(Atlantic, Iowa) – The City of Atlantic has been reimbursed $100,000 from SHIFT ATL, thanks to the sale of a property SHIFT rehabilitated at 201 W. 14th Street. Work on the home took about a year. Atlantic First Ward Councilperson Emily Kennedy commented on the success of the project and ongoing efforts at housing rehabilitation in the City.

Kennedy, who is one of three board members for non-profit SHIFT ATL, said they received an interest free loan from the City’s Housing Fund on or about November 1st, 2023. The house they purchased and 201 W. 4th Street was in foreclosure and had a tree on it. It needed a lot of work, she said. The home was purchased with SHIFT’s own funds, and then renovated using the money from the City. The finished home was sold and the purchase closed in August. “And so we paid-off the loan and the profit that we made we are donating to Vision Atlantic as well as doing two scholarships.”She said it turned out very nice.

The Atlantic City Council, Monday, passed a Resolution appointing McLean as the new City Clerk.

Mayor Grace Garrett issues the Oath to Laura McLean.

Former City Clerk Barb Barrick’s last day was March 22, 2024. She resigned to take a similar position with the City of Huxley. McLean was the top choice of the City’s Personnel and Finance Committee, who said in the recommendation, she was vetted through “a multi-tiered interview process, ” and that “Throughout the process, Laura made it clear she would always strive to do what is best for the City, its citizens and our employees. She brings a strong set of education, skills and experience, and is excited to join our team.”

McLean currently serves as Vice-President of the Atlantic School Board. She has served as a member of the School Board since Nov., 2019. Mayor Grace Garrett issued the Oath of Office to Laura McLane near the end of the meeting. She succeeds Acting City Clerk Rich Tupper, who was appointed as City Clerk following the resignation of Barb Barrick.

In other business, the City Council also approved:

• The reappointment of Shawn Shouse and Melissa Ihnen to the Board of Adjustment.
• An Order to close Indian Trail Drive on Sept. 29th from 4-until 9-p.m., for Church Worship Night, which is hosted by a number of local churches. The temporary street closure is intended to decrease the risk of safety concerns with children running back-and-forth from their parents to the Kiddie Korral Playground at Sunnyside Park.
• The 3rd and final reading of an Ordinance “Vacating the 66-foot wide Street Right-Of-Way on W. 4th Street, in Atlantic. ” The two earlier readings were previously passed by the Council.

The Atlantic City Council, acting on a recommendation from the Parks Commission, to include additional trees to the “Do Not Plant” list. The prohibited trees include: Freeman/Hybrid Maple (Acers x freemanii Autumn Blaze, Armstrong, Marmo and Sienna Glen are frequently seen cultivars); Amur Maple; Norway Maple; Golden Raintree; Tree of Heaven; Black Locust; White Polar; Siberian Elm; Russian Olive, and Salt Cedar. Those same trees are on the DO NOT PLANT list issued by the Iowa DNR and Trees forever, due to their lack of disease resistance and susceptibility to storm damage.

In the Council Committee Reports, Engineer Dave Sturm mentioned the City’s Airport received a grant for nested T-Hangars, which will be through design and engineering until 2025 and then construction in 2026. Sturm said we’ll most likely get additional funding next year to pay for 90-percent of the project cost. The grant allows for the construction of eight more T-Hangars. Sturm said “They [the airport] has a waiting list of way more than that,” and the hangars will be full when the project is done. The hangars will be located on the north side of what used to be G-30, he said, on the east end. The pad is already available for the aircraft storage buildings.

The City Council’s next meeting is a Workshop at 5-p.m. on September 25th.