Gladstone City Manager Rob Spreitzer (far right) delivers a brief report to City Commissioners (from left) Whitney Maloney, Brad Mantela, Judy Akkala and Joe Thompson at the close of Monday's regular meeting. (R. R. Branstrom | Daily Press)

GLADSTONE — On Monday evening, the Gladstone City Commission agreed to hire Coleman Engineering Company to proceed with the first phase of a major project to develop the town’s North Shore.

The City of Gladstone recently was awarded $56,666.67 in funding through the Hannahville Indian Community 2% Grant. The money is meant to be used specifically for the infrastructure and development at the North Shore site, which is presently undeveloped but is to offer housing in the future.

Coleman’s engineering services are not to exceed $38,000 for this stage, which includes the design of plans and specifications for water main installation; sanitary sewer infrastructure; storm sewer infrastructure; and roadway design — which will include curb, gutters and sidewalks — connecting 4th Avenue East to Railway Avenue.

“The area of development will be limited to the portions of the site that can be serviced by existing gravity sanitary sewer main,” wrote Coleman Engineering Project Manager Scott Nowack.

Considerations for future connections to other parts of the site will be included.

The proposal presented to the city by Coleman also includes permit applications, design review meetings with staff, and coordination with the American Transmission Company, since the roadway alights with an existing power line easement, according to a staff report. Draft subdivision layouts on the proposed route may be included, but divisions for private lots will not.

“So this design work in phase one would be looking at, shall we say, the low-hanging fruit of getting water mains into the areas closest to existing mains and roads,” said City Manager Rob Spreitzer.

A couple more phases will need to follow, as Coleman will just be beginning to lay groundwork that will be subsequently built upon.

In other business at the Gladstone City Commission meeting of Feb. 9:

– The commission set dates for upcoming budget work sessions to review the past fiscal year and discuss proposals for 2026 to 2027. The sessions — which are held at City Hall and open to the public — will be from 5 to 7 p.m. on Tuesday, Feb. 17 and the same tine on Wednesday, Feb. 18. A third session, if needed, may be from 5 to 7 p.m. that Thursday.

– The commission authorized the Community Development Department to purchase a software from BS&A that aims to modernize zoning processes by assisting in permit workflow and oversight, rental inspections and property maintenance. The budget was also amended to allow for the $6,355 module.

– The commission adopted Rules of Procedure with a minor correction to the order of agenda programming. Some deliberation and discussion was held around the appointment of mayor; Commissioner Whitney Maloney pointed out at the previous meeting that although the rules state that commissioners are supposed to use a ballot to elect the mayor and mayor pro-tem after the citizens vote, that decree has not been followed to the letter in the past.

– Maloney announced that the metal-detecting policy was being reviewed after a citizen, Kelly King, requested some adjustments at the previous meeting.