The Iowa City City Council on Tuesday voted 7-0 to approve submitting an application that could raise more money for a flood-mitigation project.

A $55 million project to transfer of operations of the North Wastewater Treatment Plant — which became inoperable after the 2008 flood — to the South Wastewater Treatment Plant could receive extra funding under the Iowa Flood Mitigation Program.

The program is designed to allow cities to capture 70 percent of future sales-tax growth to fund flood-mitigation projects.

Through the program, Iowa City would request the flood-mitigation board to allow the city to capture up to $8.5 million in future sales-tax growth to pay for the demolition of the North Wastewater Treatment Plant, to create a five-acre wetland at the north-plant site, and to stabilize stream banks at the confluence of Ralston Creek and the Iowa River.

Initial funding would be available in the summer of 2015 if the city’s application is approved.

The council also approved the use of the local-option sales tax and treatment-plant project to match funds for the application with a 7-0 vote.

The program requires a local match for the application. The resolution approves the use of up to almost $13.6 million of funds as the local match for the total project cost of $63,442,249.

— by Rebecca Morin