The Atalissa City Council heard a presentation from the Director of the West Liberty Free Public Library on Monday, Dec. 14, asking the city for a fee per resident to help support the facility located in West Liberty.
Allie Paarsmith addressed the board virtually.
Paarsmith said the library is asking for Nichols and Atalissa to pay $12 per capita each year, which is an increase, but more services are also anticipated to be offered including a mobile library to each community.
“For comparison, the average city with a population under 500 pays $33.44 per capita for libraries within their city limits. Muscatine County pays us approximately $13 per capita for library service and the City of West Liberty pays approximately $40 per capita and also supplements that amount with a portion of the local option sales tax revenues.”
She said since fiscal year 2011 through 2020, Atalissa has paid $1,000 per year and Nichols has paid $1,200, adding up to $3.22 and $3.30 per person respectively.
Paarsmith said the library is hoping to use the additional funds to increase outreach to Atalissa and Nichols by contracting with Antelope Lending Library, a nonprofit bookmobile based in Johnson County.
“The goal will be to have the bookmobile visit both communities on a weekly basis to deliver books and to host library programs, such as story times and book clubs,” Paarsmith said. “We are also exploring some grant opportunities to acquire a circulating hot spot collection, which would allow patrons to check out a Wi-Fi hot spot for a period of time.”
She said the library hopes to fund that project with grants for two years, but, “after that, we will have to find the money within our existing operations budget to sustain that program.”
The Atalissa City Council decided to consider the information and tabled a decision to support the library, deciding to look at the proposal at an upcoming budget work session.
The presentation was one of the highlights of the virtual meeting when the council also learned of the resignation of long-time police chief Matt Bowers, effective on Jan. 11. The chief said he would assist in helping find a replacement. The council reviewed the job description of the chief and decided to advertise to find a replacement, taking applications through Dec. 31.
In another key decision, the council approved spending $10,000 toward the Atalissa Fire Station’s proposed warming and cooling station, with a possibility of giving up to $10,000 toward the project in the next fiscal year.
Leaders at the fire station decided after the Aug. 10 dericho wind storm that such a facility was needed not only for the community of Atalissa, but rural residents outside the city. The station also won support from the Ryan Trust fund earlier this month, getting a matching fund.
The firemen are accepting donations toward the project, which will include remodeling of restrooms at the fire station to include showers while one of the biggest expenses will be for a generator, pointing out residents in the community were without electricity for several days following the storm.
In other business, the city learned 17 more septic tanks in the community had risers and lids installed by TuliP construction. A team from that company also hung Christmas decorations for the first time in the community in many years. Although unable to light the decorations, the holiday items were obtained from two other communities who replaced their décor this year.
The city is preparing a job description to review for the Jan. 11 council meeting to fill a need for a grant writer able to obtain funding for city projects. The council has not yet decided it’s a position they would like to create.
The street seal coating contract with LL Pelling company of North Liberty was also approved.
The city also approved a proposal for up to $2,000 to either replace or repair the salt spreader, which is not presently working.
Matt Goodale also provided a water/sewer operations report to the board while Bowers provided the police report.
On Dec. 20, the council hosted a special meeting at the Atalissa City Hall to hear a resident’s request on a partial release of an easement approval.