Keokuk City Council Meeting Coverage and Other News

The Keokuk City Council met for the first time this year on Thursday night and began the meeting by approving a consent agenda that included approving an Urban Revitalization Tax Exemption for Bonita Scott, announcing the resignation of John Mason from the Architecture Design Standards Commission, effective immediately and appointing Mary Watson to the City Planning Commission for a term to expire May 14, 2024.

A public hearing was held to amend Title 20, Section 20.60.100 (e) that would allow a stretch of Blondeau Street to have residential locations on the ground floor, currently there can only be commercial in this area.

The plan is supported both by the Keokuk Area Chamber of Commerce and Main Street Keokuk, but was not supported by the Planning and Zoning Commission.

City Administrator Cole O’Donnell said their reasoning is that they felt it would take away some of the things that make the area great.

No vote was taken on the issue, but both property owner Jay Zetterlund and councilmember Susan Dunek spoke in favor of the change.

She said that some of the concerns of the commission are really non issues and that the age of the buildings makes it difficult at times to get work done at the upper levels so it would make sense to do renovation at the ground floor and allow someone to move in.

The Council also approved yearly agenda items that included designating the Daily Gate City as a newspaper of general circulation for publication of official notices and designating depositories for city monies and city funds not to exceed the sum of $8,000,000 for financial institution.

A public hearing was set for Feb. 7, 2019 on a proposed amendment to the Twin Rivers Urban Renewal Plan that involves extending the reach of the plan into the Mississippi River to make sure the city can use tax increment financing on the barge.

This will not affect anything with the general fund and O’Donnell stressed it would also not affect citizens’ taxes.

Finally, budget workshops were set for Jan. 14 and 28 at 5:30 PM.

In sports news, Keokuk wrestling had three matches on Thursday night against Fairfield, Van Buren and Illini West.

The Chiefs fell to Fairfield 48-30 with the following non-forfeit results:

120: Cohyn Roach (FAIR) over Tres Merydith (KEOK) (Fall 5:07)

132: Levi Boudewyn (KEOK) over Gage VanVeen (FAIR) (Fall 1:39)

138: Ashtin  Tibbits (KEOK) over Cael McClaren (FAIR) (Fall 4:36)

145: Peyton Cline (FAIR) over Dakota Haage (KEOK) (Fall 1:11)

160: Corey Skinner (KEOK) over Caleb Heisel (FAIR) (Dec 7-4)

170: Carter Spalla (FAIR) over Kolbe Barnes (KEOK) (Fall 3:46)

182: Dylan Jeffers (KEOK) over Grady Flynn (FAIR) (Fall 1:05)

195: Zack Glasscock (KEOK) over Wyatt Baker (FAIR) (Dec 9-2)

285: Aidan Pohren (FAIR) over Jordan Salyers (KEOK) (Fall 1:33) :

Hunter Haage (KEOK) over Tommy Jones (FAIR) (Fall 1:47)

Against Van Buren, Keokuk lost 54-24 with these finishes:

138: Brody Caviness (VABU) over Ashtin  Tibbits (KEOK) (Fall 1:14)

145: Quentin Story (VABU) over Dakota Haage (KEOK) (Fall 0:28)

160: Corey Skinner (KEOK) over Preston Buss (VABU) (Fall 1:32)

170: Aidan Franklin (VABU) over Kolbe Barnes (KEOK) (Fall 0:55)

182: Dylan Jeffers (KEOK) over Caleb Stoltz (VABU) (Fall 0:56)

195: Tayton Bartholomew (VABU) over Zack Glasscock (KEOK) (Fall 0:56)

285: Brant Tedrow (VABU) over Jordan Salyers (KEOK) (Fall 1:05)

In the other match on Thursday, Keokuk picked up one of their first victories of the season over Illini West with these results in non-forfeit matches:

132: Levi Boudewyn (KEOK) over Brayden McGinity (ILINIWST) (Fall 0:51)

138: Lance Belshaw (ILINIWST) over Ashtin  Tibbits (KEOK) (MD 9-0)

160: Santos Castillo (ILINIWST) over Corey Skinner (KEOK) (Fall 0:56)

170: Kolbe Barnes (KEOK) over Bailey McEntee (ILINIWST) (Fall 2:51)

195: Zack Glasscock (KEOK) over Brady Johnson (ILINIWST) (Fall 0:55)

Both Iowa Basketball teams were also in action on Thursday with the men’s team falling to the Purdue Boilermakers by 16 on the road.

Junior Tyler Cook led the Hawkeyes with 24 points and six rebounds and Iowa shot well from the field as a team, but committed 14 turnovers which was double what Purdue produced.

Iowa is now 0-3 in Big Ten play.

The women’s team was able to come out with a win at home with a 77-71 final over the Nebraska Cornhuskers. Megan Gustafson posted yet another double-double with 28 points and 17 rebounds while Hannah Stewart, Tania Davis and Kathleen Doyle all finished in double figures as well. Doyle also contributed nine assists as well.

The men’s team will return home for a matchup with the Cornhuskers on Sunday at 4:30 PM while the women’s team will welcome Wisconsin into Carver-Hawkeye Arena on Monday at 7 PM.