Water tower
Buy Now

The future site of a second water tower for Sheldon will be at the corner of Country Club Road and 16th Street.

 Justin Rust jrust@iowainformation.com

SHELDON—The plans for a second water tower in Sheldon are still flowing smoothly as the city council will hear the next step in the process during its 4:30 p.m. meeting Wednesday, Oct. 6.

One of the biggest boosts for the project is the money the city is getting through the American Rescue Plan, which is in the amount of $757,338.25.

There will be a public hearing Wednesday on the proposal to use the American Rescue Plan funds for the second water tower, which is estimated to cost around $3.5 million.

The council then will consider a resolution on whether or not to put the funds toward the water tower.

The proposed second water tower is planned for the northeast corner at Country Club Road and 16th Street. The site was purposed in 2016 and the planning for the second water tower has lasted five years.

In a memo to the council for the Sept. 1 meeting, city manager Sam Kooiker said the project will be able to use tax increment financing funds for the water tower project. Using money from the American Rescue Plan will allow the city to stretch the bond funds further.

The second water tower in Sheldon is unrelated to the one needed for the Lewis & Clark Regional Water System three miles west of the city limits. A bid of $4.583 million from Caldwell Tanks of Louisville, KY, was approved by the Lewis & Clark Regional Water System Board of Directors on Friday. Construction on that water tower is anticipated to begin in the late spring or early summer of 2022 with a completion date of Oct. 2023.

Before the public hearing for the American Rescue Plan funds, the council will go through the first reading of an ordinance approving new cemetery rates.

The Sheldon Cemetery Board approved the change in some rates during its meeting on Sept. 14 and advanced it to the council to approve.

The sale process for a regular burial location will increase $25 to $400 and weekend and holiday burials will be an $25 increase to $200. Grave openings, not including babyland, also saw an increase of $25 to $450 and cremation services will increase $25 to $250.

The third item in new business for the city council involves the West 11th Street right of way.

On Sept. 15, the council set a public hearing for Wednesday for the contract for the deed for the vacated West 11th Street right of way. The contract for the deed establishes clean up of the right of way and granting trail easement by Dec. 31.

There are two options for a trail connecting Western Avenue to Second Avenue. Kooiker recommends Option B, which travels about 15 more feet.

The council meeting will open with a presentation from Premier Communications chief sales and marking officer Scott TeStroete. The presentation will be made during the public forum portion of the meeting.

Premier Communications is onto its latest phase of installing fiber optics in Sheldon. The process started in 2019 and site surveys for the next section of fiber installation is underway with plans to begin construction this fall. The anticipated date of completion for that section is in the first quarter of 2022.

There are 310 homes and businesses that will be affected by this phase in the project, which is in the central part of Sheldon. It includes Sheldon High School and Sheldon Middle School.

The council meeting will end with another closed session, the third straight meeting with one. This one is pertaining to the potential to purchase real estate, which also was the topic of the Sept. 15 closed session. If the purchase of the land is approved, it still is subject to disclosure at a future council meeting.

Other items on the council’s agenda include:

  • A resolution approving a utility easement with Northwest Iowa Community College.
  • Authorize delivery of a special warranty deed to Kerwin and Kathy Sterler for 1401 S. Second Ave.
  • Approve the hiring of Michael Brouwer as street operator.
  • Approval of a new liquor license and a new cigarette permit for Kwik Star Inc.
  • Approval of Sheldon Community Ambulance Team applicant Jessica Postma.
  • Approval of the O’Brien County Snowtrackers route for 2021-22.

Tags