Serving O'Brien & Clay Counties
Serving O'Brien & Clay Counties
City staff targets 34; council wants more
Emerald ash borer has been confirmed in 97 of Iowa's 99 counties, including Clay and O'Brien counties.
Some ash trees in Everly are officially on borrowed time.
The city council on Monday agreed to take down at least 34 ash trees in city rights-of-ways, with potentially more to come. City staff will review the condition of ash trees at Everly Community Park to determine if more need to be added to the list.
"It sounds like we might need to pull that trigger and get rolling with it," said Mayor Ron Thompson.
The 34 trees were determined to be in the worst condition. Gas Superintendent Josh Rinehart will get a final tally of the worst ashes and obtain quotes for removal. Overall costs could range from $34,000-$50,000, according to council discussion.
The threat of emerald ash borer is hastening removal. The invasive beetle's larvae feast on internal tissues of the ash tree, eventually cutting off its ability to transport water and nutrients to the canopy. EAB infestations are a death sentence for ash trees, and the bug typically targets old and dying ash trees rather than young and healthy ones.
EAB was confirmed in Clay County last year. Experts believe the beetle will eventually kill most, if not all, ash trees in the Midwest. More than 95 counties in Iowa have confirmed infestations.
Pesticide treatments are available to help prevent EAB and save a tree; however, they can be costly over an extended period of time. The city is responsible for tree removal in rights-of-ways, while property owners must deal with trees on their own land.
• City lots to be sold
Empty lots in in the southeast part of town will hit the sale block soon.
The council unanimously agreed to sell four empty lots on East Wilson Street. Minimum bids will start at $250, with the bidding period set to end on Sept. 18 at 3 p.m.
"I think this is a good starting point," Thompson said. "It's quite a value [for the buyer]."
The city will seek advice from City Attorney Dennis Cmelik about when it can start legally accepting bids; however, City Clerk Kristi Fliss believed the process could begin once the official legal notice is published in the Aug. 31 Sentinel-News.
Bids will be accepted and posted at City Hall, with interested buyers able to submit higher bids based on other submissions. The legal notice will include language about covenant restrictions on the lots as well as information about the bidding process.
"I think people will scoop them up," said Thompson. "The lots may not get built on, but they'll no longer be on the city's books and they'll be on the tax rolls."
Council Member Shaun Iske had a similar opinion.
"There's a lot interest on those lots," he said.
Other city-owned lots on North Rumsey Street will be sold at a later date.
In other business, the council agreed to increase garbage and recycling rates effective Oct. 1 from $19.25 to $22.75. Customers will notice the change on their November bills.
Additionally, the council voted to install four stop signs at the intersection of East Third and Harrison streets. The goal is to slow traffic traveling east and west.
