Dubuque council to sell $21.1 million in bonds tonight, take up first budget amendment

REAL DUBUQUE NEWS (RDN) The Dubuque City Council meets tonight at 6:30 p.m. at the Historic Federal Building, 350 W. 6th St., with a $21.1 million bond sale and the first amendment to the fiscal year 2027 budget at the top of the agenda. The council will direct the sale of not to exceed $10,370,000 in tax-exempt general obligation bonds, Series 2026A, and $10,765,000 in taxable general obligation bonds, Series 2026B, and award the bonds to the best bidder. The council set the sale for tonight when it approved the loan agreements Nov. 2; RDN covered that vote in its Nov. 3 and Nov. 5 recaps. A public hearing is set on the first fiscal year 2027 budget amendment, which carries forward fiscal year 2026 budget authority for outstanding commitments, unfinished capital projects and operating activities. The amendment increases expenditure authority by $119,318,544 and revenue authority by $66,918,540. The largest added capital item is the Bee Branch Gate and Pump Replacement, up $2,820,121. On the operating side, the Fire Department budget falls $994,283, reflecting the unsuccessful SAFER grant application, revised ambulance revenue estimates and related salary, pension and health insurance changes. Capital changes outside the carryover section cut $24,390,624, including the Iowa Amphitheater on Schmitt Island, the 14th Street Overpass and Reconstruct Taxiway Alpha, mostly on grant timing and reallocations. The council will also set Dec. 21 public hearings on two large development agreements. The first, with Hwy 151 and 61 Development, LLC, would facilitate about $80 million in planned private investment on a long-vacant former industrial property: a grocery store of at least 30,000 square feet ($10 million), a hotel of at least 70,000 square feet ($20 million), commercial and recreational development of at least 56,000 square feet ($30 million), and additional commercial or multifamily development of at least 80,000 square feet ($20 million). The second, with Why Not Dubuque and Dubuque Sports Development, LLC, would facilitate about $148 million in planned private and nonprofit investment for a regional indoor and outdoor youth sports complex with a surrounding hotel, restaurant, retail and entertainment development. A third agreement, with Dubuque Community Y and Plastic Center, Inc., doing business as The Fischer Companies, is also set for a Dec. 21 hearing. The same Dec. 21 date is set for hearings on a slate of urban renewal plans: amendments to the Dubuque Industrial Center Economic Development District plan, versions 2026.4 and 2026.5; new Community West I and Community West II areas along Asbury Road at and east of the Northwest Arterial; the North Cascade Road Housing area, version 2026.1; and North English Road I, II and III. Two voluntary annexations go to public hearing Dec. 10 at 4:30 p.m.: about 300 acres of city-owned property near the Southwest Arterial, North English Road, North Cascade Road and English Mill Road, and a portion of Tamarack Business Park involving CEG Holdings I, LLC, Mulgrew Oil Company, WWB Investments, LC, the Jon D. Luckstead Trust and the city. On the action items, the council will consider buying a portion of 2098 Central Avenue for $98,075.61 from Dubuque Initiatives for a downtown parking lot. The property has been vacant and dilapidated for many years, according to the city manager's memo. The city must build a lot of at least 10 spaces by June 1, 2027; the lot has already been built. Dubuque Initiatives will sell the northern portion of the property to a local developer entity for redevelopment. Public hearings tonight include approval of urban renewal plans, version 2026.1, for five housing areas: Thunder Valley, Eastgate Court, Lake Ridge, Plaza Drive and Bies Drive. The council will also consider a communications facility license agreement with T-Mobile Central LLC for the West Third Street water tower, at 1575 W. Third St., and a third amendment to the lease agreement with MacHom Windows, LLC. Consent items carry several final payments: $457,888 to Giese Sheet Metal Co. for the Fire Headquarters HVAC Replacement Project; $157,190.95 to Giese Sheet Metal Co. for the ImOn Ice Arena Cooling Tower Replacement Project contract; $1,275,632.06 to McDermott Excavating for the SRF Green Alley Reconstruction Project; and $126,167.84 to Temperley Excavating for the Levi and Sullivan Storm Sewer Extension Project. The council will also set a Dec. 7 hearing on the Brunskill and Coates Sanitary Sewer Reconstruction Project, estimated at $635,548, and act on $1,106,000 in sewer revenue notes for the Water and Resource Recovery Center industrial controls project and $634,000 for the Terminal Street Pumping Station rehabilitation. Also on the agenda: notice that Dubuque was selected as one of 25 cities nationwide for the Love Your Block grant, receiving $70,000 in indirect funding for neighborhood improvement projects and up to $200,000 from the Bloomberg Center for Public Innovation to support a full-time dedicated staff position; an update on city manager recruitment; changes to the city manager's contract and expenditure authority; and adoption of the 2027 state legislative priorities. Before the meeting, Transportation Services will display a new Gillig electric bus in front of the Historic Federal Building from 5 to 6:30 p.m. What is next: the Brunskill and Coates sewer hearing and a hearing on assigning the FitzGerald Enterprizes development agreement to Ji Yuan, LLC are set for Dec. 7. The two voluntary annexation hearings are Dec. 10 at 4:30 p.m. The development agreement and urban renewal plan hearings are Dec. 21.