The city of Tama has been considering four design options (above) to potentially adopt as an official city logo. An online survey distributed through Facebook indicated the bottom left design in blue and yellow was the most popular option. Plans are to schedule an action item regarding the logos on the next council agenda for the Dec. 21 meeting.

The city of Tama will soon be considering the adoption of an official city logo.

At the regular city council meeting on Dec. 7 council member Matt Beatty gave an update to the council on the logo project he has been spearheading in recent weeks.

On Dec. 1 the city administered a community survey through Facebook to gather public opinion on a group of four logo design ideas.

Beatty reported that the results of the survey were split and not of an overwhelming majority, although the design with the most votes garnered over 40% of the votes received.

The most popular design from the online survey features the words Tama and Iowa in a blue script text laid over a yellow outline of the state of Iowa.

Beatty said he hopes to have an action item around whether or not to adopt a new logo on the council agenda in the near future.

Tama City Clerk Alyssa Devig reported all of the feedback that has come in to city hall about the logos have been positive.

An effort was taken before the council in March 2019 to consider an update to the official city logo but died for a lack of a second motion.

The potential new logo is occurring in coordination with a city website redesigning project that is being funded through a $20,000 Rural Innovation Grant.

Tama was awarded the grant, a portion of which will go toward the website redesign, through the Iowa Economic Development Authority and the Empower Rural Iowa Initiative developed by Gov. Reynolds in 2019.

The Rural Innovation Grant Program supports creative, non-traditional ideas that focus on current issues and challenges faced by rural communities associated with the themes of community investment, growth and connection.

The council heard Monday from Larry Peterson of Marshalltown who was present to contest a nuisance abatement action taken against his commercial property at 1410 E 5th St.

Early in the summer the property was seen to be in violation of the city’s Building Code Chapter 155.18 lawns and vegetation. At the time the grass on the property exceeded the six-inch limit and was mowed by the city.

The city’s fee for abating a lawn mowing nuisance is $200 which Peterson was billed in September due to a backlog following the August derecho.

Peterson contends he was not made aware of the lawn issue and had no opportunity to mow the grass before the city stepped in. He requested the council reconsider the fee he was assessed.

After consulting the city code with city attorney Dan Rathjen, Mayor Doug Ray informed Peterson there would be no action taken to adjust the nuisance abatement fee as the city is not required by law to issue a notice to a property owner before abating a nuisance issue.

Tama City Code Chapter 50.06 states that nuisance abatement notices may be in the form of an ordinance or sent by certified mail.

Chris Nelson from Gronewold, Bell, Kyhnn and Co. PC presented the city’s annual audit report.

Nelson reported the findings from the audit raised minimal issues with the city’s financial reporting and government compliance.

In other business the council…

approved the replacement purchase of two sewer pumps in the amount of $17,185 from Iowa Pump Works of Ankeny

accepted a bid from A-1 Coating and Roofing in the amount of $21,850 for the repair of the city water plant roof that has remained temporarily patched since the August derecho.