The Atlantic City Council will hold a regularly schedule meeting this Wednesday at City Hall, beginning at 5:30-p.m. Among the items on their agenda, is a presentation by Alexis Fleener, Lead Planner with SWIPCO, pertaining to property owner interest in participating in a downtown facade program. The Council has already committed $100,000 toward a revolving loan program, overseen by CADCO, to support small business development and growth. The facade program is being explored by means of a CDBG (Community Development Block Grant), which is under the auspices of the U-S Dept. of Housing and Urban Development.

The CDBG Downtown Revitalization Fund is managed in Iowa, by the Iowa Economic Development Authority (IEDA), and requires 25-percent Sponsor (City) funding ($250,000), as well as 25-percent Property Owner Funding ($250,000). The State would provide matching funds of $500,00, if the CDBG application is approved. Fleener reports 13 property owners have expressed interest in the program, seven have some interest, with 14 property owners currently reviewing the information to determine their level of interest.

Fleener says part of moving forward with the project is a $45,000 commitment from the City, for various studies required to develop an application for CDBG funds, if enough interest is received in the program. The $45,000 covers a Slum and Blight study, Historic District Study, and a project architect fee. City Administrator John Lund reports he has already adjusted the Local Option Sales Tax (LOST) Progress Fund budget for FY 2019 to reserve the $45,000. He’s also addressed the City’s grant match of $250,000, by proposing the City use the remaining $140,892 in the Economic Development Revolving fund in FY 2020, and then transfer $77,055 from the LOST progress fund in both FY 2019 and FY 2020 to cover the expenditures related to the project.

After the presentation by Fleener, the Council will act on an order to approve a contract with SWIPCO for the CDBG Downtown Revitalization application. In other business, the Atlantic City Council will act on approving: A Resolution approving contracts for Olive and Nishna Street Bridge repairs, and the Second Reading of an amendment to the City’s Code of Ordinances, with regard to Zoning Regulations (after changes were made in the definition of “Height,” the allowance of carport-to-garage upgrades installed prior to ordinance enactment; a change in setback regulations with regard to an accessory use of home addition is made; and for new construction, a 12-foot distance away from buildings of abutting lots, and other matters). John Lund says the effect of the changes is that “Hundreds, perhaps over a thousand residential properties would have greater flexibility to improve their properties without the costly, time-consuming headache of applying for an inappropriate variance that they may not even get.”

The Atlantic City Council will also hold the second reading of an amended Animal Control Ordinance, with regard to the number of days the City holds an animal before it is eligible for adoption. The current number of days an owner has to claim their animal, is seven. The State requires a minimum of three days, and Animal Control Officer Kris Erickson is requesting the City’s Ordinance mirror the State Code. Animals that are licensed and/or have an implanted ID chip, are generally not put up for adoption.

The Council will act on approving a request to close the corner of 3^rd and Chestnut Street to the north property line of the 1^st Whitney Bank on Sept. 11^th, from 3-until 8-p.m., for the dedication ceremony of a statue in honor of the City’s 150^th Anniversary, and, an order to close certain downtown streets August 26^th from 3:15-to 8-p.m., for the 2018 “Family Night Out” event.

Officials with the Atlantic Area Chamber of Commerce say “You could be the BIG winner at AtlanticFest, presented by First Whitney Bank, with the 50/50 raffle prize guaranteed to be at least $500!” Tickets for the 50/50 raffle are on sale now at the Atlantic Area Chamber of Commerce located at 102 Chestnut Street, or can be purchased the day of AtlanticFest, August 11th, at the Chamber booth in the Atlantic City Park. Tickets are $1 or you can purchase 6 tickets for only $5! The drawing will be held at 3:45 PM at the AtlanticFest main stage and you do not need to be present to win.

The Chamber thanks raffle sponsors: Airworks, Atlantic Business & Professional Women, Atlantic Home Realty, Boulders Inn & Suites, Downtowner Café & Catering and Granny’s Kettle Korn.

For more information about the AtlanticFest 50/50 Raffle, or any AtlanticFest information visit www.atlanticiowa.com or call the Atlantic Area Chamber of Commerce at (712)243-3017.

The Pottawattamie County Sheriff’s Office reports a traffic stop at around 1:20-a.m. Sunday on two motorcycles traveling well in excess of the posted speed limit, resulted in the arrest of 46-year old Kenneth Lauren Booher, of Council Bluffs. Booher was taken into custody near Highway 92 and Harry Langdon Blvd., and charged with OWI/1st offense. Also arrested on an OWI/1st offense charge, was 43-year old Joey Ray Acosta, of Council Bluffs.

