(Atlantic, Iowa) – The City Council in Atlantic met Wednesday evening. During the public comment portion of the session, NishnaNet owner Scott Bennett spoke about the need for the community to pull together on issues that divide us, and more specifically, the need to support the Police Department, in their efforts to combat incidents of vandalism and other incidents.

Bennett said his daughter’s car was vandalized last week, and there have been other incidents of crime, including a person urinating in front of a convenience store in the downtown area. He said as a result of the increase in incidents, including sign vandalism, his staff has been installing so many security cameras, they can’t even keep them in stock.”I think we just need to have a discussion,” Bennett said. He said also, “I’m just kind of frustrated because I don’t think it’s any one person isn’t doing anything, I think it’s ‘we need to come together as a community to help solve these problems,’ to make the vandalism go away, to make these thefts go away.”

He added, “Businesses are having other customers stuff stolen from behind them.” In the last six-months, he said, he’s installed no less than 80 security cameras within six-blocks of City Hall. There are so many cameras at this point, I’m literally ordering them by the dozen.” He said security cameras don’t stop a crime in progress, they “catch things after the fact.” He said if people and organizations can come together, “Making sure that we’re not working against each other…” things can change. Mayor Pro-Tem Linda Hartkopf said she’s sure that will be a matter of continued discussion, but acknowledged that things won’t change overnight. Bennett said he wanted to make sure the Police Department has the resources it needs to fight such incidents of crime.

In other business, the Atlantic City Council passed a Resolution “Setting the dates for Fourth of July Fireworks Use,” as June 30th through July 4th, from Noon until 11-p.m. each day. They also passed a Resolution “Authorizing and Approving a Loan Agreement and Providing for the issuance of a $90,000 General Obligation Solid Waste Management Note,” with regard to the City’s annual $85,344 fee ($12 per capita) with the Landfill, as stipulated in a 28-E agreement.

The Atlantic City Council acted on passing a Resolution appointing Chelsie Rush, Jess Larsen and Chelsi Huddleson as Sunnyside Pool Management Board Team Leaders, making them eligible for $2,500 in an annual stipend pay, in addition to $15/hour as Pool Co-Managers, for hours worked. And, they approved a Resolution granting compensatory hours to Atlantic Police Chief Devin Hogue, who has had to assume duties as a Patrol Lieutenant for an extended period of time, due to staffing issues. The City’s Personnel and Finance Committee met May 31st, and unanimously endorsed the granting of 158 compensatory hours to Chief Hogue, at his current rate of pay, to be used as either paid time-off or cashed out (with a value of $6,406.90).

The Council passed the third and final reading of an amended ordinance with regard to Special (downtown) Parking Permits, and the first readings of: An ordinance discontinuing the Cable Television Commission, and the Community Promotion Commission, for reasons previously explained. In his report to the Council, City Administrator John Lund said there is a Planning & Zoning Commission meeting next Tuesday to review a site plan for a storage unit, and discuss a proposal to make sure the first floor of downtown buildings is reserved for commercial use, with the possibility of having a conditional use permit for residential use.

He said also he’ll review a natural gas franchise agreement with Alliant Energy, with regard to price fluctuations and the use of funds for when prices drop. Lund will also examine House File 718, with regard to Property Tax Reform.