RIVERSIDE

Allen Schneider, who has been mayor of Riverside since 2016, is likely going after a fifth two-year term in November’s election.

The city’s mayor position, along with three City Council seats, will be determined in the November 7 election.

Candidates can begin filing election papers August 28.

Schneider told The News following Monday’s regularly scheduled meeting of the City Council that he intends to run for another term.

City Council members Edgar McGuire and Kevin Kiene told The News they also plan to launch re-election campaigns. If Council member Lois Schneider also files for re-election (she was absent from Monday’s session), it would mean the 2023 board may return intact for 2024.

City Council members Kevin Mills and Tom Sexton are in the midst of four-terms that don’t expire until December 2025.

The mayor seat is up for election every two years while City Council seats are four-year terms.

In addition to City Council elections, the November ballot will also include elections for five seats on the Highland Community Schools Board.

The deadline for filing election papers is September 21.

Fire Volunteers Policy

Stipends given to Riverside volunteer firefighters drew a mixed response among City Council members when the policy came up during a report by City Administrator Cole Smith.

Firefighters receive a stipend of $7 per call in the department’s current pay-per-call program. To receive that stipend, a firefighter must complete 24 hours of training each year, attend at least eight monthly meetings in one year and respond to 10% of the calls.

Council member Kevin Mills said that the 10% requirement should perhaps be doubled to 20% while Council member Edgar McGuire wondered if there should be a minimum at all.

“Nobody is being recruited to be on the fire department,” Mills said. “It’s all volunteer.”

McGuire said volunteerism, or the lack of it, is becoming a bigger problem for many municipalities.

“If you only get to four fires all year, we’re not going to give you any money?” he said.

Mills also questioned who is doing the tracking of the calls and how it gets done.

A proposed policy was scheduled to be discussed again at the next City Council session September 5.

Wastewater Plant

Brian Boelk of Axiom Consultants, the city engineer, said renovations of Riverside’s wastewater treatment plant is expected to be done by the end of August. Installation of wall panels is among the work being done this week.

“Things are moving along pretty well there,” Boelk said.

Preconstruction meetings are taking place in advance of a reconstruction project at the city’s water treatment plant. Bowker Pinnacle Mechanical of Cedar Rapids was chosen as the contractor at a bid of $550,000.

Third Street Project

Boelk said work will continue over the next several weeks on properties located along the Third Street water and sewer main project.

Plans call for tilling of soil, final grading and then seeding.

Work on the $3.2 million project began last spring.

Council Actions

The Council voted to waive a review of a requested parcel split of property located north of the city. A plat request has been made to Washington County.

Next board meeting: The City Council’s next regularly scheduled meeting is at 6 p.m. September 5.