Mayor talks Carter Street project, Elkader’s future

By Willis Patenaude, Times-Register

As Elkader gets set for potential facelifts via multiple construction and improvement projects, specifically the Carter Street Project and future plans developed by the Elkader Visioning Committee, Mayor Josh Pope kindly participated in a candid interview to give his thoughts and insight into some of the plans that are intended to improve the infrastructure of the town and allow the community to grow and flourish. 

Can you tell me where the Carter Street Project is currently at in the approval process?

Preliminary plans are done, and a public meeting has been held. Now, we need to apply for permits from the DNR, do final plans have the council approve the final plans and then bid.

Why do you support the project?

Well, the pavement really needs to be repaired. So then we also try to look at the utilities under the pavement while we are making a decision on what type of pavement to use. During that process, staff told us the water and sewer also needed to be addressed and there was a lot of feedback and complaints about the pavement.

Why was funding not available for the project? How come it did not qualify for a Community Development Block Grant (CDBG) or the State Revolving Loan Fund?

The council was informed that in order to qualify for a Community Development Block Grant, it had to be income qualified from an income survey. We were told that could not be a community-wide survey and could only be a neighborhood survey. The neighborhood survey did not show it was income qualified.  The State Revolving Loan Fund has certain criteria for overall systematic improvements, and this project was deemed to be more of a “neighborhood” project rather than a community-wide project.

How was it decided that an increase in property taxes should go to cover the cost?

It was decided to use debt service because no other funding sources (the CDBG or State Revolving Loan Fund) were available, so that was the only option. I personally have not heard any comments about using debt service for the project. 

How would you respond to the issues of lost trees or parking being disrupted?

They will not be losing any parking, except during the actual construction. And, unfortunately, that happens during construction projects. We will work with the engineers to make sure as few trees as possible will be removed, but, sometimes, trees have to come out for a construction project too. 

What is your role with the Elkader Visioning Project?

I am a regular committee member, and I try to provide input and represent resident’s ideas. I think anytime we survey our residents and try to find out what they are wanting or their opinions on projects, it is a positive impact. The ideas are exciting and interesting—it keeps us moving forward.

What decisions came out of the meeting on July 6?

We took all the input from the surveys, focus groups and interviews and tried to group it into themes. Then we took the themes and tried to narrow the focus to about five themes. Now the design architects will work with those and try to expand or develop some of those ideas. Then we will take that back to the community and get more input to prioritize which projects to proceed with.

One of the issues mentioned by the Elkader Visioning feedback is the condition of the sidewalks. Are there plans to address this?

None of the plans have gotten to the stage right now where the council is acting on anything. They are still in the idea development state.

Feedback from the community also discussed increasing parking, especially around the school? Are there any plans for this? 

See answer above.

Then there is the pedestrian bridge, which has been something the community has been asking for, for quite some time. Why has this not been a priority or addressed?

Because of the incredible cost of the project—estimate at between $400,000 to $600,000. That estimate is about 10 years old too, so we would need a new cost estimate.

I had heard that one of the issues was funding. However, the Carter Street Project did not receive funding and still gained approval, and from the community feedback, it doesn’t seem like a project the community wanted as much as the pedestrian bridge. Why raise taxes for one, but not the other? 

Carter Street is an essential project—street, water, sewer and storm sewer improvements are more of a priority than a bridge. While it would be neat to have, it is still a non-essential amenity. There are a lot of streets and alleys and infrastructure that need to be repaired or rehabbed before we can do something like a pedestrian bridge. We would need to rely on other funding like grants as well. Because the state dictates how cities can fund projects and how they can take out loans for projects, and they also distinguish between essential projects like water, sewer or streets and a pedestrian bridge, if we took out debt service for a pedestrian bridge, it would need to go to a referendum.

Are there any other projects you have advocated for or believe would be beneficial for the community?

I think most any project we do is beneficial to the town. Water and sewer projects may not be as interesting, but it keeps our system up to date and that is beneficial so we don’t have major problems or get cited by the DNR. A street resurface project is not only nice for drivers, but it looks nice too for visitors.  Amenities such as parks or playgrounds enhance quality of life, and that is important to retain or recruit families to live here. 

What is the biggest difficulty when it comes to making decisions on which projects to approve and reject?

The most difficult thing is money. We would love to do all of the projects that are needed or wanted, but we have to prioritize based on the funding that is available. So then it is a matter of prioritizing some projects over the other. We have to take into account how many people are impacted, how bad the street is compared to another, the number of people who have asked about it, etc.

How do you try to gain public support from the community for such projects?

I usually share with them stories from people who have asked us to do it—share their experience. But mostly be available to listen to their comments. I truly love Elkader. I believe we are the leader for other communities to follow. We need to continue to grow and improve our infrastructure to be able to handle growth, not to mention attract new businesses and residents.