Library proposes permanent story walk feature for Charles City park

By Bob Steenson, bsteenson@charlescitypress.com

The “book walks” that have been popular attractions behind the Charles City Public Library, along the upper sidewalk by the Cedar River, could become a permanent fixture of a city park if the library can find funding.

Library Director Annette Dean made the proposal at a City Council workshop meeting held this week.

She said library had been doing several book walks over the summer while most of the library was closed because of COVID-19 restrictions, and described a book walk as taking a children’s illustrated book apart and posting the individual page spreads along a path for people to read as they walk by.

The book walks this summer have been essentially laminated pages attached to metal fence posts driven into the ground along the sidewalk.

“Unfortunately I don’t think we will be able to do much traditional children’s programming in the coming year,” Dean wrote in a presentation to the council. “The youth librarian and I have been talking about possibly trying to raise funds (through grants and our Friends and Foundation) to put in a permanent Story Walk.”

She described a story walk as having more permanent posts and displays so that the pages of a book can more easily be changed out from time to time, and would have better protection from the elements while on display. The posts would be powder-coated aluminum, set into concrete.

Dean estimated the cost of the project at $9,561.

She said there were three potential sites for the story walk, in Riverside Park along Riverside Drive, in Riverfront Park on the other side of the amphitheater near hole 4 of the disc golf course, or along the upper sidewalk behind the library.

Of the three, the one nearest the library was the favored choice, she said.

Council member Phoebe Pittman said she really liked the idea, and as a teacher she was in favor of getting kids reading and also outside walking.

Council member DeLaine Freeseman wondered if anyone would want to do the walks after COVID-19 restrictions went away.

Dean said the Friends of the Library had been doing book walks for about seven years and they remained popular.

Council members gave an unofficial nod of approval to the project idea, and Dean said the library would begin looking for funding.

Also at the workshop meeting, the council discussed purchasing a new police squad car, a 2021 Ford Police Interceptor, for the state bid price of $34,945, from a Ford dealer in Waukee.

City Administrator Steve Diers said the department budgets for about one new vehicle a year.

Police Chief Hugh Anderson said the 2013 Chevrolet Tahoe it will replace has 189,000 miles on it, and will be used by the code enforcement department.

Freeseman asked if there was any chance of buying the vehicle locally, and Anderson said he would check with area dealers, but usually they say they are unable to match the state negotiated bid price.

The council also discussed whether the city should offer an option for a delay in the requirement that sewer and water service lines for a property be capped at the main if the property is abandoned or demolished.

The cost to cap a line is about $2,500, Diers said, and some property owners have asked to delay the requirement while they figure out what they are going to do with the property. A proposed resolution will be discussed at a future meeting.

Diers also said the city was going to resume water shutoffs for people who are in arrears on their city utility bills. The shutoffs had been halted for some time during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Diers and City Clerk Trudy O’Donnell said people who had past-due bills would be sent a letter and given an opportunity to set up a six-month payment plan to avoid a shutoff.

During a quick special meeting that preceded the workshop session, the council set a public hearing for 6 p.m. Monday, Oct. 19, regarding a water quality project to prevent flooding in the Southwest Development Park.

Project funding for the estimated $366,000 cost of the project would come from a $100,000 grant from the Iowa Department of Agriculture and Land Stewardship, $100,000 from the Southwest Development Park, $76,000 from Winnebago Industries, which is located in the park and has experienced flooding problems, and approximately $80,000 from the city sewer fund.

The council also approved an agreement with Martin Gardner Architecture to complete design work and oversee bidding and construction for three projects — entry remodeling at 401 N. Main St. where the Chamber of Commerce, Community Revitalization and Charles City Area Development Corp. offices are located; remodeling the fire station to accommodate AMR ambulance staff offices as part of a three-year agreement among the city, Floyd County and AMR; and a restroom project at the Charles City Arts Center.

Diers said when the 401 N. Main St. project was bid last January there was no interest from contractors, likely because the project was too small. Hopefully by combining three projects the city will get bidders, he said.

The contract with Martin Gardner is for hourly billing, not to exceed $20,000.