(Atlantic, Iowa) – The Atlantic City Council met this (Wednesday), and approved several agenda items. They included:

• A resolution “Obligating funds from the Southeast Urban Renewal Area (URA) Revenue Fund for Appropriation to the payment of annual appropriation Tax Increment Financed (TIF) obligations,” which are due in the next succeeding fiscal year. City Administrator John Lund noted “This is bureaucratic red tape relating to [a TIF] for the Redwood Subdivision.” A similar resolution was passed with regard to the Hotel Whitney URA. Councilman Pat McCurdy abstained from the vote due to a conflict of interest.
• The Council passed also, a resolution “Granting [an] extension on the maximum accrued vacation hours for Assistant Police Chief Paul Wood.” Wood has served the A-PD for 19-years. City Administrator John Lund reports that due to ongoing staffing issues with the Police Department, Assistant Chief Wood has had to delay the use of his Paid Time-Off (PTO) hours and fill shifts for other officers, sometimes swinging between day and night shifts. The Mayor noted Wood is “A valued employee, Assistant Chief of Police, [is] committed to [the] department and our City.”
• The Council passed a resolution establishing a full-time Assistant Code Enforcement/Animal Control Officer. The City will post the job description, salary information and other application requirements for prospective candidates.
• The Atlantic City Council passed the First Reading of an amended ordinance with an updated position description for the “City Administrator’s” position. And, they…
• Approved the submission of the Annual Urban Renewal Report to the Iowa Department of Management. The report details everything relating to TIF Districts and projects.

Mayor Grace Garrett dovetailed a report from Chamber Executive Director Bailey Smith, in mentioning there were 500 Halloween Trick-or-Treaters in the downtown district, Tuesday afternoon and evening.

She mentioned also an appearance before the Atlantic Rotary Club, Tuesday afternoon at the Schmidt Family Funeral Home, of Iowa Lt. Governor Adam Gregg.

As part of a pilot program, Cass County received $50,000 from the State of Iowa, and $25,000 from Cass County for training and equipment. Program organizers are looking for volunteers (active or retired), who have been trained in the medical field, to carry kits equipped with tools for CPR (an AED), first aid, and drug overdoses (Narcan). Those volunteers will be notified through a phone app that they are needed to respond to an area close to them, in order to provide early emergency first response, prior to the arrival of professional emergency responders.

The program is being facilitated by AmeriCorps volunteer Erik Johnson, who is also a paramedic with Cass EMS. Persons interested in becoming an emergency response volunteer can contact Erik Johnson at 712-249-8816, or via e-mail at cassCountyFirstAid.Erik@gmail.com.

In other news, Atlantic City Clerk Barb Barrick noted for candidates who are elected (re-elected or appointed) to City Offices in Cass County on November 7th, that a special forum for those elected will be held November 13th at 5-p.m., at City Hall. The forum features Republican State Senator Tom Shipley from Nodaway, and Republican Representative Thomas Moore from Griswold. It will be geared toward answering questions from the elected officials, and moderated by Dan Stalder, with the Iowa League of Cities.