RAGBRAI preparations continue

By Thomas Nelson, tnelson@charlescitypress.com

CHARLES CITY  — The city continues to prepare for the thousands of cyclist to engulf Charles City during the summer. A separate checking account for the event was approved by the Charles City Council on Monday.

The account will be a project fund tracked separately from the rest of the city’s accounts, said Trudy O’Donnell, Charles City clerk.

All of RAGBRAI’s processing for revenues and expenditures will go through the account.

The account will probably get set up at First Security Bank, O’Donnell said. The city’s accounts are at CUSB bank.

“I haven’t worked those logistics out yet,” O’Donnell said. “I’ll hit that tomorrow.”

The city also held four hearings concerning water and infrastructure repair.

The Rolfing Street water main replacement was approved, and six bids were received for work on the project.

Popp Excavating, INC was awarded the bid with a $192,725 contract with Charles City Engineer John Fallis’s recommendation.

The same company was awarded the bid for the Bunn Avenue sanitary sewer replacement for $24,322 after a hearing on the project.

The city also voted unanimously to extend Clark Street’s sidewalk from Pfeiffer Avenue to Salsbury Avenue going into the Charley Western Trail. Handicap pedestrian ramps will also be placed on the cross streets.

There was only one bid on the sidewalk project — DeBoest Concrete in Charles City. DeBoest bid $49,498 and was awarded the contract by the council.

The project is set to be completed prior to RAGBRAI, Fallis said.

In the beginning of the meeting Mayor James Erb read two proclamations for April 6’s National Service Recognition Day and for April being Sexual Assault Awareness and Prevention Month.

Erin Myers, advocate for Crisis Intervention Services and Lt. Brad Worrall of the Charles City Police Department were present for the Sexual Assault Awareness month proclamation.

“Floyd County is doing a real good job supporting victims,” Myers said.

Members of the foster grandparent program came on behalf of the National Service Recognition Day for the National Senior Rorps.

The city also renewed its insurance plan with Bob Ingram, agent at Sisson & Associates, Inc.

The city also voted for repairs to a Sportsmen’s Park shelter.

The shelter has an estimated quote of $16,380 by Watertight Construction out of Charles City, below the budgeted amount set at $40,000.