Early staff to invite private-alley owners after assessor confirms ownership; DNR review pending on well sites

At the City Council meeting on Jan. 6, water department staffer Kris reported that County Assessor Justin Barlow confirmed the alley where the city has refrained from pushing snow is privately owned, and the council agreed to invite the alley's owners to the next meeting to explore possible solutions.

Kris also said a reported water issue behind the Post Office was settling and not the result of a broken water line. The council received a project update from Wes Boyer of consulting firm Bolten & Menk on the planned well project: an online meeting was held Dec. 16 and the city is waiting for information from the Iowa Department of Natural Resources before proceeding. To avoid delay if one site proves unusable, the council discussed proposing a second well site so the DNR can evaluate both locations at once.

The council approved Resolution 26-02 authorizing transfer of Water & Sewer Utility funds to the Water & Sewer Sinking fund to pay the FY 2026 SRF loan; the resolution passed unanimously.