Council hears concerns over ball field and lawsuit

by Ranee Fladung
Since drainage repairs are at a standstill, council member Randy Sexton suggested placing barricades on the city right-of-way along River Street between Washington and Glasgow Streets to protect it from being “destroyed.”  The city has made attempts to obtain an easement from Ed Pechous, owner of Riverside Grain and Feed so the city can fix the drainage issues along Railroad Street.
City clerk Tina Thomas said Pechous responded to the city’s request by asking the city to pay $500 per year for the easement. Thomas said Pechous currently uses the city’s right-of-way to load out grain trucks behind its grain bins along River Street and the area is being destroyed. The council agreed to install barricades along the right-of-way.
During citizen time, Marge Schnoebelen voiced her concerns about the city’s lack of communication with the Ball Association after talking with several members who knew nothing about the city’s plans to concrete the area around the bleachers.  She said she had seen the concrete at the fields and wondered if it has been discussed with the Ball Association who had plans to put up a concession stand. The city’s action would limit what the association could do.  Sexton explained that the Ball Association had contacted the city more than two years ago to pay for the concrete and it would provide the labor.  Since that time, the money had been budgeted, and he and city workers had talked with Steve Musser and Brian Michels but nothing had happened.
“They failed to do it and so that’s when we stepped in and did it,” said Sexton.
Schnoebelen also, noted that a lot of people in town are upset with the city for not wanting to pay the county $175,000 annually for 10 years to offset loss of TIF revenues to repay some $13.5 million for revenue bonds and interest debt.  “We need to pay it back to the county,” she said. “We had an agreement.”
Council member Todd Yahkne said, “We had an agreement with the county too and they broke it.”
Mayor Bill Poch assured Schnoebelen that the city’s attorney is working on a statement to explain the city’s position.
In other business the council:
• approved sending requests for bids to Peoples Trust and Savings Bank and American Bank and Trust for a loan to purchase a tanker truck for the Riverside Fire District.  The purchase had been approved during the Fire District annual meeting November 17, 2008;
• learned that the city is waiting for the Riverside Area Community Club (RACC) and Riverside Business Association to nominate a member to serve on the committe to plan how to spend the $100,000 allocation from Invasion Iowa’s production company;
• approved hiring Chris Kirkwood as Master Gardener for the the city at a rate of $10 per hour to cover the growing season from May to October 2009. The council agreed not to set a minimum number of hours for  Kirkwood since she takes care of cleanup, soil preparation, garden plans, purchasing plant material, planting, weeding, trimming and fall cleanup of the flower bed at Railroad Park;
• approved removing a service line, pole and light in Memorial Park. A new streetlight and transformer will be placed near 410 E. River Street; and
• will have the sheriff’s department chalk the tires of vehicles that are not following parking regulations in town.