North Liberty likely to appoint mayor’s successor

The North Liberty City Council will continue working within the parameters of a two-year plan set by Mayor Tom Salm, who died earlier this month.

'Tom's best legacy is that he left the city in great shape. There is no need to change,” said Mayor Pro Tem Gerry Kuhl, who is serving as interim mayor, at Tuesday's city council meeting. 'In a time of crisis, stability is the best course to follow.”

The council is working with the city attorney to determine Salm's successor in accordance with Iowa Code before moving forward. Kuhl said he does not support a special election to replace Salm because of costs and a lack of candidates. Salm ran unopposed in the last two municipal elections.

'We need to be talking in terms of an appointment,” Kuhl said.

The council will follow the goals and capital improvement plans set while Salm was in office.

The council on Tuesday also continued discussions of possible water and sewer rate increases to pay for a water main extension to a planned high school and the construction of a new water pump station.

City Administrator Ryan Heiar will publish a notice about the proposed rate increases and bring an ordinance for the council's consideration at the next meeting June 10.

If approved, water rates will increase by 5 percent and sewer rates by 8 percent starting July 1. A North Liberty resident using 3,000 gallons of water per month would pay an average of $1.16 more per month for water, and $2.56 per month for sewer. With the increase, a 3,000 gallon per month bill would be $24.31 for water and $32.05 for sewer.

'I believe wholly that the rate increases are going to continue with capital projects and frankly we don't have any other choice if we need to move forward with these projects,” Heiar said.

Fox Engineering representative John Grady said that some of the new water main aligned with a 300-acre area the city of Coralville is looking to service. The company is looking to upsize the line from a 24-inch to 30-inch diameter sewer to service both cities. Heiar and Fox Engineering will meet with Coralville to negotiate funding of the $430,000 line.

'One of the bigger details to work out is that North Liberty would collect the sewer of this Coralville area,” Heiar said.