City plans mowing services amid C-M operational sharing talks

COLFAX – In a quick, 18-minute meeting, Colfax City Council kicked off the new year in typical fashion by passing resolutions on items including its rules and procedures, department and committee appointments and its investment policy.

But a few of the council’s motions may bring something new to the city of about 2,000 people.

Mowing Services

With a few inches of snow still left over from the holiday storm, many would think it would be a little premature to think about mowing lawns.

But with the City of Colfax and Colfax-Mingo School District looking for ways to share operations, the city council decided to get a jump start on the mowing season.

In a joint city-district meeting Dec. 6, the area leaders discussed the potential of operational sharing between the two entities. After discussion of shared snow removal fell through early December, the city and school district spoke about joint mowing operations for 2018.

In Monday’s meeting, the city council unanimously approved to advertise three seasonal part-time mowing positions this year.

According to city documents, the city requires about 80 hours of work in a two-week period. The city said this translates to about two part-time mowers. If the city decides to operational share mowing with the district, the city would require a third employee.

“(Discussions) are still going on,” Mayor David Mast said at the meeting. “That is why we need three if that ends up happening.”

City documents said the third mower could also potentially be used to mow abated properties.

The city council also voted to increase the hourly rate from $10 to $12.

Lewis Club Park Disc Golf Catchers

The disc golf park near Colfax-Mingo High School will soon have brand new disc golf catchers thanks to a grant awarded to the Colfax Park and Auxiliary Board.

According to auxiliary board president Doug Garrett, the group was originally awarded a $4,607 grant from Prairie Meadows to place banners at the entryway of Colfax, near Quarry Springs Park.

These banners were planned to showcase several of the attractions around town, help bring awareness to the city’s facilities and improve the aesthetics of the town. But after learning the banners could not be installed due to MidAmerican Energy restrictions, the auxiliary board, with approval from Prairie Meadows, decided to use the grant to purchase new disc golf targets, as two of the targets were reportedly stolen.

City documents said disc golf targets were first installed at Lewis Club Park in 1998. Those catchers were replaced in 2006.

Eighteen new disc golf catchers will cost $5,610, according to city documents. The auxiliary board plans to sell the current targets to help fund the remaining cost for the new targets, concrete and installation.

The board also plans to rework the tee-boxes at Lewis Club Park.

The auxiliary board was also awarded the Iowa Tourism Grant to help advertise Quarry Springs Park and the City of Colfax. They planned to use this money to help fund the banners, as well as for other promotional materials.

“Since we aren’t doing the banners, they aren’t going give us money for the banners. They are giving us money for the brochures (for the city and the park),” Garrett said. “I think those will be ideal to pass for the Realtors. I have had a couple Realtors ask for our old brochures.”

In the joint city-Colfax-Mingo CSD meeting Dec. 6, the area leaders discussed a joint promotion campaign that included brochures, websites and other promotion materials that promoted Colfax, Mingo and the school district.

Other Business

At the meeting, the council also approved to conduct a rate analysis of water, sewer and garbage services.

City documents said the last rate increase for water and sewer was passed in April 2015, with solid waste in September 2009.

The analysis will cost the city about $750.

• Approval of the first reading of ordinance 619. This ordinance includes changes to the city’s flood plain regulations recommended by the Department of Natural Resources. Changes include clarify definition of minor projects, routine maintenance of existing buildings and facilities, and accessory structures for residential use.

• Adoption of Jasper County-Multi-Jurisdictional Hazard Mitigation Plan. The plan was originally crafted in 2011 and was updated in 2016 through a grant.

• Approval of designating the First Bank of Colfax and Iowa Public Agency Investment Trust as depositories with a maximum deposit amount of $4 million and $1.5 million, respectively.

Contact Anthony Victor Reyes at areyes@jaspercountytribune.com