Main Street 4-way stop Wednesday Snow removal is main topic at City Council meeting
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The City Council spent some time listing to community citizens about snow removal from city parking lots and sidewalks.
Until last year, the city crew would pickup snow that was pushed into the streets from private parking lots and sidewalks. That was when the city put a new policy in place that required private business people to find a way to have snow from their parking lots and sidewalks removed so the city did not have to stand the cost of hauling snow away that was pushed into the street from private property.
The city council had made changes to their policy after experiencing a budget deficit two years ago of nearly $65,000 in snow removal costs.
Several people addressed the council at their regular meeting Monday evening including Peter Johnston and Roger Bonte. Johnston stated; “I though that the city could help with the snow.” He made a suggestion that those who have snow removal problems could help fund the city’s cost. He also noted that one firm paid over $200.00 just to have a private concern haul their snow away from one snowfall.
Bonte also addressed the council about installing security cameras along mainstreet noting that he was the victim of a robbery last week.
Johnston also told the council that the cost to some businesses is a burden for them and “We need to keep our mainstreet.” He also suggested that the city should take care of the snow on mainstreet and not to have several different firms working the same area.
The discussion turned to how to figure a cost for the city crew to do the removal and council member Jud Kraft asked Public Works director David Caress to put together a cost of having the city crew doing snow removal.
New four-way stop
During the meeting council member Jess Olson questioned Caress about “how is the four-way stop project coming.” The council a few months ago had approved making a four-way stop at the intersection of Oak Street and First Street. At present traffic on First Street stops for Oak Street. Caress answered Olson’s question with the word, “Wednesday.”
Senior Center
Alfie Schrank and Tom Aebly addressed the council about the use of the Community Center for seniors. Schrank noted that they would use the center on Tuesdays thru Friday from nine in the morning until 11:30 and he discussed asking the city to lower the rent to $100.00. He also noted that they are responsible for cleaning up the area and that their organization has lost their cook.
New broom
Mayor Kent Kletscher explained that the city has some $26,270.03 remaining in a grant from Covid relief. The mayor explained that those funds needed to be ear marked before the end of the year or the money would have to be returned. The mayor explained that the city needs either to repair their rotary broom or replace it.
The council approved spending some $5,817.94 of the Covid grant funds for a new John Deere 60 broom.
Fire Department
Fire Chief Greg Holden presented the council with cost figures for a new air filling station. The department recently received a large grant to replace all of the fire department’s Self Contained Breathing Apparatus (SCBA). The present SCBA has firefighters using air from the tank on their back that is pressurized to 2200 pounds, but the new system has tanks that are pressurized to 4500 pounds and the filling equipment the department has will not handle that pressure.
The grant does not cover the cost of a new filling station so the funds will come from the department’s budget. Holden had two bids for new equipment running as high as $50,000. He also had a bid for re-build equipment at a cost of $16,322. As this was not an agenda item, the council will take action at their next meeting.
