Keota Council Discusses Hiring Assistant Clerk, Keeping Pool Open Into September

KEOTA – During the July 22 meeting of the Keota City Council, the council discussed hiring a party time city clerk to assist current City Administrator and City Clerk Alycia Horras. Councilman Curt Burroughs explained that Horras generates more money for the city through her administrator work, which includes acquiring grants and managing new projects, and that the council wants her to do more for the city. As a result, the city will need someone to handle day-to-day office work. Burroughs stated this will also hopefully reduce the amount of overtime and reduce burnout. Horras stated that a lot of people had gotten frustrated with her for having to close the city hall office during the day to handle projects like the pool. Burroughs stated that the community struggles to understand Horras’s new role and how much time it takes to plan events that grow the community, giving water aerobics and Christmas in Keota as examples.

Councilman Matt Greiner stated Horras had been phenomenal at getting grants for the city and that he would like her to focus more time on doing so. Greiner stated that the city will lose revenue opportunities if Horras doesn’t spend more time on administrator duties. Mayor Tony Cansler stated that the best problem to have is struggling because things are going so well. The council approved having the hiring committee finalize the wage and job description for a part time clerk and post the job.

A concerned citizen requested stop signs be added on North Baker Street, where it meets Keokuk, and on North McKinley Street, by the bus stop corner. She explained that she had seen cars drive fast down these intersections without stopping. Burroughs stated that a lot of the problem on Baker was caused by two semis which are usually parked near the intersection, which keeps people from seeing. He stated that the drivers won’t be able to park there at all if stop signs are added. Councilman Keith Conrad stated that, ideally, Keokuk and Baker would be made a four-way stop. Councilman Mike Bender agreed, stating he had almost been hit multiple times at the intersection, and that it isn’t a great idea to let semis park there. Horras stated that semi trucks are hard on the road and that the city didn’t want them being parked there anyway. Cansler recommended discussing this more at the next meeting and suggested parking the police truck near the intersection, to film things using its dash cam.

The concerned citizen also asked about keeping the pool open longer in the fall for water aerobics classes. Later in the meeting, Horras stated that water aerobics was very important and that the city had sold 30 passes just for aerobics. Horras stated that there were pool parties booked up until labor day. She stated that she had spoken to pool staff and that a lot of them would be busy with football and volleyball during the week, but would be interested in working on weekends, including on Fridays due to the school’s new four-day week. Burroughs asked how much it cost per day to heat the pool. Public Works Director Micah Harmsen stated that the pool currently cools 10 degrees overnight and takes four hours to heat up, and that it will likely be harder to warm in the fall.

Burroughs stated that he was okay with keeping the pool open until the middle or end of September. He explained that the council expected the pool to bring in $2,200 in concessions over the entire season, but that it has already brought in $2,700. The other councilmen agreed that keeping the pool open longer was a good idea. Bender stated that Keota could make other cities look bad for having closed early. Conrad stated that the pool might be able to draw in staff from other pools after they close for the season.

A wastewater plant employee recommended that the city should consider finding ways to limit the amount of stormwater entering the sewers, explaining that it had almost reached the water limit during a recent rainstorm. Bender and Conrad stated that all small towns have the same problem. Cansler stated that there wasn’t much the city could do, save for blocking sewers, which would cause basements to flood.

Horras explained to the council that the city was about to begin hosting drive-in movies at the park, including movies in the pool. Watching from Wilson park will be free, while watching inside the pool will cost $5. The first movies to be shown include Under the Boardwalk on August 4 at 7 p.m. and MEG2: The Trench on August 4 at 7 p.m.