Mayor's Corner

MAYOR'S CORNER January, 2012

Hi Everyone!
Happy New Year!

I've got just a few items that I want to let you know about that are going on here in Readlyn.
• The Council is in the process of reviewing all of the different departments, and their next years budget.
• We will be continuing with sump pump inspections to get every home up to the ordinance.
• I've made the staff appointments to each of the different committees for 2012.
• Did you know that our very own First Responder?s are soon going to be able to transport people?
• Did you know the Readlyn Fire Department is working to raise funds to replace the Dodge fire truck?
• Did you know the Readlyn Library would like to add additional staff help in order to serve our community better?

Some things that you can do to help keep Readlyn the nice, clean, friendly community that it is.....
• Please remember to move your vehicles off streets, after a snowfall, to allow us to do a good job of clearing snow.
Also, let's try to a better job of sorting cardboard at redemption center. If you don't help with this task, the city of Readlyn spends a lot of time doing this -otherwise keep up the good work - you are making a difference! If you have any questions or concerns please let me know. Thank-you - I want to try and do the best I can do for the city of Readlyn!

MAYOR'S CORNER December, 2011

Looking Back: This is my last Mayor’s Corner for the Chronicle and nearly the end of my last term as mayor of this fine community. After I was first elected, I started to write a “Mayor’s Corner” for the Library Newsletter. After several years doing that, we were greatly pleased to have an addition to the community with the Readlyn Chronicle, a monthly newspaper that is coordinated, edited and published solely by volunteerism. I, and I know a lot of you now reading this, cannot thank Charlie and Wilda Albrecht enough for their dedication and labor in putting this paper together. I also enjoy the paper electronically on the Readlyn website and hope that a lot of you are too. The many colored pictures really enhance the articles.

While in office, I had the opportunity of working with an excellent council. “Things” don’t happen without their support. We discussed matters without contention and made decisions that benefited all community residents. Sometimes over the last few years, I may have sounded like a “mother hen scolding her chicks” when the subject matter was either: recycling, sanitary sewer, or sump pump discharges. And, NO, I did not like to hear complaints or upset residents, but when you sign on for this office you know that comes with the territory. These are most likely the same challenges that the new administration will address in the future.

We (myself, the council, and YOU-the community) have accomplished a lot in the last eight years. This amazing small community donated approximately $140,000 to help get a bike trail to Readlyn from Denver. This project exceeded my expectations! I wish we could have completed it sooner, however, it is already being used much more than I had anticipated. With a REAP Grant and TIF funds, we completed a recreational trail through the town connecting both the City Park and the Ball Park. We have also given a facelift to the community by improving the park facilities and playground equipment. We built a new Gazebo-style shelter house with a much appreciated donation from the Readlyn Telephone Company. Other individual donations have helped aesthetically with new benches for resting and contemplating, or sitting and/or watching the kids play ball or use the playground equipment. A lot of volunteers worked many hours putting the playground equipment together. Now it is more pleasing to the eye, but more importantly, safer for the children.

We also completed Phase Two of the Park View Addition. We are having young families move into our community largely in part to our wonderful new elementary school and our parochial school, CLS. Having four churches within a one-mile radius is instrumental for many young families as well. These are all good signs for the future of Readlyn.

My wife and I will continue to be around Readlyn. We plan to try out the “snowbird” concept in the months ahead. I have enjoyed serving the residents of Readlyn and hope that all of you who supported me feel the satisfaction of a job well done. Readlyn already had the qualities we hoped for when we moved here 16 years ago, but as in any community or even our own homes, there is usually a desire or need in some way to make an improvement or enhancement. It has been very rewarding serving as Mayor of this wonderful community.

Have a wonderful and prosperous New Year and many, many years to come. And farewell to all!!!

MAYOR'S CORNER November, 2011

Sanitary Sewer: There are 30 to 40 residents to inspect as of this date. If you are one of these please contact Lois at city hall and arrange for an inspection. We have been doing this inspection to satisfy the DNR for the last 3 years. We have given all residents ample time to get their sump pumps and drainage discharges hooked properly. A lot of residents had to change their drainage systems to come in compliant with our city ordinance. I wish to thank everyone that has gone the extra mile to make their drainage system compliant with our city ordinance.

Recycling: The city council has extended our recycling agreement with the City of Tripoli and the City of Sumner. This is a five year extension with provision to further extend the agreement or with a cancelation clause in the agreement. We have worked well with both communities and we should look forward for renewing this relation with the newly elected Mayor’s of Readlyn and Tripoli. It is with this co-operation that our recycling efforts are benefited by all communities.

