Improvements at Hinman Park approved

GLENWOOD CITY — The long awaited improvements at Hinman Park are one step closer to becoming a reality as the City Council accepted a bid from Albrightson Excavating out of Woodville in the amount of $132,495.00. The project involves relocating the two ball fields, installing new fences and backstops and other work.

The council approved the bid after Kevin Oium of Cedar Corporation, and Brent Standaert, one of the local people involved with raising funds to finance the project, presented information about it.

Oium informed the council that they had received four bids for the project with the high bid being at $183,096.75

Standaert addressed the council saying that they have raised some $82,565 including the $40,000 pledge from the city plus another $11,350 in pledges, which includes the Ford Test Drive event on Wednesday from 11 a.m. to 7 p.m. at Hinman Park, school and at Glenhaven. He also noted that there are two outstanding grant applications yet to be filled for $15,000. He stated that they should be able to raise $111,000. He also noted several cost saving things they could do to reduce the cost.

Council member Ken Peterson noted to Standaert; “I thought you were crazy in an attempt to raise that kind of money, but you got there.” The council thanked Cedar Corporation for their donation of drawing up the plans for the improvements. Standaert also was questioned about having naming rights to the field for a donation, but no action was taken on that matter other than to make sure that the park still retains the Hinman name.

Retaining Walls City’s Responsibility

During his report to the city council, Public Works Director, Dave Caress informed the Council that he had heard back from a state official about who is responsible for the retaining wall along First Street. “The city is,” Caress said he was told. Members of the council asked Caress if he could get that information in writing from the state.

The city is already on the hook for the retaining walls along Maple Street. Both Maple and First Street are state highways and those retaining walls were installed by the state years ago when they did highway improvement projects within the city. But apparently the city agreed to take over maintaining those walls as part of the agreement the city made with the state.

Caress noted a month ago that the walls on Maple Street were good except that the caps had deteriorated, but the city crew could replace the caps. Monday night he reported there was some 400-cap blocks on those walls and the caps cost about $6.00 each. He also noted that some of the cap blocks were missing on the North wall in the four hundred block of Maple Street. No action was taken on the matter at this time. Caress also reported that he was concerned about a proposed driveway at 435 Pine Street noting that if that driveway were installed, the car would be parking on the sidewalk.

He also noted to the Council that the DNR would not allow the city to turn on the water to the fairgrounds until all Cross Connections are in place. It was last year that a person got sick after drinking from a hose at the fairgrounds and this caused an inspection of the city water system which has lead the city to spend a million dollars in drilling a new well. However, it was never determined if that person got sick from drinking from that hose or from some other reason.

Caress said that he would have the firm that inspected the city business for the cross connection come back and inspect the fairgrounds.

Caress also informed the Council that the city crew would be draining the swimming pool this week.

Police Chief Robert Darwin reported that his department would be holding a bike safety class at the school on May 23rd.

Mayor Larson praised Caress for passing all four of his required state exams for water and wastewater operations. The mayor also informed the council about the building at 107 Maple Street that the city issued a raze order against. The letter that the mayor was reading from stated that Cedar Corporation was at present inspecting the building for asbestos and after that has been properly taken care of the building will be demolished.

The council also heard a report on what buildings, including the Community Center, could be used as a storm shelter during the fair.

In the Council package was a report from the Library Board that informed the members that Head Library Shaleen Culbert had submitted her resignation effective June 10th.

In other action the Council approved the summer outside events at the M & M Bar. Gave approval of picnic license applications to the fair for the Rodeo and Fair.

Approved the Operators license to Rita M. Mara and Kirstin M. Bouska and wrote off some $9,100 of uncollectable fire rescue and fire run bills.