The Atlantic City Council held a regularly scheduled session Wednesday evening at City Hall. During their meeting, the Council approved an Order to Close the alley behind the Fireside Lounge on August 29th, from 8-a.m. until midnight, for a Street Dance. They approved by a vote of 4-to 3, a request from the owners of Atlas Cinemas on W. 5th Street, to place a Pepsi vending machine on the sidewalk, abutting their property. Councilman Gerald Brink wasn’t to thrilled with the brand being placed on a sidewalk in the “Coca Cola Capital of Iowa,” but he was reminded by the Mayor the request can’t be turned down simply because it’s a competing product to the Coke machine a few doors down on the same sidewalk.

City Code allows for such requests provided goods do not extend over three feet from a building. Placement of the pop machine near the theater would still leave eight-feet of sidewalk space for foot traffic. Councilman Pat McCurdy said he was in favor of helping the local owners in this situation, since they stepped-up and bought the building and renovated the interior.

In other business, the Atlantic City Council held a Public Hearing on the sale of a vacated Linda Drive right-of-way to a nearby resident for just One-dollar. There was only one comment, and it came by e-mail. The person expressed concern about the price of the lot, but since they did not sign their name, there was no further discussion and the sale was approved. The Council agreed to forward to the Planning and Zoning Commission, a matter concerning the partial vacating of a right-of-way between Hemlock and Sycamore Streets, south of E. 18th Street.

The Atlantic City Council approved the third, and final readings of Ordinances pertaining to: Licensing of tree trimmers; Peddlers, Solicitors and Transient Merchants; Businesses or Individuals who wish to do business with or contract for, the City; and an Ordinance with regard to Truck and Large Vehicle parking.

They also held the first reading of an Ordinance (#997), “Amending Provisions to Chapter 169,” with regard to persons residing on land in residential neighborhoods, when there is no proper home, and/or working plumbing, yet are still being occupied. The Council waived the second and third readings and approved the Ordinance as amended.  It allows authorities to deal persons who live on property without a proper home, functional plumbing and utilities. Such lots have become an eyesore according to city officials. The Police Department and Code Enforcement Department will now have the power to resolve such issues beginning this weekend.

In other business, the Council set 5:30-p.m. Aug. 22nd, as the time and date for a Work Session on the “Standards, Building and Property Codes for Atlantic.” And, City Administrator John Lund said in his report, that the Planning and Zoning Commission will meet next week and discuss a commercial addition for Akin Building Center, and zoning ordinance changes. He said a work session next week will seek to make sure all the issues with regard to policy development points are addressed, and that on the 18th, there will be a Department Head meeting to discuss the budget, which Lund says there will be major changes on, moving forward.

Lund said outside of Union wages, he’s preparing to deal with zero budget growth for FY 2022, and he’ll have to work with Department Heads on how that will be accomplished. Property taxes will be affected by what Lund predicts by very minimal economic growth. Right now, the situation, he said “remains fluid,” with regard to any economic benefit the City gets from Federal Aid for pandemic relief. On Tuesday, Gov. Reynolds said she had aside 60 million dollars in federal aid for eligible Iowa cities and 40 million for counties to cover pandemic-related expenses.

That may include payroll costs for public health and public safety personnel, emergency staffing and overtime medical transportation. An additional 25 million in federal funds will be available for local governments to use as matching money for FEMA grants.