Street Signs: The new stop and yield signs have been installed. We will replace the street signs as necessary with new ones with reflective material on them. These will be budgeted items for the upcoming years.

City Water: I believed we have worked out the problems with the rusty water. In the month of December we will be doing some minor repairs and some sandblasting and painting at our water treatment building. We will replace the windows and perform some additional maintenance next year.

Electric: In the last couple of years we have had to make a number of upgrades to our electric services. Our supplier Butler REC is also passing along their rate increases after January 1st 2012. We must also invest in some maintenance upgrades to possibly help with reducing the frequency of our power outages and make other improvements. Our cost adjustment factor will likely go up in the upcoming months. Next year we must strongly consider an electric rate increase. I know nobody likes to hear those words. However the reality is that energy cost are going up.

Christmas Lights: The city council has approved the renewing of our Christmas light program again this year. Anyone in the community who displays at least 25 Christmas lights in December is qualified to receive a string of LED multi colored Christmas lights at city hall. My wife and I would like to extend a very Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year to all. My next and last Mayor’s Corner will not be until after the Christmas Holiday. Have a safe travel and happy holiday season.

MAYOR'S CORNER October, 2011

Sanitary Sewer: We have inspected almost 200 homes and businesses in Readlyn in the last 2 to 3 years for sump pump and perimeter drainage discharges. There are still some residents that have not scheduled an inspection who will be contacted about inspection requirements on their property. Those that were notified and have not scheduled an inspection will be charged for an inspection. The city ordinance stipulates a $50.00 charge for anyone refusing to have their property inspected. We will continue with the remaining homes and businesses until all are completed. Each home does not need to have a sump pump, however, if you do, it must be discharged properly into an approved drainage system or on your own property as specified by the city ordinance. We have a map at city hall that identifies all homes that have or do not have sump pumps. Some properties may incorrectly have the perimeter tile drain into the sanitary sewer system. We want to have all residents do their part and have their basements inspected, sump pumps or not!! This is a serious issue and there are no exceptions permitted. Again, call Lois @ 279-3411 and make an appointment.

Recycling: Some people are becoming somewhat lax in properly sorting the recyclable material. We continue to have cardboard boxes that are not broken down. Please help educate anyone that you can to assist in this recycling effort. The market for recycling materials has gone down lately, however, it remains a profitable and beneficial program especially when marketing our products with Tripoli and Sumner. We are working on an extension of our agreement with Tripoli and Sumner. Any changes must be agreed to by each respective city council. Again, thanks to everyone that recycles!!

Street Signs: We have received a grant to replace all stop and yield signs in the community. Barney and Jim will be replacing them in the near future, hopefully before the ground freezes or snow flies.

City Water: In the last month there have been periodic rust problems in our water. This all started when we performed our bi-annual cleaning of the water tower. Our complete water system has been flushed two or three times already and experts have been brought in to assist us in the problem solving. If you have any abnormal rusty water, please let city hall know. At no time was our water unsafe to drink. By the end of this week, it should be stabilized. This winter there will be additional maintenance in our pump house in that equipment will be repaired and some sandblasting and painting will be done.

Around Town: The city council has set the Halloween trick or treating time for Sunday October 29th between 4:00 to 6:00 pm. On another issue the alleys east of Main Street behind the fire station has been asphalted. Also the alley behind the library has been asphalted. We have acquired some additional parking for the library behind Dr Pratt office. We will maintain that parking with snow removal during the winter months. I would like to thank Dr Pratt for his generosity in letting the city use this additional space. The city has acquired the lot located at 138 East 3rd street. This lot is located to the rear of the city shop. It is a large corner lot that the city is advertising for sale. The condition of sale is printing on page __ of this paper. Additional posting for this sale are at the library and post office. If you would like a copy of the terms of the sale please contact Lois at city hall.

MAYOR'S CORNER September, 2011

Sanitary Sewer: Roughly, one hundred and forty homes have been inspected so far for the sump pump and perimeter drainage discharge. We must continue inspecting the remaining homes with completion of 1 November 2011. This was stated in our plan which has been submitted to the state. After October 15th there will be a charge to inspect any home that has not been inspected or scheduled to be inspected. There is also in the city ordinance a fifty dollar charge for anyone refusing to have their property inspected. This is a serious issue. Get your property inspected! Please schedule your property to have this inspection done ASAP. No exceptions permitted. Again call Lois @ 279-3411 and make an appointment.

