North English City Council Gives Permission for Eagle Scout Project

NORTH ENGLISH – During the Dec. 4 meeting of the North English City Council, the council gave local 14-year-old Isaac Frazier permission to build a concrete pad on Smoky Row Trail for his Eagle Scout project. The pad will be used for picnic tables. Frazier intends to build it sometime in the spring or summer of next year. Mayor Dan Strohman stated the city would provide materials for the project at no cost.

The council spoke with a local woman who purchased a garage in town in September, who requested her water bill for the garage be dismissed. She explained that the garage, which her husband intends to use for his tree business, does not currently have plumbing, but has been receiving water and sewer bills, as well as late fees; altogether, the two months worth of bills and the late fees have added up to $172.18.

City Employee David Knipfer explained that the garage used to have a bathroom, which has since been removed, and that the property is still hooked up to sewer and water lines. The garage owner stated that the previous owner had told her that, years ago, the pipes at the garage froze and burst, leading to a large water bill, and that the previous owner had negotiated a deal with the city where, instead of paying it, he would leave the garage hooked up for several years and pay that fee instead. Knipfer stated he couldn’t recall this happening, and that the previous owner may have been lying.

Strohman explained that city ordinances state that property owners still need to pay their water and sewer bills, even when the water is turned off, and that snowbirds who leave during the winter are still charged for being connected to city systems. Strohman asked Knipfer if he could dig up and cap the lines to the garage. Knipfer stated he could, but that it would be costly to reattach the lines if the owner wanted to reinstall water in the future. Councilwoman Kathy O’Rourke stated that forgiving the water bill would set a precedent for snowbirds. Councilmen Beth Carter and Lou Garringer both stated the owner would need to cap the property for the city to waive the late fees. Ultimately, the council approved dismissing the bill, in return for the owner capping the property’s lines.

The council spoke with Pride in North English members Bonnie Romine and Ted Oswald about PINE activities in the past year, which included landscaping, adding flowerbeds, and work on Smoky Row Trail. Romine asked if the council wanted to do anything about poison ivy on the trail. She noted that it is a nature walk, and poison ivy should be expected. City Employee Jason Lee stated it would be hard to kill poison ivy without killing other plants on the trail. Strohman suggested doing nothing unless it became a problem.

Oswald talked about setting up a riffle pool by bridge, which would create a bubbling brook by strategically placing rocks or broken concrete in the stream to break up the flow. Oswald noted that the 800 acre drainage area for the river includes land under Iowa DNR and Army Corps of Engineer jurisdiction, and that he would need to contact the corps for permission before doing anything.

Romine requested the council give PINE the same amount of funding as last year. She noted that 2025 would be her 15th and final year with the organization before retiring.

The council approved changing the date of the next meeting to Wednesday, Jan. 8, due to Jan. 1 being a holiday.