FORT MADISON – The Fort Madison City Council extended a contract with a local towing company, but not before giving them a nudge to improve operations.
At the council’s regular meeting that was moved to Monday to accommodate voting on its regular Tuesday night, the council approved a new contract with BJ’s Performance Center for towing vehicles within the city limits. The recommendation was for a 3-year agreement, but after several members of the council and the mayor pushed back on the issue, it was eventually reduced to just one year with an added item requiring the auto repair shop at 2514 Avenue L to improve its appearance.
“I’ve been here five years…and every year you tell me it’s going to be better. We don’t follow through on any of our stuff there,” Mayor Matt Mohrfeld said.
Mohrfeld then produced photographs of what he said would be ordinance violations, but nothing has been done. He said many of the pictures he’s taken himself that include abandoned vehicles on the property with trees growing through them. Other violations include blocked sidewalks, blocked access to the creek to the west of the service center, vehicles in someone else’s property.
“We have cars in rights-of-way on someone else’s property that we would go down and put a red tag on and have it towed. This is our towing person,” he said. “You have stacks of tires that probably violate DNR rules.”
Mohrfeld said the owner is a “great guy” and provides great service, but the issue is one of the city’s goals is to grow Fort Madison and one of his pillars to do that is curb appeal.
“When you drive through our town, I want anyone here to argue with me that is our least appealing property. You cannot argue that. We can’t continue to further foster this property.”
But former Police Chief Mark Rohloff, who’s staying on with the city as a consultant and helped craft the contract under consideration, told the council the city has no paper trail to hold the owner Bobby Jacks, to account, and declining the 3-year renewal could pose legal problems for the city.
“I think we could defend that,” Mohrfeld said.
City Attorney Pat O’Connell told the council that until the contract is approved, it’s a negotiation under Iowa Code, so the council could approve an amended contract that includes language holding the contractor liable for the appearance of his property.
City Manager Laura Liegois told the council the city is taking strides through its code enforcement officer to get Jacks to clean up the property, including a visit herself to the service center along with Rohloff to talk about the curb appeal.
City Councilwoman Angela Roller said it’s a bad look to allow a contractor to have that appearance while they are cracking down on residential nuisances.
“We’re allowing someone to have a property like this, but we wouldn’t allow a citizen to do this,” she said.
Mohrfeld took it a step further.
“We’re not allowing it, we’re promoting it because we’re giving him business,” he said.
The council approved the amended contract offer with a 5-0 vote.
In other action, the council:
• heard an update on a community strategic plan and the Find Your Fort Madison progress.
• approved an agreement with BNSF for crossing safety improvements at 2nd Street and Avenue H.
• approved a $1.5 million federal aid agreement for the replacement of a bridge on Avenue L.
• approved a letter of intent with the Old Fort Preservation outlining support mechanisms and the program for the non-profit group.
• approved hiring two firefighter recruits to replace two firefighters that are nearing retirement.
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