D. J. Weber of The Community Agency (TCA) was unable to attend the regular Paullina Council meeting on Monday April 18. He was expected to discuss an updated 28E agreement. The discussion will be rescheduled. City Clerk Sandy Fritz also announced that the 28E just approved with Sutherland to share police officers will soon be cancelled again. Sutherland officer Derek Nixon submitted his notice.
The council also approved closing the alley and parking lot bordered by Railroad Avenue and Mickley Street. The closure will take affect during the afternoon of Friday June 24 through Sunday June 26, 2022 to accommodate a trio of bands hosted by Junior’s Bar & Grill over the Gemboree weekend.
Heath Reichle, as maintenance for Swanson Sports Complex asked the council for funds to build a bunker to store top dressing for the baseball and softball fields. He also asked for funds to plant 5 evergreen trees outside the fields. The request was tabled at the April 4 meeting pending more information about the intended location of the bunker. Council opposed disrupting bus parking at the east end of the baseball field. Reichle’s response explained that the corner of the bus parking area was the location he was most interested in to protect the grass and easy access to the material. He also indicated the area for the bunker would not interfere with bus parking. The cost to build the top dressing bunker is $1700.00.
The 5 evergreens requested are priced, according to Reichle, at $2175 including planting. The city would be on the hook for half the cost, per 28E. Council questioned that amount of money for 5 evergreens. The tabled the tree request until further explanation of the cost is available.
New lights around the ball field at the city park are installed. The final cost of the lights is $229,760.00. Ardent Lighting of Knoxville, Iowa installed the new poles and lights. City crews took down the old lights and poles and bore the new electric. Council also decided to honor a request to purchase covered garbage cans for the city park also.
Council discussed the condition of the street light poles, particularly around the central business district. They generally agreed they need replacement. Several ideas were brought up. The expense is not budgeted for the 2022-23 fiscal year, so council can gather information and costs before making a decision about the replacement.
The sewer lagoons serving Paullina were slated to be upgraded using federal American Rescue Plan Act funds (COVID 19 related). Council decided to replace the aerators under the lagoon. Beck Engineering has completed the plans and specifications for the project and set the bid opening for the project for Thursday May 12, 2022 at 2:00pm and the public hearing to award the bid at the regular meeting on Monday May 16. The project involves the replacement of some aerators in 3 of the lagoons. Aeration is a system of bubbling the water to create more dissolved oxygen in the water to better breakdown waste before it is released into natural waterways.