Council heeds youth request for stop signs

From public forum to council action, a youth’s request to install stop signs at an intersection he crosses to get to his bus stop was accepted by Creston City Council.

Stop signs will be installed at the east and west sides of Summit and Birch streets due to a unanimous council decision. The item was brought to the board originally by Creston student Jacob Cook during a previous public forum.

Jacob had described a dangerous situation he saw at the uncontrolled intersection while he was walking. Two cars had almost crashed into each other, with drivers honking the horn at the other until one of them reversed out of the intersection.

Tuesday’s public forum included an additional account from Jacob’s father Jason Cook. Jason recounted stories he received from speaking with residents who live near the intersection, including one who remembered an accident at the intersection the day they had moved in.

A yield sign was considered instead of a stop sign but was disputed by Creston Police Sergeant Patrick Roche as ineffective and often ignored.

“[A stop sign] would definitely slow people down, make them look both ways,” Roche said. “We have accidents at uncontrolled intersections all the time. It’s a constant problem we deal with.”

Stop signs were estimated to cost $100 each at the meeting. Council member Martin Graham supported the stop signs’ installation.

“It’s bad enough that kids are speaking in front of us,” Graham said. “If the kids say it’s a problem, we can dump a couple hundred bucks.”

Public Works Director Kevin Kruse had recommended against traffic control signage for Summit and Birch streets but had said two accidents were reported in the past 10 years. He also said visibility was somewhat limited for traffic but adequate for the 25 mph speed limit.

In other city council news...

Development on the Agnew building continued on Tuesday during a Creston City Council meeting which approved signing a letter of support for Agnew to receive up to $250,000 in Redevelopment Tax Credits from the Iowa Economic Development Authority.

Wayne Pantini, representing Agnew Lofts, LLC, approached the board during the public forum to discuss the matter. Communication with developers has taken place, but no formal plan has been set or signed. Maintenance continues to prevent additional damage to the project.

The building on Maple Street, approved for a five-year facilities update plan in 2023, was described by Pantini as a “high-risk building.” Receiving tax credits now would allow for renovations to be made, possibly making the building more appealing to potential developers.

The council approved the letter of support with the exception of an opposed vote from council member Richard Madison, who said he would prefer to see a more definitive destination for the project.

“It would be nice to know what we’re signing up for down the road,” Madison said.

Fire Chief Todd Jackson introduced repairing an exhaust system at the Creston Fire Department. Exhaust in the building funnels diesel exhaust from department vehicles, preventing inhalation in the building’s sleeping quarters and work bay.

The exhaust system has been broken for several months. The original quote for repairing the system was around $6,000, an amount which was covered by a South Central Iowa Community Foundation grant. However, after further evaluation from contractors, the quote was revised to $15,332. The repair was approved by the council.