March 18, 2024

City transfers parcels to Skiff Medical Center

Considerations also made for new minimum housing code

With a unanimous vote, the Newton City Council quit claimed eight parcels owned by the city to Skiff Medical Center at its Monday meeting.

Skiff, which is owned by the city of Newton, proposed to have the properties transferred in order to assemble a cohesive ownership of the properties on the hospital complex. Certain parcels that are located within the North Central Urban Renewal Area were also quit claimed to Skiff.

In other business, a second consideration was passed to update the Minimum Housing Code. Fred Rhodes, a landlord from Newton, voiced concerns about certain aspects of the code that worried current property owners. The worry was that some aspects would not be able to be accomplished in a costly manner.

“The code that we are looking at adopting is code designed for new construction and major remodeling of the property,” Rhodes said. He continued that he felt the code could be misconstrued so that any existing property that became a rental property would have to meet the new code.

“This creates a lot of problems, one is that reduces the price of the housing within the community. It also changes the physical structure of the building, they do not look as good and it creates a problem in the community,” Rhodes said.

He wanted the council to consider that when the properties were built, they were up to code and not misapply the new code to existing, usually older properties. Certain points he brought up were required window size requirements as well as sprinklers within the properties.

“To make them come up to that (code) when we don’t do any work to them that is not necessary for safety, seems pretty unreasonable and kind of costly,” Rhodes said.

Fire Marshall Mike Knoll explained that consideration is made based on the year it was built and style of the parcel. If any electrical or plumbing, for example, would have to be updated or repaired, they would have to meet the new code requirements. Also, the new regulations would be in effect for all newly build properties.

The council also approved the authorization to purchase a new pull type rotary mower for the Public Works Department. The mower will be purchased from Prairie Ag Supply in Prairie City for $11,714 to be used in several work areas including streets, wastewater and landfill properties. The department will sell two of the three existing mowers and keep the other as back up.

Contact Staff Writer Jamee A. Pierson at (641) 792-3132 ext. 6534 or jpierson@newtondailynews.com.