delivery ahead of Westcom's 25th anniversary in 2025.

Council members thanked Westcom for the update and for inviting council members to tour the center ahead of National Public Safety Telecommunicators Week in April. The chief asked city officials to consider public outreach to increase awareness of services such as text-to-911 and What3Words location tools for remote incidents.

He concluded by noting Westcom would dedicate the upcoming National Public Safety Telecommunicators Week to a recently deceased 18-year veteran of the center.","Westcom chief reviewed 2024 technology upgrades, new CAD-to-CAD data sharing with neighboring agencies, translation costs and staffing turnover ahead of National Public Safety Telecommunicators Week.","actionData","errors"]

Article not found

Norwalk council approves CIP, zoning actions, beautification, sign and franchise ordinances; summary of votes

Norwalk council affirms TK Concrete as responsible bidder, awards Cherry Parkway and Main Street water contracts amid past litigation concerns

Norwalk council hears Westcom report on 911 upgrades, staffing challenges