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04/10/2006: "Council raises swimming pool fees"

There was a lot of talk at the Monday, April 3, Crofton city council meeting.
The first action taken by the board was to increase pool rates. City clerk Nancy Foxhoven checked other area pool fees and found Crofton rates to be in the lower half of the fees, and usually the lowest.
Family season passes were as high as $75 to a low of $60 at Crofton. Individual passes ranged from $40 to $30 -- again the lowest being Crofton. Daily adult and student charges were fairly even, balancing between $2-3. Lessons were $25 in Creighton to the low of $15 in Crofton.
The council approved an increase in all areas as follows: family season pass - $75; single season pass - $40; daily adult and student fees will be the same at $3 each; and lessons will be $25 with a $5 discount if the student’s family has a season pass. The board felt this would help defray some of the expense incurred at the pool instead of dipping into other accounts to pay for repairs and upkeep.

A building permit application from Joe Kollars to build a 32’X52’ steel building was also discussed longer than usual by the council. Councilman Jay Haberer talked at length with Kollars about the placement of his building and the appearance in a neighborhood of all residential homes.
“Since no actual zoning laws have been passed by the council, we have no real teeth to enforce anything,” Haberer said. The council did approve the permit on the condition it follows the appropriate setbacks for the lot in question and follows the placement of other buildings in the area.
The most disturbing concept for the council is the predicament they find themselves in recently with building permits. Usually by the time city residents apply for the permit, they have already ordered the building, dug dirtwork or started construction. The proper procedure is to apply for the building permit first and then if it is approved, begin with the structure, either ordering it or constructing it.
Laurie Larsen, president of the Shannon Trail Promoters, talked to the city council about having a street dance on July 15 as a wind-down event for the area’s bicentennial celebration of the Lewis & Clark Corps of Discovery Expedition.
Homegrown country singer Joanie Keller will headline the showcase night. The evening will be conducted much like the July 4 street dance held by the 3Cs and the baseball association. Liquor licenses will be requested by the three town bars, Fritz’s, Sports Stop, Wiebelhaus Recreation and the American Legion Post 128. In the event of rain, it will be held in the city auditorium.
Larsen also explained there would be 2-3 workers from each of the 16 Shannon Trail communities to help work the gates and mingle in the crowd. Most of these volunteers have worked dances of this nature in their community and would be familiar with liquor control. After checking the date for the community appreciation night as July 8, the council approved the Shannon Trail event.
City resident Rhonda Harmelink was present to talk to the board about the culvert at the east end of Kansas Street. It has washed out and also rotted out on the roadway near her house. Since it is not a designated street on the city map of Crofton, city attorney Dale Riesberg explained it comes under the heading of a prescripted easement. Since the area has been traveled over for a number of years, including use by the city to get to the water treatment plant, it technically becomes a road even though it is on private property. The council approved the placement of a 30-inch culvert on the east end of Kansas Street at the city’s expense.
Wil Sanger, industrial arts instructor and wrestling coach at Crofton Community Schools, talked to the board at great length about the need for a wrestling facility in Crofton. Currently, it is a struggle for Sanger to find practice areas for the team and hard to juggle places and times for meets.
Sanger presented a floor plan for a steel building, approximately 65’X100’ in size, which he would like to see erected, possibly on the southeast corner of the present jr./sr. high school building. Sanger designed the facility with a wrestling area but also to include a weightlifting room which could offered to the community to use. He envisioned it to be a health-wellness center as well as answering the needs of the wrestling team.
Where it is erected and how are Sanger’s two big stumbling blocks. Since the school district has no available funding, he asked the council to sponsor the costs of a grant-writing proposal by SIMPCO of Sioux City.
Mayor Vern Wuebben pointed out it would be difficult for the council to pay for grant expenses on a facility not under the city’s control. If in the future, the facility would be built, the city would look favorably upon closing the city’s fitness center and giving the equipment to the new operation. Some suggestions were made by the council to find local people to assist Sanger.
A lengthy discussion was also held between council members concerning the contract offered the city by EDM Associates, Inc. for the CDBG engineering service agreement. This agreement is needed to begin the search for funding of the city’s aging water and sewer infrastructure.
The council agreed it was a very detailed listing of six project areas city street superintendent Ron Nohr plans to finish for the CDBG qualifications. The scope of work is definitely above and beyond the necessary guidelines. Wuebben pointed out the extra hours would probably be to the city’s benefit. Riesberg made this comparison: “Do we want just a Ford or should we be looking for a Cadillac?”
On the councilmen’s minds though were just what this extra effort will cost the city in the end. They would like to see some type of work schedule, which would be compatible with city workers and their busy schedule, city’s in-kind cost, and any outright expenses to be incurred.
“We don’t like surprises,” councilman Allan Arens said.
The council granted Wuebben the authority to sign the contract with a clear understanding of what those extra expenditures might be along with an idea of the type of payment schedule the CDBG grant will offer for EDM’s services.
Under miscellaneous, the council noted concern over the safe and unsafe use of all-terrain vehicles (ATV) and go-carts in the city limits of Crofton. Chief of Police Mark Krepel explained he usually lets owners, using them specifically for work, to do what they have to do, but tries to crack down on the “playing.” The council reminded the public the use of go-carts and ATVs in the city limits, on the streets and in the parks, is not legal.
Councilman Wendell Strom asked the dollar amount allotted by the city for the electric upgrade in the South City Park. Foxhoven checked and the amount is $1,500. He also asked about a storage shed, which the appreciation committee would like to erect south of the new bathroom facility in the South City Park. The council said no to the storage shed to keep the park looking attractive.
Spring cleanup is going on now with April 13 as the closing date. Anyone who owns an abandoned vehicle and would like to have the city clear it away during the cleanup can contract the police department. A clear title would need to be available.