City will lend VFW money for memorial concept creation

Plans for a Veterans Memorial at the former water tower site near City Beach are proceeding.

Monday night the Clear Lake City Council approved a resolution authorizing Mayor Nelson Crabb to sign a loan agreement on behalf of the city with Clear Lake V.F.W. Post 4868 to fund a concept design for a proposed veterans memorial.

RDG Design, of Des Moines, which has been used to develop a number of streetscape designs for the City including the recent City Beach, Sea Wall and North Lakeview Drive improvements, has been retained for the work.  The cost of the conceptual design work is $8,500.

RDG is expected to present three design concepts to the VFW.  A final design will then be presented to the City later this year, according to V.F.W. Post Commander Mike Nelson.

In November 2015 the Council voted unanimously in favor of a loan agreement with the V.F.W. to pursue phase one design services with RDG.  However, Monday night Councilman Gary Hugi voted against the loan.  He did not comment on his action.

Previously, Council members stressed they were not approving the site, but rather supporting creation of a conceptual design which will provide a visual for the amount of space a memorial would occupy.

If the conceptual design is approved and City leaders vote to locate the memorial at the water tower site, the City would also pay the $19,500 phase two cost for final design and construction, based on discussion in November.  Nelson said the V.F.W. would enter into a loan agreement with the City to repay the funds once its fundraising campaign for a memorial was underway.  At that time Hugi said he was opposed to using taxpayer money for the project, but voted in favor of an agreement with the V.F.W. for repayment.  In September 2015, Hugi voted against the development of a plan for a memorial at the water tower location. At whatever time a specific location is proposed for the memorial, Hugi supports holding a public hearing to receive comments.

Other business

In other business Monday, City Administrator Scott Flory reported interviews are in progress for a new CLEAR Project coordinator.

A Water Management Authority

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was formed as a means to carry on the work of the CLEAR Project following the abrupt resignation of Mary Jo Burkgren in June 2015.  The WMA will continue the efforts started by the Association for the Preservation of Clear Lake and the CLEAR Project, which was formed in 1995.

Representatives from the Hancock and Cerro Gordo County Soil Water Conservation Districts (SWCD), Cities of Clear Lake and Ventura, Iowa DNR, Iowa Department of Ag and Land Stewardship and the APCL met to consider formation of a WMA after Burkgren’s departure.  The CLEAR Project coordinator will report directly to the WMA.

Flory said there have been a number of qualified applicants for the CLEAR Project Director position and he is hopeful an offer will be made to a candidate in the near future.

The City Council approved a Professional Services Agreement with Veenstra & Kimm Monday for its 2016 Street Resurfacing Project.  The firm will develop the plan for improvements this spring on 11 street segments comprising 23 blocks.  The engineer’s estimate for the street resurfacing work is $361,000.  V&K will be paid $22,948 for their professional work.  Bids for the project are expected to be let May 12 and awarded at the Council’s May 16 meeting.  Construction would begin soon after, with completion by June 30.  Councilman Gary Hugi suggested V&K revise the project to accommodate earlier competition, noting the June 30 date is too close to Clear Laker’s busy July 4 holiday.

The Council also approved its lease agreement with the Clear Lake Youth Athletic League for the property it uses north of Lions Field.  This is the third time the lease has been extended.  The lease now runs through 2019.

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