A man at the Pott. County Jail was served with an out-of-county warrant, Friday afternoon. 38-year old Joshua Michael Escritt, of Council Bluffs, was arrested on the warrant for Forgery, and booked into the jail. And, a woman wanted on a Pott. County warrant for a 1st offense Compulsory Education Violation turned himself in to the Sheriff’s Office Friday afternoon. 49-year old Kerri Lynn Renner, of Council Bluffs, was transported to the jail and turned over to Corrections Staff.

A Democrat challenger to 3^rd District incumbent Republican Congressman David Young was in Atlantic, Sunday, visiting with persons attending the Cass County Fair. Cindy Axne is a fifth-generation Iowan, a small business owner and community activist. She graduated from the University of Iowa with an undergraduate degree in Journalism. She spoke with KJAN about her political and management background. She said she was a public servant for about a decade, serving in the Vilsack, Culver and Branstad administrations, and a couple of leadership positions, including the Department of Management, helping to bring in the wind industry and promoting the bio-fuels industry. She says also, she oversaw several complex statewide initiatives focusing on economic development, education, energy and the environment, transportation and human rights. She was also an administrator for the Iowa DNR. Along with her husband, she’s been a small business owner for the past 16-years, and the mother of two teenage boys.

Cindy Axne & family

She spoke of her reasons for wanting to get involved in State government, including the influence of her parents. She said her parents taught to to help others in her community. Some of the decisions being made in Washington, she says, are NOT working for Iowans, and are helping wealthy corporations. Her parents taught her to stand-up and fight back when things are not right, and her candidacy is an opportunity to do that and make sure Iowans have a voice in Congress. She says she’s all about helping families be successful, and part of that is making sure there are good paying jobs available to support a family.

Axne says “We have low unemployment, but unfortunately have remained stagnant, so our families aren’t doing as well as they should be. The cost of healthcare is out of control, as well as the cost of post-secondary education. We need to lower the cost of two-year and four-year colleges. I want to bring in Trades programs to our high schools. We need people out in Congress who are going to push for those economic opportunities for us.” She said also, the Trump administration should never have slapped tariffs on products, especially those related to agriculture, despite the $12-billion in aid he’s promised to help ease the pain of those tariffs. Axne said “This is just going to add to the debt load we already have, which is going to be a burden on our working class families, and our kids’ futures.”

Axne, whose mom grew up on a farm, spent summers on her grandparents farm in Warren County. She said “I know our farmers are proud people who work hard. They don’t want a hand-out. They want an opportunity to do what they do best, which is to produce for us, for our country and the rest of the world. She said “I don’t think we should be being used as pawns, and I certainly don’t believe our farmers think it’s the right thing either.”

She said she got into the race for the 3^rd Congressional District because she was disappointed in the decisions being made in Washington, and will fight for what’s right for the people in Iowa.

The Cass County Board of Supervisors will hold their final meeting of the month Tuesday, beginning at 8:30-a.m. in their Boardroom at the Cass County Courthouse. On their agenda is approval of: A lease agreement for County property associated with Willow Heights; An application from Manatt’s, Inc., for partial payment on the ethanol plant road paving project (Glacier-to-Buck Creek & Echo Roads); Resolutions to amend appropriations and the Cass County FY 2019 Five-year Road Program, and an amendment of the Employee Handbook (with regard to the areas of expense reimbursement, sick leave, and donation of vacation leave).

The Board will also receive a quarterly report from Cass County Veteran’s Affairs Director Mitch Holmes, along with other, regularly scheduled reports from Department Heads, as available.

The Board of Education for the CAM School District will meet Tuesday at 8-a.m. in the CAM High School Media Center. During their Special Meeting, the Board will discuss and likely act on approving: bills; contracts, and facility projects.

FORT DODGE, Iowa (AP) — A man has been given 50 years for fatally shooting another Fort Dodge resident. Levi Gibbs III was sentenced Friday. He’d been convicted of second-degree murder in the September 2017 death of 32-year-old Shane Wessels. Gibbs had been charged with first-degree murder, but jurors opted for conviction on the lesser charge.

Both sides agreed Gibbs shot Wessels, but the defense argued Gibbs did so amid a fight in which his sister was injured.