Public hearing on Owner-Occupied Housing program held on Jan. 6

CRESCO - Lee Balik from Upper Explorerland Regional Planning Commission attended the Cresco City Council Zoom meeting on Jan. 6.
She gave an update on the City of Cresco Community Development Block Grant for the Owner-Occupied Housing Program, which began in 2018. Six houses were approved at that time. Currently two homes are closed out. The hearing was to explain the most recent home that was bid out. Since then, another home has been bid out, with two left to get bids.
• In other business, it was approved to hire Ben Hayek as a full-time wastewater operator.
• Public Works Director Nate Widell reported all public works employees were going to attend virtual meetings on bloodborne pathogens and lockout/tagout training. He noted the Street Department was busy the previous two weeks with snow and trimming boulevard trees.
Bob’s Electric was repairing a light that was broken on the Welcome to Cresco sign after it was vandalized.
Widell is attending a Leading Communities professional development class.
Only one quote for stump grinding was received for 2021. It was from Wilson Custom Tree Service. The quote was considerably higher than the bid from last year, and Widell was to check on the reason.
•  The Police Department had offered a job to a person, depending on the test results. In addition, the new truck was to be arriving soon.
• The City is paying 100% for the Fire Department brush truck chassis. It will be reimbursed one-third each from Cresco firefighters and Rural Fire.
• A public hearing was to be held on Jan. 18 regarding changing the time of the regular council meetings from 7 p.m. to 5:30 p.m.
Councilperson Amy Bouska explained she had first been against the time but after talking with Cresco people in her address book, she found the vast majority favored the earlier time.
• The resolution pertaining to an easement with Jeffrey and Shirlee Haw was postponed.
• Cresco Fire Department was granted a sewer adjustment for water not entering the sanitary sewer after there was a break in the in-floor heating system.
• A Class E liquor license, Class B wine permit and Class C beer permit with Sunday Sales was approved for Casey’s General Store #2511.
• An excavator license for Randy Enterprise Inc. and a tree surgeon license for Rogne Spray LLC were both approved.
• Council person Alex Fortune stated a constituent had asked about why the Cresco Public Library was quarantining when employees were exposed to one person who tested positive for COVID-19. All had their masks on. He said according to Public Health, that did not warrant quarantining. Library Director Cynthia Kay stated she had talked with Public Health who said quarantining was okay.
Kay added the library was short-staffed due to the pandemic, “but we are still doing curbside pick-up.” When the library opened back up on Nov. 2 numbers were down 90%. Council person Richard McConnell wondered how the library could be short-staffed with numbers down 90%. 
Kay replied City Hall was closed down when an employee was out for quarantine.
Discussion was halted to be talked about at a later date.
• Jason Passmore of Howard County Economic Development asked council members to be the fiscal agent for a Community Catalyst Building Remediation Program for Vernon Springs Brewery. The program could award a grant of $100,000 to the business.
Council agreed and urged Passmore to go forward with the pre-application.
The next council meeting was set for Jan. 18 at 7 p.m.

Cresco Times

Phone: 563-547-3601
Fax: 563-547-4602

Address:
Cresco TPD
214 N. Elm Street
Cresco, IA 52136

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