Council wants more choices besides fast food
More choices is what the City of Hillsboro wants from Buxton Business Consultants.
At a special council meeting Feb. 20, the council discussed the list of names provided by the consultants that fit the city's profile of consumers and the types of businesses that would be interested in locating in Hillsboro.
City administrator Larry Paine will negotiate for more names because most of the names on the list are fast food establishments.
Mayor Delores Dalke said the list narrows down real prospects and proves how difficult it is to recruit businesses.
In other business:
— The council conducted an annual review of tax abatement programs for Golden Heritage Foods, Countryside Feeds, and Container Services.
— Paine and street superintendent Dale Dalke will work on a street inventory to determine which streets need to be chipped and sealed, rebuilt, or milled and overlaid. Also included in the inventory is prioritizing of the projects.
— Plans continue to be completed for the city's business park. Paine met with city engineering consultant Bob Privatera and it was determined acceleration and deceleration lanes are needed.
The lanes would be located along U.S.-56 from Ash to Washington streets, the width of the business park.
— Two invoices were approved that would reimburse Hillsboro Community Medical Center a total of $9,308.
— Board appointments and re-appointments included: Paine to Marion County Economic Development Council; Gaylord Goertzen and Lynn Penner to Hillsboro Planning Commission; Paul Jantzen, Alvin Hett, Cheryl Bartel, and Eric Richter to the Hillsboro Tree Board to replace Martin Rhodes; Tim Unruh to Hillsboro Museums Advisory Board to replace Dale Honeck; Frances Walls, Cheryl Lehr, Brenda Coryea, and Lola Unruh to Hillsboro Convention and Visitors Bureau; Max Heinrichs to Hillsboro Recreation Commission; and councilman Shane Marler to Marion County Surface Water Advisory Board.
— A planning session to discuss the city's strategic plan will be 4 p.m. today (Wednesday) at the city building.
A work session to discuss utility rates will be after the regular council meeting March 4.
