Riverside council prepares for Third Street water main project

By Paul D. Bowker
Posted 1/18/22

The Riverside City Council has listened to design plans for its Third Street water main and construction project for several months.

The council took to the streets in a walking tour in late …

This item is available in full to subscribers.

Please log in to continue

E-mail
Password
Log in

Riverside council prepares for Third Street water main project

Posted

The Riverside City Council has listened to design plans for its Third Street water main and construction project for several months.

The council took to the streets in a walking tour in late December.

And now, just before construction bids go out for the elaborate project, the council will host a public meeting on February 2 to educate residents about the plan. The meeting is slated to begin at 6 p.m. in City Council Chambers on Greene Street.

“We want to over-communicate, if anything else, in this,” Riverside Mayor Allen Schneider told The News after Monday’s regularly scheduled council meeting resulted in the setting of a public meeting date. “It’s a good way to get everybody together.”

The project, which could run $3 million, will create new water mains along Third Street. New roads and sidewalk construction will drop elevation by three feet in many places. Construction is expected to begin in early spring 2022 with bidding going out in February.

In addition to council members, the February 2 meeting will also include engineering consultants Brian Boelk and Nick Bettis of Axiom Consultants, the Iowa City firm that is designing the Third Street and Railroad Park projects in Riverside.

The city also plans to visit with individual homeowners affected by the construction.

A number of trees will likely be cut down along city right of ways, and one plan has Second Street being cut off where it meets Rose Street near Highway 22 in an intersection that council members agree is dangerous. Construction may temporarily shut down streets or portions of streets.

A proposal for a televised inspection of the sewer main and connections for the Third Street project will appear in front of the City Council at its first meeting in February.

The Railroad Park project will require the elimination of nine trees, and the council accepted a bid from Custom Tree Service of Riverside to do the work for $3,200.

The council unanimously elected Tom Sexton as mayor pro tem. Sexton, who began his third term as a council person this month, is mayor pro tem for the fourth year. As mayor pro tem, Sexton takes over for Schneider in mayoral duties when Schneider is not available.

The council tabled a vote on a site lease agreement with Sharon Telephone Company (STC), but probably only until the next regular council meeting on February 7. STC, based in Hills, is undergoing a fiber project that will deliver high-speed broadband service to businesses and residents in Riverside. The company wants to create an electronics hut in Riverside as a part of the project.

“We’re local and we think we can do a good job for the town,” said Scott Havel, STC General Manager.

The council approved an appropriation of $22,230 with the Kalona Public Library for the fiscal year beginning July 1, 2022. The agreement provides Riverside residents full usage of Kalona Public Library and its materials.

Trevor Sherping, Library Director, told the council that usage by Riverside residents is already on a record pace this year.

The contract is a 3% financial increase from last year.

The council also:

• approved the sale of its 1998 Chevy Suburban to Steve Rodgers for $7,777.

• approved a change of record of city property and casualty insurance to Southeast Iowa Insurance Services of Wellman, and agent Shawn J. Powell.

• approved Peoples Trust & Savings, Hills Bank & Trust, and IPAIT Iowa Public Agency Investment Trust as depositories for city funds.

• approved the estimates of LL Pelling of North Liberty for seal coat street repairs.

The next regularly scheduled meeting of the City Council will be February 7 at 6 p.m. at City Hall. A budget work session is set for 6 p.m. February 26.