CENTERVILLE —
The Centerville City Council Monday night at City Hall discussed the Safe Routes to School project.
It was decided a group of citizens and city officials would form a committee to look into the feasibility of proceeding with the nearly mile-long Safe Routes to School sidewalk between Lakeview Elementary and Howar Junior High along South Main Street in Centerville.
Mark Hoffman, Tony Ryan, Nancy Huisman, Jim Milani, Marilyn Vanderlinden, Richard Smith, Kim Crego, Jim Senior and Neil MacArthur constitute the committee members looking into the Safe Routes to School project. The committee held their first meeting yesterday and plan to hold meetings on subsequent Tuesdays at 10 a.m. at City Hall to figure out a way to make the project happen, including soliciting community support, lobbying the state for project development flexibility and providing in-kind services or until it appears the project does not have enough support to be accomplished.
"And if we find we don't have community support, we'll bring this to the council and say, 'What do you want us to do,'" Kim Crego, city clerk and commissioner of municipal services said Wednesday afternoon during a telephone interview. "And at that point if we can't generate enough interest, get enough support from the DOT, you know, the project would be scraped. But we're hopeful."
Crego said anyone is welcome to attend the meetings but the committee is only looking for those who can offer solutions.
"The city very much wants it to happen," Crego said, but it needs to find citizens to step forward to replace the original core group who got the project started and are no longer here. "So we need to see if we've got enough other people that can carry on this mantle and get the project completed."
Facing the committee is the lack of money, which, based on the only bid letting the city had, at least an additional $75,000 needs to be raised. Minus more money to finish the project, the other option is to return the more than$249,000 grant the city received from the state and make up at least $20,000 already paid out to Hall Engineering in engineering fees.
What started as a discussion item — the designation of a brush dump — has now proceeded into talks with Mahaska Mulch, of Oskaloosa, and their verbal indication that they would like to manage Centerville resident's brush debris and turn it into mulch.
Details like where to locate the company's container to collect the yard debris, what would the service agreement with the company look like and who locally would staff the collection site where the yard waste would be brought still needs to be worked out.
"There would be no cost to the city. No cost to the individuals here in Centerville," Crego said. "It would just be a place for them to place yard waste, and it would be reused."
Crego said the city hopes to have in place a workable solution for Centerville resident's yard waste by this Fall.
In other action the council approved by 4-0 votes:
• A resolution to sale the former water department office at 112 N. 12th St. to Sales and Associates, Inc. for $28,000.
• A resolution to accept the final completion of the storm sewer improvements-2011 project. The project cost was $637,849.81 and was substantially completed on July 18, 2012 and now the contractor, Pilcher Enterprise, Inc., is required to provide Centerville with a release of liens.
Councilman Edwin Brand was not present.
Nancy Huisman, of Centerville, was named the "Citizen of the Month" for July 2012 by Mayor Jim Senior.
And the council discussed the possibility of a Fall and Winter controlled deer bow hunt inside city limits and handed out information. An official with Iowa Department of Natural Resources game warden Jacob Fult, along with Mark Hoffman, Appanoose County Conservation Commission executive director, is expected to attended the council's next meeting on Aug. 20 to continue the discussion on the issue and give more information.
Crego said the first city limits controlled deer hunt was successful. No one was injured, no wounded deer had to be tracked and "it appears on surface, that it was a very good hunt last year."
Local News
August 10, 2012
Committee to look at Safe Routes to School project
- Local News
-
-
UPDATE, 9:34 a.m.: Pursuit that began in Marion county ends in Wayne county
A pursuit that began in Marion county Tuesday evening ended in Wayne county Tuesday night.
- Free concert Thursday Free concert Thursday On Thursday, May 23 Howar Junior High and Lakeview will be giving a free concert at 6:30 p.m. on the Centerville Square. IHCC compete at BPA National OTTUMWA -- Indian Hills Community College fared well at the recent Business P
- Memorial Day services The Memorial Day service in Numa will be held at 11a.m. Sunday, May 26 at the Numa Cemetery. A musical prelude will be performed. Taps will be played and the Gettysburg address will be recited. Pastor Kay Singley will be the main speaker. After the s
- Indian Hills students compete at BPA National OTTUMWA – Indian Hills Community College fared well at the recent Business Professionals of America National Contest in Orlando, Fla. Jeremy Carlsten, of Exline, was a top 10 finisher in Fundamentals of Web Design, Java Programming and Visual Basic
- Disaster assistance available to repair damaged farmland ALBIA -- Monroe-Appanoose County FSA was approved to implement the Emergency Conservation Program. The deadline for accepting applications is July 15. "Area farmers who experience extreme damage to their land from severe weather events should report
- Veterans group awards $1,750 in scholarships The Appanoose County Veteran's Association awarded three $250 and one $1,000 scholarships to four senior students attending Centerville, Moravia and Moulton-Udell high schools. Scholarship applicants were required to have a 2.0 grade point average or
- Encourages kids to 'Jump into Summer' On Saturday, June 1 the Rathbun Lake Area YMCA is celebrating Healthy Kids Day with a free community event for kids and families in Appanoose County. The YMCA's Healthy Kids Day event will take place at Rathbun Lake Area YMCA, 708 S. Main St. in Cen
-
Centerville, Moravia students win scholarships
COLUMBIA, Mo. -- Shelby Nicole Thamke, a graduating senior at Centerville High School and Nicole Dawn Self, a graduating senior at Moravia Community School each won a $2,000 MFA Foundation scholarship. Thamke is the daughter of Marcy and Aaron Thamk
-
Centerville flooring business has new owners
A 65-year-old business fixture in Centerville is changing ownership as the owner has decided to retire. Ron Mitchell, owner of Mitchell's Floor Covering, has decided to retire after guiding the family-run business since moving back home from Denver,
-
69-year-old leads deputies on high speed chase
A homeless man driving a stolen vehicle May 15 in Appanoose County at 2:30 a.m. in an attempt to elude law enforcement rammed the pursuing patrol car and is now facing five class D felony charges. Roy Steed Cope, 69, has been charged by the Appanoose
- Friends raise more than $450 Friends raise more than $450 The Friends of the Drake Public Library raised more than $450 to pay for new books for the Drake Public Library from the Bake Sale for Books event Saturday, May 11. May 22 'American Cancer Society Day' DES MOINES -- In h
-
UPDATE 11:42 p.m.: Customers without power now below 1,000
Severe storms moving through the area caused over a thousand to loose power Sunday night.
-
Severe weather expected today
OTTUMWA -- Southeast Iowa will likely see the return of severe weather Sunday. Forecasters say there is a very high chance of thunderstorms this afternoon and evening and some could become severe.
- BOB volunteers complete window installation at 18-80 Club The 18-80 Club in Centerville recently received new windows with the help of local volunteers. "Our windows are in and look great," said Carla Wahl, with the 18-80 Club. "With the temp today [May 14] being in the 90's maybe they will open them up. T
- City Council budget amendment public hearing tonight The Centerville City Council at tonight's regular meeting will hold a public hearing amending the fiscal year 2013 budget, which ends June 30. The budget amendment calls for an additional $3.5 million in total revenues and other sources and an additi
- More Local News Headlines
-
UPDATE, 9:34 a.m.: Pursuit that began in Marion county ends in Wayne county
