Council approves conditional plan to repair Main Street if Landus pays half

The city council approved a conditional plan on Aug. 19 to repair a damaged section of Main Street just south of First Street if Landus Cooperative agrees to pay at least half the cost of the work.

Councilor Bill Cougill moved the measure during an emergency meeting called by Mayor Sharon Ann Irwin, saying the council should act while the construction company is still in town. Councilor Tim Langner seconded the motion; Councilor Brian Pickhinke joined the session and reported he had a call in to Eric Pullen of Landus Cooperative. Kris Alesch, superintendent of public works, was present for the discussion. The motion passed with all members present voting in favor; two council members, Summer Schmidt and Steve Mason, were absent.

The motion specified the city would proceed only if Landus agreed to pay at least one-half of the repair cost. The council did not record a dollar amount for the repair in the meeting minutes and no binding payment commitment from Landus was reported during the session. City staff will need to confirm Landus’s willingness to fund its share before the work begins.

The meeting was brief: Mayor Irwin called the meeting to order at 7:15 p.m. and it was adjourned by motion at 7:30 p.m. The council’s action authorizes staff to move forward with the repair if the conditional contribution is secured; the transcript and minutes do not record further procedural steps, a contract award, or a timeline for the repair.

Attendees recorded in the minutes were Mayor Sharon Ann Irwin; Councilor Bill Cougill, Councilor Tim Langner and Councilor Brian Pickhinke (present); Summer Schmidt and Steve Mason (absent); and Kris Alesch, superintendent of public works. The minutes note a call to Eric Pullen of Landus Cooperative but do not record Pullen’s response.