A pair of significant “to-do” items necessary to further extend the Prairie Spirit Trail through Iola were crossed off the city’s list Wednesday, .
City commissioners, in an adjourned meeting, approved an agreement between Iola and the Kansas Department of Transportation to extend the trail from Cofachique Park through town to Bruner Street at the north edge of Riverside Park.
The state has agreed to reimburse the city for 80 percent of the project’s estimated $519,000 price tag, using federal Transportation Enhancement monies.
Meanwhile, commissioners also approved a land swap with Iolan Jack McFadden, allowing the city to take possession of land along the trail and south of U.S. 54. The land for years has served as a storage site for construction equipment owned by the late Johnny Womack.
In exchange for that parcel of land — a 250-foot swath extending from U.S. 54 to Bruner Street — the city will give McFadden about 12 acres of mostly tillable land south of the Neosho River bridge west of town, plus another $60,000.
Assistant City Administrator Corey Schinstock told commissioners that work was ongoing to clear the property of the equipment. And depending on the amount of time it takes KDOT to complete its plans for the extension, bids could be let on the trail extension within the next three months.
AS THE trail work commences, the city also will tackle another regional issue along the trail: water drainage near Scott Street.
Residents there had been plagued with flooding during heavy rains in recent years, prompting an engineer’s study that noted drainage inlets below Scott Street weren’t big enough for water to escape to the south.
Commissioners approved a bid from J & J Contractors, Iola, to replace a pair of inlet pipes and widen a nearby drainage ditch for a cost of $32,714. J & J had the lowest of five bids received.
Schinstock said work should begin within the next three weeks, and while the project has 75 calendar days scheduled, “it shouldn’t take nearly that long.” Schinstock estimated the project would take 30 to 45 days, weather permitting.
WEDNESDAY’S MEETING came about after commissioners originally announced they would not meet on Monday because of schedule conflicts for Commissioner Craig Abbott and Mayor Bill Maness.
When Commissioner Bill Shirley arrived at Monday’s meeting — long enough to proclaim the meeting adjourned for lack of a quorum — he was told that the commission had the right to reschedule the meeting session as an adjourned meeting for Wednesday.
The meeting site was changed to the New Community Building at Riverside Park because the commissioners’ room was reserved on Wednesday for Iola Municipal Court proceedings.
THE COMMISSION’S next meeting — the body’s last regularly scheduled meeting before it disbands — will be on April 4. The next day, Iola voters will select the eight representatives to comprise Iola’s first city council, which will be seated at the April 18 meeting.
