(Atlantic, Iowa) – The Atlantic City Council will meet in a regular session 5:30-p.m. Wednesday, at City Hall. The meeting will be the last for current Mayor Dave Jones and Councilman Dick Casady. Jones did not run for re-election in advance of the Nov. 2nd race, and Casady lost his 5th Ward seat to former Councilman Dana Halder, on Nov. 2nd. At Large Councilmember Grace Garrett, who won the Nov. 30th run-off election against Tim Teig, will be sworn-in as Mayor toward the end of Wednesday’s session, and be presented with the gavel by Mayor Jones.

Grace Garrett (2021 file photo)

Before Halder and Garrett are administered with their respective Oath’s of Office, the Atlantic City Council has some other business to attend to, including a Public Hearing with regard to a CDBG-CV application to the Iowa Economic Development Authority (IEDA), for a $100,000 grant to help the Atlantic Food Pantry buy food in 2022 and the first part of 2023 (CV stands for Covid-related relief). The City would serve as the application for the grant.

As part of the application process, a matching grant of $23,000 is required. Those funds have already been obtained through the recent “Scrooge” contest in Atlantic. Several points will be covered during the public hearing and addressed through citizen participation. Afterward, the Council will act on an Order to approve the Atlantic Food Pantry’s application for the CDBG-CV program.

In other business, the Council will act on an Order approving a Change Order for the Atlantic Downtown Revitalization Project, with regard to replacing broken glass at 511 Chestnut Street, and providing for additional repairs at 413 Chestnut. The cost of the change order ($1,838.05 total) will not be shouldered by the City alone. For every additional dollar of cost the property owner commits to the project, the City matches that with a dollar, and the federal government matches with two dollars.

Another part of the Council’s  meeting Wednesday evening, is an Order filling the vacant At-Large Council seat, by appointment. With Grace Garrett assuming the role as Mayor, her seat is left open. The Council has the option to fill the seat by appointment, but must first publish a notice of intent to do so not less than four and not more than 20 days before the date they consider the appointment. The appointment to fill the vacancy must be made within 60-days of the date of the vacancy. If the Council chooses to appoint, the public can petition for a special election to fill the vacancy. The petition must be filed within 14 days after the appointment is made or notice is published, whichever is later. It must also contain the required number of signatures, but no less than 10.

A person appointed by the Council will serve until the next city election. If a Special Election is called for, it will cost the City anywhere from $4,000 to $5,000. In other business, the Council will act on Orders to appoint to the Atlantic Airport Commission, Bill Garrett and Brad Henningsen. Garrett will replace Dr. Carrol Trewet, with the appointment lasting until Nov. 1, 2022. Henningsen will replace Mike Henningsen until Nov. 1, 2024.

Both Dr. Trewet and Mike Henningsen have tendered their resignations from the Commission.

(Omaha, NE./KETV – Police in Omaha have made an arrest in connection with the vandalism that took place recently at the Bob Kerrey Pedestrian Bridge crossing the Missouri River from Council Bluffs to Omaha. According to KETV, officers booked 42-year-old David Orlawski on a felony criminal mischief charge, Friday evening. They say he has an outstanding felony warrant out of Council Bluffs for a similar charge.

OPD released surveillance camera footage of the vandalism earlier this week. Police say during the early morning hours of Dec. 6, the suspect caused “significant” damage to the bridge’s lighting system. The damage is estimated at $90,000.

David Orlawski

Omaha Parks and Recreation says the destruction knocked out the LED system “for the foreseeable future,” but access to the bridge will continue.