The Atlantic City Council is expected to act on passing a resolution approving the contract and bonds for the construction of a Portland Cement Concrete Trail circling Lake 1 in the Schildberg Recreation Area, Wednesday. City Administrator Doug Harris reports the Iowa DOT has accepted bids for the project, and determined that Howrey Construction of Rockwell City provided the lowest bid, amounting to $59,291.The bid was nearly 28-percent lower than the next lowest bidder.

The project will be funded through a State Transportation Enhancement Grant, that covers 80-percent of cost. If approved by the council, the remaining 20-percent local match will come from the city’s Local Option Sales Tax Progress Fund.

The City Council will also consider a request for direction from the Community Development Committee, with regard to the need to establish a Property Maintenance Ordinance. Doug Harris says the City is trying to curb the proliferation of dilapidated and dangerous structures, which have an adverse affect on surrounding property values.

Harris says the objective of such an ordinance, were it to be established, is to keep properties from deteriorating to the point where structures become dilapidated and dangerous, by requiring property owners to keep those structures in reasonably good repair. The CDC is not considering International or Uniform Property Codes, which would apply extensive building, plumbing and mechanical code requirements to existing structures. Harris says the Committee wants to look at a creating an ordinance which focuses only on preserving the outside envelope of buildings in good repair.

In other business, the Atlantic City Council Wednesday evening, will consider and act on a resolution amending a section of the City Administrator’s contract with the City, with regard to providing a monthly car allowance, instead of a city vehicle. Doug Harris says he rarely uses a vehicle the City provides, because it’s often times being used by the Police Department to conduct surveillance and other Police business. He says Police Chief Steve Green should be allowed to take the vehicle home at night, so he can respond to emergencies in that vehicle, instead of using his own car.

Harris says he’s been using his own vehicle for city business over the past 18-months, without compensation, and is requesting a separate line item in the FY 2012 budget to provide him with a $175 per month car allowance. The City’s Finance Committee is scheduled to review the proposal prior to making a recommendation to the Council during its meeting at 5:30-p.m., Wednesday.