Rockwell City council takes step to add franchise fee

Members of the Rockwell City Council approved a measure Sept. 19 that will allow them to adopt a franchise fee.
Iowa empowers utility providers to add up to a 3 percent surcharge on customer bills in cities in which the city council has adopted a franchise fee, with the money to be directed to specific uses as outlined in Iowa law. Those uses include repairing, replacing or otherwise improving public buildings and facilities, projects that could prevent or mitigate future disasters, energy conservation measures of low-income homeowners, low-income energy assistance programs or a variety of public safety and public works projects.
“We haven’t decided” to actually pursue a franchise fee, City Clerk Kelly Smidt said Sept. 20. “We can do that at a later date.”
Read more in the Sept. 28 edition.