The Fort Dodge City Council on Monday took an early step to assisting Elanco Animal Health with a major investment in its local facility.

In July, the manufacturer of veterinary medicines announced plans to invest $106 million in its campus at 800 Fifth St. N.W.

That investment will be made over the next six years. It will ensure that all of the 441 existing jobs there are retained. It will also create 26 more jobs.

The company announced the investment following its acquisition of Bayer’s animal health business. That purchase prompted a thorough review of all of the company’s plants and three of them were sold.

On Monday, the City Council voted unanimously to add the Elanco Animal Health campus to the Center City and Industrial Park Urban Renewal Areas. Doing that will enable the city government to use tax increment financing to aid the company. The city will offer a tax increment financing rebate estimated at $480,000.

The city will also offer a rebate of 80 percent of the increased taxable value of the site, which is expected due to planned remodeling.

In other business, the council purchased three pieces of equipment for the Public Works Department.

A trailer containing vacuum and high pressure water equipment for cleaning sewers was purchased from Vermeer Iowa, of Marcus, for $49,900.

A truck that carries camera equipment to examine the insides of sewers was purchased from Mid-Iowa Solid Waste Equipment, of Johnston, for $218,017.14. It replaces a 1997 model that uses outdated camera equipment and software.

A machine that compacts soil in trenches and excavations was purchased from Mid Country Machinery, Fort Dodge, for $33,317.