A new Police Officer and City Clerk will officially be sworn-in Wednesday evening, during a regular meeting of the Atlantic City Council, which begins at 5:30. First up on the agenda (After approval of the agenda and related items), is Mayor Dave Jones, who will administer the Oath of Office to Police Officer Brock Thompson, who hails from the Cedar Rapids area and comes from a background of military service. Thompson, his wife Hilary and young daughter Natalie, will be settling in Atlantic. He’s one of two new Officers to join the City since the beginning of the new year. Officer Cameron Ward, from Griswold, was sworn-in early last month. Both men were hired as a result of openings created on the Atlantic Police force, with the promotions of two officers, and of Lt. Dave Erickson to Chief of Police.

The Mayor will also administer the Oath of Office to City Clerk Barb Barrick, who succeeds Deb Wheatley-Field. Deb retired after more than 35-years with the City. Her last official day was on Friday.

In other business, the Atlantic City Council will act on closing certain streets for the May 20th Ba-da-Ba-da Bing Bang Military vehicle rally and cruise, that has been well attended since its inception two-years ago. The road closures are similar to those which took place last year along the route, which begins and concludes at the Armory (2nd & Poplar) and will result in temporary Atlantic Police Department traffic control efforts at several intersections along the way. The vehicles and their drivers will get a 30 minute break at 3-p.m. that day in the Wal-Mart parking lot, before returning to the Armory.

The Atlantic City Council will also hold a Public Hearing on a proposal to enter into a General Obligation Equipment Acquisition Loan Agreement and borrowing of money not to exceed $360,000. The funds will be used to purchase two major pieces of equipment for the Street Department (a new boom truck for $180k, and a new loader for $179k). The five-year contract, if approved, would be with TS Bank at an annual interest rate of 2.9%. The Council will act on a Resolution to approve the agreement following the hearing.

They’ll also hold a Public Hearing on the FY 2018 City of Atlantic Budget, which amounts to just under $12.5-million, a decrease from last year of 14.78%, or more than $1.847-million. The proposed Budget calls for a property tax increase of 1.48-percent. In addition, the Council will act on setting the date for a Public Hearing pertaining to the amending of the Code of Ordinances by repealing a Chapter and amendments with regard to Zoning and replacing it with an updated Zoning Ordinance that took more than five-years to revamp and an 11 page Executive Summary to cover it all.