(Spirit Lake)– With the Mayor and two council members absent, there were plenty of empty seats around the table at Tuesday’s Spirit Lake City Council meeting. With three members present, there was enough for a quorum. With Mayor Eric Nielsen and councilman and Mayor Pro-Tem Jeff Thee also absent, the council had to open its meeting by electing Kevin Bice temporary Mayor Pro-Tem.
On a two-to-one vote, the council approved plans and specifications for a streetlighting project along Highway 71 south, 41st Street and some residential areas on the southwest side of town.
On another two-to-one vote, the council awarded a bid of 636,397-dollars for the project from KWS. Councilman Jerry Harbst cast the lone dissenting vote on both motions, saying he’s concerned the project will flood residential areas with too much light. Harbst says he’s heard several complaints from people about all the street lights in the newer parts of town, asking “is it really necessary to be able to read the paper on your front lawn at night?”
In other business, the council set 5:30 p.m. October 24th as the time and date for a public hearing to convey an alley and the parking lot west of the State Bank to the State Bank. City officials contend that parking near the courthouse will NOT be a problem without that lot. Councilman Steve Balm and the city’s Code Administrator, Paul Hughes, insist there will actually be more parking than what’s currently available even in the lot once several streets in that area are widened to include diagonal parking spaces.
A public hearing on a proposal to convey a street to Center Lake Village, Incorporated was also set for October 24th. Under the proposal, the city would receive three thousand dollars in exchange for the conveyance. Utility easements would remain in effect.
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