Transit system nears new contract agreement

By Kelly Terpstra, kterpstra@charlescitypress.com

Public transportation users can breathe a sigh of relief in Charles City.

A contract was extended just last week to provide interim service for riders of the public transit system through the month of July. That contract had been scheduled to end on June 30.

That’s just some of the good news that emanated from the City Council’s regular meeting on Monday. The even better news is Charles City Administrator Steve Diers says all signs point to a new contract being worked up to extend the transit service for another year.

“Nothing is official with that yet,” said Diers. “There’s light at the end of the tunnel for the long-term solution.”

Diers did not state who the new private contractor would be should a new contract come to fruition. He did say that the city will pay the current provider an additional $300 a day for extension through the rest of July. That total also includes the city paying $4.24 per ride.

“We currently pay based on sales,” said Diers. “The important fact is we’ll have a continuity of service.”

Diers said he was very happy that the interim service was able to be run through July. Just a week prior, at the City Council’s planning meeting, he wasn’t ruling out the possibility that there may have been a lull in service if a contract couldn’t be extended or reached.

“The fact that both of these things kind of came together on the same day was very helpful in knowing that we’ll have a service in the interim,” Diers said. “This is a very positive outcome on an uncertain situation.”

The interim transit service will not be available during the rest of the Fourth of July week, but will resume Monday, July 9.

Also at the meeting Monday, the council approved a resolution to reject the bid offered by ASI Signs on the Wayfinding Project. The bid by ASI was almost double that of the city’s $70,000 budget on the project.

City Engineer John Fallis spoke to five of the other six potential bidders that did not submit a bid and found interest among that group. The main reason those companies did not submit a bid was due to the timing of the release of the bids and the limited time they had to complete the project, he said.

The project’s goal is to place informational signs around Charles City.

More progress was made on a building permit for the Floyd County Firefighters Association to construct a fire training facility in the 1100 block of E Street. City Attorney Brad Sloter has prepared a zoning ordinance amendment because the city does not have a permitted or a special use for a fire training facility. A second reading of that ordinance was approved.

Diers stated the facility would be used six to 12 times a year in the spring and fall. Each training session would last around three hours in a fenced-in and secure area. One concern is smoke from the facility and how that affects houses nearby. A railroad car is also being donated for use on the property, according to Diers.

It’s been almost four years since there have been sidewalks in front of McQuillen Place in the 100 block of Main Street and the 600 block of Clark Street. The sidewalks were removed in the fall of 2014 and have not yet been replaced. The council approved the preliminary plans on the Main Street Sidewalk Replacement Project with a contracted completion date of November 2 of this year. The council stated its desire to have the work done well ahead of that deadline.

In other action Monday:

– Surveys completed by the Broadband Commission for a Request for Information were completed recently and Diers hopes those can be sent out this week. The survey dealt with preferences and what potential partners the commission would like to see regarding a proposed fiber-optic broadband internet service in Charles City.

– The city will move ahead with vacating a portion of Grove Street west of Illinois Street after receiving a request from Bailey Nursery. The city also approved a hearing concerning the proposed vacation of an existing water main easement and acceptance of a new one at Bailey’s Nursery. The city also approved a resolution to convey city property that was thought to be owned by Bailey’s Nursery back to its rightful owner as it was believed to be.

– The HMA Paving Project, which was awarded to Heartland Asphalt at a bid of just over $200,000, was approved. The project has a completion date set for October 19 of this year.

– The council approved the purchase of bulletproof glass and for that to be installed at the Housing Department at a cost of $8,750, by Mason City Glass.

– Pam Lessin wants to subdivide a small portion of her property and convey it to Brandon Parks. The area to be subdivided is a small landlocked parcel immediately adjacent to Parks’ property. The council approved this resolution.

– A truck/trailer ordinance that would restrict parking of those vehicles in residential areas also took a step forward.

– Charles City Mayor Dean Andrews proclaimed the month of July Sarcoma Awareness Month. Cliff and Jean Boley were in attendance. Their daughter, Amy Heiter, passed away from sarcoma on April 29, 2015. Heiter was a 2008 Charles City High School graduate.