Communication easier following Afton council decision

AFTON - Getting in contact with city employees will be easier after the Afton City Council approved phone plans for four lines.

This decision was approved during October’s meeting, allowing the city clerk, utility clerk, public works/maintenance and police chief to receive work phones. The city will receive the phones for free with a monthly phone plan of $148 through Verizon.

Previously, all four employees would use their personal phones for city-related manners. Those calling the Afton City Hall during off-hours would be redirected to City Clerk Kayla Lacina’s personal phone.

While this solution has served the city well, city employees noted difficulties separating their work lives from personal lives. With this solution, Afton residents can have easier access to employees while giving peace of mind to employees during off-hours.

Informing Afton residents was also considered to be easier. The city had considered a mass-texting service for city alerts. Services considered during the meeting were either too expensive or unable to suit the city’s needs.

The city agreed to see how the work phones could be used to better inform Afton during emergencies, such as power outages.

In other Afton city council news...

City Attorney Meggen Weeks helped the city review Afton’s ordinance on mowing ditches and banks. Previously, city maintenance worker Jesse Shade has mowed into Afton residents’ properties if necessary while mowing ditches.

Weeks advised against this, focusing on how this occasionally meant tax dollars were being spent mowing private citizen’s property, even if the property owner gave permission. To defeat the precedent set, notices will be sent to property owners informing how the city will no longer mow those ditches and banks.

Following a donation to the city of paint from K’Lea Johnson, representing the Afton Development Corporation, restrooms in the Afton park square will be repainted. Johnson also gave an updated bid for building a grain bin shelter on the Afton Lake, which measured to $6,819. This amount does not include hauling the bin.

Johnson also informed the city of the ADC’s intention to apply to Southern Iowa Council of Government’s housing renewal program. The program pays for the total development cost of rehabilitating a property home. The city had originally planned to apply, but agreed not to compete with the ADC.

Greenlawn Cemetery mower Kelly Klommhaus sent a bid for city approval to continue his services at Greenlawn. The bid would set Klommhaus in place for the next three years into 2028. The bid landed at $35,000.

The cemetery board had requested a clause be added requiring 90 days of notice if Klommhaus required termination of the contract. The bid will be reviewed in a future meeting.

Police Chief Jake McGuire received an estimated quote for a speed sign which will be paid with grant funding. The sign will be placed on Grand Street and will cost $3,000. McGuire also gave an update on the installation of city cameras, which was about halfway done at the time of the meeting.

Plans to remove signs on the Afton park square to make maintenance easier were noted for having difficulties. The signs on the square alert those parking to snow removal hours, and their removal would make enforcement difficult. Weeks advised the council against the action.