(Atlantic, Iowa) – The City Council in Atlantic, this (Tuesday) evening, discussed and then considered the purchase of 16 Scott Air-Pak Self-Contained Breathing Apparatuses for the Atlantic Fire Department. Fire Chief Tom Cappel mentioned their current Airpaks are beyond their certifiable life.

He said he has not yet heard back on a FEMA grant for the bottles. He said the 16 certified Airpaks requested will equip the Departments First-out trucks. The bottles have a 15-year certifiable usefulness.

Atlantic Fire Chief Tom Cappel speaks to the City Council (2-6-24)

The Council agreed to move forward with process of purchasing the devices. The Council then received an update from Jeremy Butler and Ali Pieken, SplashPad Committee members. Pieken also spoke last month, during the City of Atlantic’s Parks Advisory inaugural meeting.

Pieken said Rolling Hills Bank and Trust, in addition to their $10,000 donation, is willing to carry a loan with a 2% interest rate. The committee pitched the idea of a $300-thousand or $400,00 value, but that is only what they used for an amortization rate.

The project is currently estimated to cost $673,000, leaving a gap of $101,185. After some contentious, back-and-forth over allegations that the City told SWIPCO (the grant-writing arm of the City), NOT to write any grants for the Splash Pad project, the Council proceeded to move forward and approve a submission of a Letter Of Support for the Splash Pad Project, as part of an application to Enhance Iowa, for a CAT (Community Attraction and Tourism) grant. A delay caused by miscommunications with regard to the grant writing, means SWIPCO will have to hustle to meet the deadline to apply for the grant, which is February 15th.

Snyder and Associates Engineer Dave Sturm said the plan right now, is to go out for bid on the Splash Pad, at the end of this month, take bids in March, and possibly award a contract that same month, with the contract and bonds approved by the middle of April. The Splash Pad Committee is scrambling to get SWIPCO all the necessary information to get the grant application submitted on-time.

In other business, the Atlantic City Council passed two resolutions. The first was with regard to “Allocating the Alliant Energy Gas Franchise Fee for Fiscal Years 2024 and 2025.” On July 5th, 2023, the City Council in Atlantic granted a 25-year franchise to Interstate Power and Light Company (Alliant Energy), which imposes a five-percent franchise fee upon gross revenue generated from the sales of natural gas by the Company, within the City’s corporate limits. In Sept. 2023, the City Council passed a resolution adopting a Revenue Purpose Statement (RPS), outlining the purposes for which the City will use the franchise fee. The Personnel and Finance Committee deemed the fee should be allocated for FY 2024 and 2025, as follows:

• 2% to the Police Department Operating Fund
• 2% to the Fire Equipment Reserve Fund
• 1% to an Ambulance Subsidy Fund.

The other resolution the Council passed tonight (Tuesday night), was to authorize bids for 2024 Sanitary Sewer Rehabilitation. Dave Sturm explains…

The Resolution states the notice of letting will be published by law for Thursday, Feb. 29, 2024, at which time the City Clerk will receive bids for the work until 2-p.m. on that date. The sealed bids will be opened 5:30-p.m. March 5th, for consideration of the adoption of the proposed plans, specifications and proposed form of contract for the improvements.

The Council concluded regular business and adjourned into a Closed Session for the purpose of “Providing for the strategy meetings of Public Employees for Collective Bargaining.”