The Ottumwa City Council meeting is sponsored by Jakki and Fonzi with Cars and Cash located on N. Madison in Ottumwa.
The Ottumwa City Council held its first meeting of May on Tuesday evening, with discussions focusing on the city budget, housing development, and upcoming infrastructure repairs.
During the consent agenda, council members reviewed information from a special City Council meeting held on April 28 regarding an amendment to the City of Ottumwa’s Fiscal Year 2026 budget. During the budget work session process, city staff re-estimated revenues and expenditures for the current fiscal year based on year-to-date financial information.
To complete the process, those re-estimates were included in a formal budget amendment. A public hearing on the Fiscal Year 2026 amendment has been scheduled for May 19, 2026, at 5:30 p.m. before final approval.
The amended budget included a shortfall of $625,937. Council members were only able to reduce an additional $140,413 from the original $766,150 deficit. The council also declined to make changes to the employee benefits package.
Residents can watch the special budget work session on the City of Ottumwa website.
The council also discussed a resolution supporting Origin Homes 2026 LLC and its proposed workforce housing project within the Vogel Urban Renewal Area.
City staff member Amal Eltahir explained that the developer plans to purchase up to five residential lots and build new workforce housing units as part of continued development in the Vogel Heights neighborhood.
Eltahir said the developer intends to apply for Workforce Housing Tax Credits through the State of Iowa and is requesting the city’s support because a local match is required for the application process.
The City Council recommended providing a Build Ottumwa Grant of $10,000 per housing unit, contingent on the developer receiving Workforce Housing Tax Credits and completing construction of the homes. The project would also remain eligible for the city’s existing tax abatement program under the Urban Revitalization Plan.
The final item discussed Tuesday night was a resolution ordering construction for the Jefferson Street Bridge expansion joint repair project.
City Engineer Phillip Burgmeier explained the resolution’s primary purpose is to officially order construction of the project and establish dates for accepting bids.
Burgmeier said the project will involve repairing a damaged expansion joint on the Jefferson Street Bridge. Approximately six feet of the bridge deck will be removed so crews can clean the reinforcing steel and install additional reinforcement.
Studs will also be added to the beams on each side of the expansion joint to help better transfer forces from the bridge deck to the structure.
Construction is expected to begin in late June or early July.
Bids for the project will be received and opened by the City of Ottumwa on May 26, 2026, at 2:00 p.m. A public hearing, bid report, and recommendation for awarding the contract will be presented during the City Council meeting on June 2, 2026.
The next Ottumwa City Council is Scheduled for May 19,2026 at 5:30 pm.
