Iola City Councilman Austin Sigg, who represents the city’s Third Ward, announced his resignation Monday from the Council.
Sigg and his family are moving out of the ward, he explained, thus making him ineligible to retain his seat.
“I’d like to thank everybody for the experience I’ve had,” Sigg said at Monday’s meeting. “It’s been a good time.”
Iola’s Third Ward covers much of the southwest quadrant of town.
A replacement will be appointed by Mayor Joel Wicoff, and is subject to approval from the remaining Council members.
Sigg, a supply sergeant for the National Guard’s 891st Engineer Battalion in Iola, was elected to a four-year term over incumbent Gene Myrick in April 2015.
COUNCIL members approved a request for a group of bicycle enthusiasts to camp overnight at Iola’s Riverside Park the weekend of April 29.
The campout will coincide with the opening of a Velo Plus bicycle shop in town that day. Owners of another Velo Plus shop in Lenexa and others will ride to Iola that weekend.
Damaris Kunkler, program director at Thrive Allen County, said as many as 50 riders are expected to take part in the 100-mile trek.
She expects most will stay overnight in Iola before returning to the Kansas City area. While a majority will bunk in motels, several expressed a desire to camp out locally, leading to the request.
The Council approved, 7-0, while also suspending Riverside Park’s curfew April 29 to accommodate the campers.
Kunkler invited the Council, and anyone else who enjoys biking, to take part in the festivities.
A group of locals will greet the visitors along the Prairie Spirit Trail north of town to ride into Iola en masse.
Additional details will be released later.
Councilman Don Becker was absent from Monday’s meeting.
THE COUNCIL ratified the dates American flags will be hung around the courthouse square.
The city will be responsible for displaying the flags each Memorial Day, Flag Day, Independence Day, Veterans Day, as well as other special days if necessary.
Council members accepted the resignation of Brian Plumlee from the Police Department.
DONNA HOUSER, who has spearheaded a local effort to refurbish the football stadium at Riverside Park, said that while work at the stadium was interrupted because of winter, her fundraising efforts have continued unabated.
Since finishing her initial phase of stadium improvements last fall, Houser has raised an additional $27,000.
Two upcoming projects involve installing a pair of sump pumps to prevent flooding, and adding epoxy sealant over the stadium’s stairs to prevent water from seeping into the aging concrete.
“And I’m going to keep asking for money,” she said.
THE CITY Council will host a two-day strategic planning session April 17-18 at Allen Community College to discuss short- and long-term goals for Iola.
Dinner will be served at 5:30 p.m. each day, with meetings slated to follow at 6 o’clock.
