Parking options considered for Center Street project 

By Brian Smith

The Elgin Center Street Project continues to be a main focus of Elgin City Council meetings. At Monday night’s meeting the council discussed possible options for a parking area that would be placed between the post office and another building to the east. Jake Huck from MSA Professional Services brought a few different options for parking areas to the meeting for the council to look over. Of the three options presented, the council seemed to lean toward an option that would allow 60-degree angle parking on both sides, with one-way traffic entering from Center Street and exiting through the back of the parking area. 

“That design does allow for more buffer space between parked vehicles and the buildings,” explained Huck. 

Having one-way traffic in the parking area also creates more space for vehicles entering and exiting the area. Huck will continue to work on the details of the parking area as the council moves closer to making final decisions on the Center Street Project. 

The MSA representative also mentioned that results from some recent samples that were taken in town should be available by the end of the week, yielding indications of street depths and types of pavers to be used in the Center Street Project. Huck estimates that a start date for construction on the project would be midsummer.

Mike Finkenbinder was also on hand from MSA Professional Services to present information about a request made by one of the contractors who had won a bid on a previous water project. The contractor was requesting additional payment of $3,000 due to an oversight, which involved a sub contractor. The council did not make a motion on that request. 

Finkenbinder also provided information on that water system project, stating that workers would be coming in this week and next week to finish up a list of items that still need attention. He will be working City Superintendent Tom Martin on getting these things accomplished. He then recommended that the council approve substantial completion on the water project. The council passed that motion unanimously.

City Superintendent Tom Martin brought several things to the council’s attention, including problems that have occurred with the water system during the recent rainstorms. Martin explained that the system may have some electrical issues that need to be addressed. He is still attempting to discover where the root of the problem with the system lies. There is some question about whether or not power surge protection was working properly or even installed in the system. Costs of replacing some components of the system were outlined for the council. Martin stated that these costs would more than likely be covered by insurance. 

Mayor Bill Pfister said, “It would be best to get the system restored completely, rather than piecing something together with new parts here and there.”

Martin will be working closely with MSA Professional Services in the coming week to discover exactly what the problem is, how it can be fixed, and who is financially responsible.

He also informed the council that there is an issue with the batteries and the chargers for the emergency sirens in town. He is researching the problem, but wanted the council to know that one siren is currently down, and both would be in need of getting batteries or chargers. The council approved a motion for the city superintendent to find out what batteries and chargers are needed and to purchase whatever might be needed, so that both sirens are in working order.

Finally, Martin submitted an idea to the council about selling some equipment the City currently has, including a tractor, in order to defray the cost of buying a broom attachment for the mower. The broom attachment would be used for cleaning streets and other areas in Elgin. The council asked Martin to find out more about the value of the equipment before making a decision on the issue.

Robin Bostrom was present at the meeting and informed the council of the Turkey River Tri-P (Paddle, Pedal, Putt) being planned for June 29 by the Turkey River Recreational Corridor (TRRC). The event would require bikers to go through Elgin on their way to the Pleasant Valley Golf Course. Bostrom received suggestions from the council about the best route for bikers to take during this event.

Finally, Elgin Public Library requested a change in its budget due to receiving an additional $633 from the State of Iowa. The council approved the request for the library to add this amount to its budget.

The next Elgin City Council meeting is scheduled for 7 p.m. Monday, April 29, at the Elgin Public Library.