Wayfinding project moves forward at council meeting

By Kelly Terpstra, kterpstra@charlescitypress.com

A project that has been in the works for some time got the go-ahead Monday at the Charles City Council regular meeting.

The Wayfinding project, which will put signage up around town, took another step forward after the council approved the program. The project has been one of the city’s top goals.

“We have kicked this around for a long time and it needs to get going,” said Council member DeLaine Freesemen.

Thirteen of 30 vehicular signs, which will be posted on Highways 18 and 14, will come at no cost to the city through federal funding. The rest of the plan includes four gateway/welcome signs and six parking lot/information kiosks.

The HMA Paving Project was passed and will allow construction of a three-inch thick asphalt to be put down on Stony Point Road, Bunn Avenue, Second Street (west of Iowa Street), and South Jackson Street (between Court Street and the Cedar River). The low-volume residential street improvement has an estimated cost of $300,000.

The city will purchase an irregular shaped property owned by Dorothy Parsons on Charles Street, which turns over the property from private to public. This will give the city access to a 12-inch water main. The property will be purchased for roughly $7,000.

The Clark Street Trail Extension Project was approved and will extend the trail to the intersection of Lakeshore Drive and Clark Street. The city will be reimbursed 80 percent of the cost by the Department of Transportation.

A storm sewer on Hulin Street, between Johnson and Jackson Streets, will be repaired. The existing storm sewer was close to collapse. It will be removed and replaced.

The dental center on North Main Street will have its sump pump drain directly into the storm sewer system after that motion passed, and Bailey Nursery’s request for a right-of-way vacated near Grove Street also passed.

One lime lagoon will be cleaned at the water treatment plant, located at Kellogg and 19th streets. The south lagoon was cleaned out last year and the north got approval to be cleaned this year.

City Administrator Steve Diers discussed the collective bargaining agreements of the police, fire and Public Works departments. 

In fiscal year 2018-19, police and public safety officers will get a 1 percent pay increase plus an added step at the sixth year of employment; fire and public works will receive 2.5 percent increases. In fiscal year 2019-20, all three groups will get 2.75 percent increases, and in fiscal year 2020-21 all three groups will get 3 percent increases.