The Audubon City Council will hold a Special City Council meeting this evening with regard to the hiring of a City Clerk. The agenda says the Council is expected to conduct interviews for the City Clerk’s position, with the right reserved to enter into a closed session for those interviews under Iowa Code. Afterward, the Council may act on the appointment of a City Clerk, and the removal of the current City Clerk.

The City Clerk’s position has been an ongoing issue since mid-January, when the Council voted to appoint someone else to the job. The Council has been under fire ever since then for alleged violations of the Open Meetings and Open Records Laws, and for repeated mis-steps in their handling of the matter.

In other business, the Council will act on approving a remediation plan. The meeting begins at 5:30-p.m.

Harlan City Administrator Terry Cox has received a prestigious award from the American Public Works Association (APWA). Cox was named as one of the 2014 Top Ten Public Works Leaders of the Year. According to the APWA website, “the selection of a Top Ten list of exceptional public works professionals has been a cornerstone of National Public Works Week. The program has identified more than 400 men and women who reflect the highest standards of professional conduct for public works officials. These honorees have been recognized for discharging critical responsibilities in connection to the design, construction, maintenance and/or operation of major public works projects or activities in large and small municipalities throughout North America. Often their accomplishments are particularly noteworthy in relation to the limited manpower and financial resources available to them.”
The National Public Works Week will be held from May 18th-24th. In conjunction with the award, The Iowa Chapter of the APWA will hold an awards ceremony for Cox on Tuesday, May 13th at the Therkildsen Activity Center in Harlan from 3:30 to 6pm with the award presentation at 4:30pm. Cox said at the meeting Tuesday, the award is a great honor. “I want to thank all the councils and mayors that helped me be involved in APW because they don’t just call Harlan, Iowa Nationwide. Being involved and stuff has given me career goals. It doesn’t just happen without everyone here and the employees. It is a great honor. Thanks.”

Anyone wanting to attend the awards ceremony for City Administrator Terry Cox, contact Harlan City hall by Friday, May 9th at 712-755-5137. In other news, the Harlan City Council approved two maintenance agreements during their meeting Tuesday evening. The first service agreement was for the city sirens with BVPS. City Administrator Terry Cox said it was an annual expense for the sirens and the company will work with Harlan Fire Chief Roger Bissen.

The maintenance project will cost the city about $3,800. The second agreement came in a form of a resolution with the Iowa Department of Transportation for clean up at the Harlan Airport. The city of Harlan is applying for grant money provided by the Iowa DOT in the sum of $26,000 with a local share of 15 percent or $3,900. The local funding will come from the Airport Capital Equipment Revolving Fund Reserves. Cox said the clean up for obstruction removal at the airport is a safety issue as the city needs to clean up trees on the north end of the airport. Cox said once the grant funding is approved, the project will begin.

(Joel McCall/KNOD)