Several Monona streets to be chip sealed
By Audrey Posten, North Iowa Times Editor
Several Monona streets will be chip sealed when the weather warms up, including stretches of Main Street from Kregel Street to Iowa Street and from the railroad tracks to the edge of town. Hill Street, starting at Iowa Street and going north, will also be done, as will Anderson Street from Center Street to North Street and both North and Center Streets from Hill Street to West Street.
Chip sealing involves applying a thin film of heated asphalt liquid to the street surface, then placing “chips,” which are compacted and adhere to the asphalt.
Randy Evanson, speaking to the council Monday night, said it’s been some time since streets were chip sealed. He said the town is split into quarters, with one quarter addressed each year.
“Normally, every four years, we fix cracks, but Main and other streets are getting pretty rough,” he said. “I think they need to be chip sealed because the cracks are pulling apart and there were potholes in intersections. If we don’t chip seal, I’m afraid the streets are going to be all potholes. We have to take care of the streets.”
Blacktop Service Company of Humboldt, Iowa, was selected to perform the work for $37,999.80.
Evanson said, for Main Street, work will be completed one half at a time, so the street will not have to be closed.
Budget
The city approved its fiscal year 2016 budget, which will run from July 1, 2015 to June 30, 2016. The estimated total tax levy rate per $1,000 valuation on regular property is $14.69, up 15 cents from the current fiscal year, said City Administrator Dan Canton. The city anticipates ending the year at $1,229,980, down from $2,030,940, which is the anticipated ending fund balance for the current fiscal year.
At $2,600,00, one capital project—phase II sanitary sewer improvements—accounts for the biggest expenditure. $1,084,760 will go toward culture and recreation, which largely includes the Murphy Helwig Library expansion project.
Sewer rate increase
After the third and final reading, the ordinance increasing sewer rates from $15 to $35 was approved in order to finance wastewater treatment facility and sanitary sewer improvements. Mayor Barb Collins said she and the council understand the increase may be a burden on some, but the city was left with little choice.
“There’s no way around it,” she said. “We have to do it.”
Storm water award
Canton said Monona was set to receive a storm water award Tuesday at the Iowa Water Conference, held at Iowa State University. The award will recognize the city’s permeable paver pool parking lot, which was designed by Jon Biederman of Fehr-Graham Engineering.
X26, Highway 18 intersection
Canton said, at the next council meeting March 16, he will have more information about proposed DOT work at the intersection of County Road X26 and Highway 18, at Kwik Star.
He said the DOT would like to make it so cars coming from Kwik Star will be more perpendicular to the road when they’re stopped at the intersection, hopefully creating better visibility.
