Iola commissioners again looked into whether any more steps were needed before a building permit could be issued to renovate the Iola Public Library.
In the end, Mayor Bill Maness and Commissioner Bill Shirley agreed that a possible fly in the ointment — the library being too close to a neighboring parking lot — had already been resolved by recent action taken by the USD 257 Board of Education.
Maness and Shirley both voted Tuesday to accept a 3.1-foot easement along the eastern edge of the parking lot so renovations to the library could start. Commissioner Craig Abbott was not at Tuesday’s meeting.
The parking lot is not owned by the city. Rather, it’s owned by the Bowlus Fine Arts Center.
Commissioners discussed with City Attorney Chuck Apt whether the easement was enough to satisfy building codes that require a 5-foot buffer between the building and the parking lot.
Apt contended it was not, and that the city needed to either acquire an easement for the entire parking lot or take ownership of the parking lot.
Maness disagreed, noting that the Bowlus is willingly granting the easement.
THE CITY will host a public hearing May 11 to determine whether the former Iola Greenhouse building at 704 E. Lincoln St. should be condemned.
Bauer said water leaks, antiquated gas lines and ongoing lack of maintenance prompted him to order utilities shut off earlier this month.
Kelly Spears, who is leasing the building from Dennis Williams, has since relocated to 1 E. Madison Ave.
IOLA WILL receive about $70,000 from the Federal Emergency Management Agency for cleanup associated with a Christmas Eve storm. Iola and Allen County were part of a disaster declaration related to wintry weather that blanketed the state between Dec. 22 and Jan. 8.
The city may receive more funds to compensate for costs related to street repairs necessary after snow and ice were removed. Iola also may be in store for added funds related to this weekend’s storm, City Administrator Judy Brigham said.
COMMISSIONERS approved a request from Griner & Schmitz to install a small global positioning system device somewhere in city hall to better serve Iola’s new GPS mapping system.
The mapping system will measure the exact location of water and sewer lines and other city utilities. The system typically is accurate within a meter, explained Dave Cross with Griner & Schmitz. The addition will make the city’s maps accurate to within a centimeter.
Typically, the service would cost $2,600 a month. The firm is providing the service free of charge to Iola because the city is allowing the equipment be set up here. A small dish will be erected outside the building and other equipment, capable of fitting in most any cabinet, will be installed inside the building, Cross said.
CITY Administrator Judy Brigham said the city is looking for state grant money to install a stoplight at the intersection of Lincoln and State streets. The state must first look at how much traffic passes by the intersection while studying whether Iola would qualify for the funding.
No cost estimate was given.
THE CITY, at the behest of Iola High School student Abby Works, formally recognized Earth Hour at 8:30 p.m. Saturday.
At that time, folks around the world will turn off their lights for 60 minutes to demonstrate their commitment to conserving energy and protecting the planet.
The city also formally declared April as Child Abuse Prevention Month. Representatives from Allen County Court Appointed Special Advocates and Hope Unlimited were on hand for the declaration.
