Atlantic Mayor Dave Jones read from a proclamation Wednesday evening during the City Council’s regular meeting. The proclamation recognized Sept. 21st at Alzheimer’s Awareness Day. The City will join in the International community in bringing awareness of the disease.

The City Council then unanimously approved an Order allowing an Administrative Contract with SWIPCO (The Southwest Iowa Planning Council), for the CDBG (Community Development Block Grant) Downtown Revitalization Project. Alexis Fleener, Community Development Team Leader for SWIPCO, will be the grant administrator for the project, the services for which will cost $30,000. All of the costs are part of the grant itself, and are not part of the grant match, according to City Administrator John Lund.

The City Council also approved the final design contract for the CDBG project, the architectural and construction aspects of which will be handled by RDG Planning and Design. The total cost of their services is $130,000, $80,000 of which is from the grant, with the remaining $50,000 part of the City’s match. Eight downtown businesses are participating in the business revitalization program, with a combined share cost of $171,375.

The Council heard from Brown’s Shoe Fit owner/manager Brian Ruge, with regard to his request to close-off a parking stalls directly in front of his store at 502 Chestnut, for a Summer/Fall Clearance sale. Originally, the idea was to use both the sidewalk and street for his sale, but Ruge purchased a 10-foot by 20-foot tent to cover the parking stalls, instead. The tent will go up Wednesday night, Sept. 11th and be open Thursday, Friday and Saturday, with the sale ending 4-p.m. on Saturday, Sept. 14th. The Council approved the request.

The Council also passed a Resolution setting the salary of the Parks & Recreation Director Bryant Rasmussen at $47,600. The increase was requested by the Parks Board, following Rasmussen’s change of employment status on August 19th from Interim Parks & Rec Director, to permanent Parks & Rec Director.

Police Chief Dave Erickson announced Wednesday, that the Deer Deprivation Program that begins Oct. 1st, will be open up to bow hunters who wish to apply for the the taking of deer within the City Limits of Atlantic. Applications are available at the Police Department. Only 10 Does be harvested this year inside the City. The Bow Hunting season ends on Dec. 6th or when the 10th deer is harvested. There are restrictions on where you can an cannot hunt. That includes any City Park, and 150-feet from any structure (unless you have a landowner’s permission), and no cleaning of the deer on private property. Tags will be provided.

Erickson says they estimate around 200 deer are around town at any given time. He said “If you take out one Buck out of the system, you’ve eliminated one deer – that’s it. You take out one Doe, you’ve eliminated 21.” The deer may still reproduce, but there won’t be as many if the Doe are harvested.