March 28, 2024

City council looks to fill empty seat

A light agenda greets the Newton City Council for its Monday meeting.

Most notable is the resignation notice of council member Lin Chapé and resolution to move forward with the process of filling her seat.

Chapé gave her written notice of resignation Tuesday for her at-large city council seat. Iowa Code allows council to choose to fill the vacancy by appointment.

To fill the seat, a published notice of intent to fill the at-large seat will go out to the public. Interested parties must submit their name, address, phone number and a brief biographical information statement to the city clerk at city hall no later than 4:30 p.m. Aug. 1.

Following that date, city council will work to fill the seat, potentially at the next council meeting after Aug. 1, but no later than the 60 day notice Sept. 9.

Council will also look to approve a GPS unit for the landfill dozer for the Newton Sanitary Landfill. It has been found that using GPS on equipment at the landfill extends the landfill cell life and reduces equipment costs by providing the operator accurate horizontal and vertical position of the equipment.

RDO Integrated Controls has agreed to sell a demonstration GPS unit to the city for a discounted price of $17,500.

Also on the agenda, in the ongoing effort to provide assistance in the development the DMACC Maytag Campus, the city is looking to add parking spaces along the west side of the 300 block of West Fourth Street North. The spaces will accommodate and complement the proposed store fronts on the bottom floor of the former Maytag headquarters.

The plan includes 16 new angled parking stalls plus two van accessible ADA compliant parking stalls. TK Concrete Inc. submitted the low bid of $31,595 to complete the project.

Contact Jamee A. Pierson at 641-792-3121 ext. 6534 or jpierson@newtondailynews.com