Month: April 2023

The Mount Pleasant Fire Department went out on two calls Tuesday night.  The first call came in at 9:30 pm from  2116  270th Street. According to Fire Chief Drew Schumacher the property owner was doing a controlled burn but the winds picked up and it was feared the fire would spread too fast. Two brush trucks, a tanker and an engine were on the scene for about an hour. The second call was for a smoldering tree in Saunders Park along Saunders Park Road. The crew was only out for about 10 minutes just after 10:30 pm.

The Wayland City Council meets tonight, April 5, 2023, at 7:30 pm at the Wayland City Hall. The WACO FFA Contest Team will be giving a 15 minute presentation to start the meeting

1. Roll Call

1. Consent Agenda

Note:  These are routine items and will be enacted by one motion without separate discussion unless a Council member requests an item be removed for separate consideration.

1. Minutes of March 15, 2023
2. Bills for Payment
3. Report
4. Clerks Budgetary Report
5. Utility Dept. Report
6. Police Dept. Report
7. Fire Dept. Report–Roster Change (Joe Hammen resigned, New-Megan Waterhouse )
8. Citizen Forum-The Mayor and City Council welcome comments from the public for items not listed on the agenda. You are asked to state your name and address for the record and to limit your remarks in order that others may be given the opportunity to speak.  The Order of Business is at the discretion of the Chair.  No action will be taken.

1. Unfinished Business

5. New Business
   1. Review/Approve Support Letter for IEDA Community Catalyst Grant Application
   2. Authorize Mayor to Sign PFAS Cost Recovery Program Agreement
   3. Renewal Permit App-Class C Liquor License (LC) –Corner of Main Bar & Grill (timely filed)
   4. Police Academy Reimbursement Agreement
   5. LL Pelling Summer 2023 Street Work Proposal
   6. Consider Quote for Police Body Camera
   7. West Park and City Hall Camera Quotes
   8. Discuss/Approve Website Update

6. Building Permits – Approved

Chet Fort – Move in portable 20’ x 8’ x 8’ storage unit at 705 N Parkway

Chet Fort – Replace eight (+/1) windows, re-roof and re-side house at 203 S Brooks St.

Independent Bible Church – Re-side church at 413 N Washington St

Jordan Marner – Re-roof & re-side house and garage at 416 W Main St

7. Adjournment

AGENDA

April 6, 2023

Approve Agenda

Approve Minutes

9:00 Monthly Department Head Meeting

9:30 Jake Hotchkiss, Engineer Weekly Update

Other County Business as time allows

Farmers and crop consultants can improve their knowledge of current issues by attending the Crop Scout School May 17, at the Southeast Research and Demonstration Farm near Crawfordsville.

The scout school, hosted by Iowa State University Extension and Outreach, is intended to be a foundational course, providing essential information for effective and efficient crop scouting.

Topics to be covered 

• Crop scouting tips and tricks – Virgil Schmitt, extension field agronomist.
• Corn and soybean growth and development and staging – Mark Licht, assistant professor agronomy and extension cropping systems specialist.
• Crops disease identification – Ed Zaworski, extension specialist, plant pathologist.
• Weed identification – Meaghan Anderson, extension field agronomist.
• Insect pest identification – Ashley Dean, extension specialist, entomology.
• Other crop issues and challenges (nutrient deficiencies, herbicide injury, etc.) – Virgil Schmitt and Rebecca Vittetoe, extension field agronomists.
• Hands-on practice out in the field – Clarabell Probasco, Virgil Schmitt, and Rebecca Vittetoe, extension field agronomists.

“This Crop Scout School is a great opportunity to those wanting to refresh their knowledge and skills, as well as for those new to crop scouting,” said Rebecca Vittetoe. “The educational sessions, hands-on practice out in the field, and field guide publications, make this an exceptional value for those looking to increase their toolbox of resources to be better growers or crop scouts.”

Publications and resources included with registration 

• Soybean Diseases and Corn Diseases booklets provide a combined 88-page compendium of soybean and corn diseases in Iowa and the greater north central region, in full color. Each guide is complete with disease life cycles and diagrams, as well as foliar disease estimation charts.
• Field Crop Insects contains descriptions and color images of more than 55 pest and beneficial insects, as well as information on insect life cycle, damage, scouting and management options. There is also information on basic entomology and integrated pest management tactics.
• Early, mid, and late season corn and soybean scouting cards are record keeping tools that outline diseases, insects, and disorders that occur to corn and soybean plants during the early, mid, and late parts of the growing season.
• A digital Corn and Soybean Field Guide includes updated text and 375 images, illustrations, diagrams and tables to assist farmers with identifying corn and soybean diseases, insects and disorders found throughout the Midwest. This 158-page guide focuses on development stages, pesticide decisions and production-related topics to help you when scouting fields this summer.
• A digital Weed Identification Field Guide 2nd Edition contains 35 illustrations and more than 250 high-quality photographs of weeds found in Iowa. Palmer amaranth information was added to this 108-page field guide, and information on herbicide resistance and management was updated from the first edition.

