Light poles and street repairs discussed by council

Brian Smith
Contributing Writer

The type of light poles to be used in the Center Street Project and routine spring and summer street maintenance were the major topics of the evening at the Elgin City Council meeting on Monday, May 6.

Jake Huck from MSA Professional Services asked the council for input on the style of light poles that they would like to see used on Center Street. After looking at a model that had been provided and a picture of a pole from another town, the council opted for a black fluted pole with an acrylic globe and LED light. The pole will also have a double banner bracket system, as well as a bracket for a flag. The brackets are adjustable, depending on the size of what is to be displayed. The pole will be 15 feet high, with the light fixture extending another two and a half feet above that. The globe that was preferred by the council was a simple, less ornate design.

Huck also asked the council for a decision regarding the replacement of some PVC pipe that currently exists under Center Street from Fremont Street to Mill Street. The pipe was installed in 1986 and would cost roughly $20,000 to replace during the process of redoing Center Street. After discussing the options and the cost, the council directed Huck to include the cost of replacing the pipe in the project rather than run the risk of having to replace if something went wrong after the Center Street Project is complete.

City Superintendent Tom Martin gave a report to the council that included a listing of street repair work that would need to take place this year. Various streets throughout Elgin will need sealing, coating, patching, filling, or reshaping. There are also some water issues in certain areas that will need to be fixed. Martin and Councilmember Mike Baker will prioritize the projects, and the council will solicit bids from at least three companies to do the work. Once bids have been received, the council will make decisions on what is to be done this year.

Martin also noted that he was continuing to work toward resolving sewer and water issues that had been mentioned at the April 15 meeting. He also noted that he was still waiting to receive the chargers needed for the emergency sirens in town. One siren is currently operational, while the other is not due to the need for a charger.

Finally, Martin notified the council that the water tower is in need of repair, and he is currently in the process of gathering estimates for cost of the repairs needed. He will have those available to the council at a future meeting.

In other business, the council did not approve a building permit submitted by Larry Wedo, due to the setback of the proposed building not being at the allowed distance. In addition to this, the council heard a concern regarding the number of abandoned cars in town and discussed difficulties with garbage being dumped in the recycling area in Elgin.

Before the meeting adjourned, the council also heard from community member Donna Meinhard regarding the community gardens in Elgin. Meinhard expressed concern about the gardens becoming unkempt due to the amount of work that is needed to maintain them. The council asked if she would be willing to research the cost of paying someone to maintain the gardens, as well as the cost of replacing what is currently in the gardens with ornamental grasses and bushes that might need less maintenance. Meinhard agreed and will try to bring this information to the next council meeting.

The next Elgin City Council meeting is scheduled for Monday, May 20.