The city of Dubuque is poised to issue three series of 20-year bonds worth more than $24 million to kick off the new year. The borrowed money will help Dubuque pay for a variety of improvements, including $3.2 million to implement new smart parking in public parking ramps, $8.8 million to help construct an outdoor concert amphitheater on Chaplain Schmitt Island and nearly $6 million in a long list of equipment upgrades for the Fire Department. A public hearing on the bonds is set for Monday, Jan. 6. If they are approved, the bonds would be put on the market in late January before the sale ends on Feb. 3. The bonds cover projects in budgets for both fiscal year 2024 and fiscal year 2025, as the city did not issue bonds a year ago.