Advance registration is required. The cost of $100 includes the above printed and digital publications, lunch and refreshments. Registration for the course closes May 12, and the course is limited to 70 students.

The Southeast Research and Demonstration Farm is located at 3115 Louisa-Washington Road, Crawfordsville. Check-in begins at 8:30 a.m., with the program running from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m.

To register, visit https://go.iastate.edu/UADGBG For questions related to registration, contact Agriculture and Natural Resources Program Services at 515-294-6429 or anr@iastate.edu. For all other questions, contact Rebecca Vittetoe at 712-540-3319 or rka8@iastate.edu.

DES MOINES – Today, Gov. Kim Reynolds issued a disaster proclamation for six additional counties in response to the March 31 severe weather. The governor’s proclamation allows state resources to be utilized to respond to and recover from the effects of this severe weather in Appanoose, Davis, Iowa, Jackson, Lucas, and Monroe counties.  

In addition, the proclamation activates the Iowa Individual Assistance Grant Program for qualifying residents, along with the Disaster Case Management Program, for those counties. The Iowa Individual Assistance Grant Program provides grants of up to $5,000 for households with incomes up to 200 percent of the federal poverty level. Grants are available for home or car repairs, replacement of clothing or food, and temporary housing expenses. Original receipts are required for those seeking reimbursement for actual expenses related to storm recovery. The grant application and instructions are available on the Iowa Department of Health and Human Services website at https://dhs.iowa.gov/disaster-assistance-programs. Potential applicants have 45 days from the date of the proclamation to submit a claim.    

The Disaster Case Management Program addresses serious needs related to disaster-related hardship, injury, or adverse conditions. Disaster case managers work with clients to create a disaster recovery plan and provide guidance, advice, and referral to obtain a service or resource. There are no income eligibility requirements for this program; it closes 180 days from the date of the governor’s proclamation. For information on the Disaster Case Management Program, contact your local community action association or visit www.iowacommunityaction.org.  

On April 1 the governor issued a disaster proclamation for these 12 counties impacted by the March 31 severe weather: Cedar, Clinton, Delaware, Des Moines, Dubuque, Grundy, Johnson, Keokuk, Linn, Mahaska, Wapello, and Washington. This proclamation also activated the Iowa Individual Assistance Program and the Disaster Case Management Program. 

Mount Pleasant Arts IMPACT is pleased to announce the launch of National Poetry Month this April. Cooperating with the Mount Pleasant Public Library, IMPACT’s mini-gallery display is a celebration of verse, creativity, and the power of words!

Get ready to be enthralled by the works of local talent represented by the poetry, artistry, and photography of Salem resident and retired mother Vicky Dovenspike. Vicky is the featured artist in the Arts IMPACT mini-gallery located in the Mount Pleasant Public Library and open for viewing during regular library hours this April and May.

A self-trained photographer, poet, and artist, Vicky masterfully intertwines her passions to create truly unique illustrations of her own poetry. She is a member of The Society of Great River Poets and has been published in Writers on The Avenue and Lyrical Iowa and The National Federation of State Poetry.

During her lifetime of interest in art she has worked with pencil, acrylic, and photography. She has shown extensively in local shows and through The Fort Madison Area Arts Association. Inspiration comes to her from life events, beauty in the world around her, and from people who impact her life.

COMPUTER POETRY BONUS

With all the current interest in artificial intelligence in the news, Arts IMPACT also presents in this show a selection of poetry showcasing the talents and abilities of artificial intelligence software ChatGPT. The computer was given the challenge of creating poetry selections on the subject of “Spring in Iowa” but written in the style of well-known and popular poets. On display are the computer-generated results of this challenge, and readers can judge for themselves how successfully the computer was able to respond to this “creative challenge.”

So what are you waiting for? Come see what’s new at the Mount Pleasant Arts IMPACT gallery in the Library this April and be part of the Poetry Month celebration. Embrace the energy, creativity, and passion of poetry — it’s an experience you won’t want to miss.