(Atlantic, Iowa) – The City Council in Atlantic is expected to act Wednesday evening, on at least two important matters. First, the Council is being asked to approve a letter of support for Vision Atlantic. The Council’s meeting starts at 5:30-p.m. in their chambers at City Hall.

Officials with the non-profit Vision Atlantic say they are asking for the letter “to support and strengthen some of [their] federal funding and various grant application [they] have submitted to date.”  In addition, the organization says “As our donations and pledges continue to raise, we are getting close to the threshold where [the] grant committee can start to apply for some other key grants (some have a minimum percentage of the project needed to be secured before applications can be submitted).

In other business, the Atlantic City Council will act on an Order to have City Administrator John Lund execute a purchase order for an ambulance from Braun Northwest. Cass EMS, the City’s ambulance service exists as a 28E Agreement with costs being split evenly between the City of Atlantic, Cass Health, and Cass County. According to John Lund, “We are in a financially unsustainable commitment with Cass EMS. Over a period of five years, expenditures have increased 1,197%. This increase has occurred even with the generous contribution of a brand-new ambulance for Cass Health.”

Atlantic City Hall building

EMS Subsidy
Expenditures
FY 2016 50,400
FY 2017 55,200
FY 2018 55,200
FY 2019 55,200
FY 2020 55,200
FY 2021 192,874
FY 2022 255,119
FY 2023 340,164
FY 2024 390,000
FY 2025 718,808
FY 2026 736,778
FY 2027 755,197
FY 2028 774,077
FY 2029 793,429
FY 2030 813,265
FY 2031 833,596
FY 2032 854,436
FY 2033 875,797
FY 2034 897,692
FY 2035 920,134

Lunds says “To control costs for our pending negotiations for our expiring contract with our private sector provider, the City must now step up and contribute towards some means of controlling the subsidy required to keep this service running. The City is purchasing an ambulance to compliment the one purchased by the County. The Personnel & Finance has reviewed this issue on two occasions. During their meeting on October 9th, 2024, the Committee has unanimously endorsed the purchase of an ambulance as the City’s Contribution to Cass EMS.”

The Council’s final order of business is to hold the second reading of an Ordinance pertaining to “Prohibited Trees.” The list of trees prohibited from being planted comes from recommendations by the Iowa Department of Natural Resources and Trees Forever, as is due to their lack of disease infestation resistance and likely damage to infrastructure and property during severe storms.  “Prohibited Trees” include the following varities: Freeman/Hybrid Maple (Acer x freemanii Autumn Blaze, Armstrong, Marmo, and Sienna Glen are frequently seen cultivars), Amur Maple, Norway Maple, Ash, Blue Spruce, Callery/Ornamental Pear, Ornamental Cherry, Mulberry, Golden Raintree, Tree of Heaven, Black Locust, White Poplar, Siberian Elm, Russian Olive & Salt Cedar.’”