by Carrie Moritz, Gazette
At the August 3, 2020 meeting of the Garretson City Council, they had a first look at the proposed 2021 budget, gave a positive update on the streets project, and decided upon an architect to help with planning the future community center/City Hall.
The meeting began with an update from the Garretson Parks Advisory Committee (GPAC), who noted a lot of clean-up had been going on down in the parks.
In Split Rock Park, two areas formerly covered in sucker trees and brush were being cleaned out, re-exposing some of the pink quartzite granite that attracts visitors to the parks. Several ash trees and dead trees were also being removed, moving ahead with the City’s plan to reduce the number of trees that will be affected by the Emerald Ash Borer.
They also let the council know that the sidewalk and gutter were slated to be started in the Jaycee’s Sports Complex as soon as Wednesday, and that Kwik Kerb had been installed at Devil’s Gulch. A new sign was slated to be finished and installed within the next 2-3 weeks at Split Rock Park.
Council member and GPAC advisor Jodi Gloe expressed her gratitude for the work of City employees Craig Nussbaum, Randy Megard, and Anna Uhl with regards to all the parks projects. GPAC expressed its gratitude for the willingness of Gloe and the City’s seasonal help to pursue the clean-up projects.
The ambulance gave an update as well, saying that while calls were down substantially in April and May, June and July had more than made up for that, and they were even with 2019’s call volume.
Ambulance Director Curtis Nelson let the council know that they had transported a handful of COVID-19 positive cases. None of his rostered members had tested positive so far, though one had to quarantine for two weeks after a personal exposure. The state of South Dakota will soon start asking first responders if they’re willing to volunteer for a sentinel program to ensure all members are negative for the virus.
With regards to budget, Nelson was optimistic, saying current negotiations and proposals were looking good. Unfortunately, they had been unable to do their two largest fundraisers. While they had been fortunate to receive a PPP loan and a grant from the Prairie Rose Foundation, and were in the process of looking to do a raffle, they are still in need of a new truck with a cost estimate between $150,000-$200,000. During the City’s budget reading, Finance Officer Uhl did note the ambulance’s request for its usual $40,000, plus an additional $25,000 for equipment.
After approving a fence variance request from Cindy Jorgenson, Uhl reminded the council of the Clean Up Day scheduled for Saturday, August 29. Community members will be able to bring their unwanted items to Garbage N More, located at 708 Nordstrom Ave, between the hours of 9:00 a.m. and 3:00 p.m. Springdell 4-H will be picking up items as a fundraiser. Contact Uhl for details.
City Maintenance Supervisor Nussbaum then updated the council on the progress of Main Avenue, which is well underway. Everything was right on schedule; water and sewer lines had been replaced and the water mains were being pressure tested. The work on Main, which began July 9, is slated to be completed far enough by the end of August/beginning of September for the company to begin on the truck route, which encompasses Depot, Granite, and Railroad Avenues. The entire project is slated to be completed by November 16.
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