Recycling: We have been working with the City of Tripoli and Sumner on this joint recycling program for over two years now. It has surpassed my personal expectations as to the benefits to this community. Usually government entities are strictly a cost of infrastructure only, without any cash returns. This program has succeeded beyond their hopes. We have reduced our landfill charges and also have been paid for our recyclable materials. A big thank you!!! to everyone that has made this program successful. We are in the process of renewing our agreement with Sumner and Tripoli. Minor change will be made and these changes will have to be agreed to by the city councils of all communities participating. .Again thanks to everyone that recycles!!

Street Signs: As everyone should know by now there are NO U-Turn signs are posted on every block on Main Street. This means that there is no u-turns permitted in the middle of any block where posted. However U-Turns are permitted at the intersections on Main Street. You should stop at the intersections prior to the completion of the u-turn. Please help to avoid any potential accidents due to these violations.

Water: We did clean our water tower approximately two weeks ago. Some people have noticed some additional rust in their water. I can assure you there is nothing wrong with the water and this is just the nature of this cleaning process. You may also have noticed some low pressure during this cleaning time. This is also a side effect of this cleaning process. We do this every two or three years. We have also flushed all the hydrants in the last week. By the time you read this article we have cleaned the water tower and all main water lines in the community. We will continue flushing our water lines twice a year as needed.

MAYOR'S CORNER August, 2011

Sanitary Sewer: Because of some by-pass events in the spring of this year, the DNR sent the City a notice to submit a written plan as to how we plan to avoid these situations in the future. Our engineering firm has sent them tentative plans that contain certain information and schedule when updates to our treatment facility could be implemented. Some of this information reaches out to 2015 for completion. We sent them only preliminary plans and schedules. We do not know at this time whether the state and local offices will accept them. In the mean time, we will continue with our inspections. If you have not already, please call Lois and make an appointment to get your sump pump and perimeter drainage inspected. Let’s volunteer to get these inspections completed as soon as possible because after the end of September, we will be sending individual letters to all property owners that have not had their sump pumps inspected. Due to the additional cost, there may be a fee associated with any inspections after that date. We have until the end of November to get all property inspected in Readlyn. Again call Lois @ 279-3411 and make an appointment.

Parks: As you have noticed, the train that was donated by the Jim Hagenow Family has been relocated to the city park. The family had it all reconditioned before it was relocated to its new site. Again, thanks to the Jim Hagenow Family.

Recycling: The EBRRA (East Bremer Regional Recycling Authority) quarterly meeting was held on the 20 of August in Sumner. The recycling market is pretty good at this time. Readlyn received a check for $3,500 for its share of the recyclable material during the last quarter. We cannot expect to receive this amount every quarter. The expenses were down and the recyclable material prices were up. We benefited on both ends during the last quarter with our recycling efforts. Just another reminder, please break down the cardboard boxes and place the recyclable material in their proper containers. Again thanks to everyone that recycles!!

Street Signs: As everyone should know by now there are NO U-Turn signs on every block on Main Street. It has become quite a problem recently. Please refrain from violating this ordinance. The violation of this ordinance may consist of a fine of $195. Also we have complaints about the double parking along Main Street. Please help to avoid any potential accidents due to these violations.

November Elections: This year is the local election cycle again. At the end of year I will have served eight years as Mayor of this City. It has been very rewarding to serve a community like Readlyn. I think we have accomplished a lot during this time, but it is time for a new face to “take the helm” in this office. Therefore, I will not run for re-election this year. There are a lot of challenges in the near future if we want this community to grow. My wife and I have never regretted the move to this area. Now we would like to travel and may become “snowbirds” during the winter.

MAYOR'S CORNER July, 2011

Sanitary Sewer: We are presently in the process of developing a waste water treatment plan for the DNR. Our engineers are continuing to work on gathering information that will satisfy them for future discharges of waste water. Part of the plan is to have the sump pump and the perimeter discharge of every house and business in Readlyn inspected. We have completed approximately 100 homes so far. In the next few months we are requesting that any resident or business that has not had an inspection completed to please make arrangements with city hall and get your property inspected. Other communities are having the same problems as we are. The community of Webster City is charging $27.00 to have each resident and business inspected. Failure to have their resident inspected for the sump pump discharge is a $100.00 fine. Let’s volunteer to get these inspections completed as soon as possible. Call Lois @ 279-3411 and make an appointment. If you have contacted the city before and we did not complete your inspection please make a scheduled appointment again as soon as possible. We have completed the visual inspection of all of our sewer lines and have made repairs on the major problems of water infiltration into these lines. We plan on doing some additional repairs as funds become available in the future. With all of these inspections completed we plan to eliminate the need to treat rain water in the future. This will reduce the size of a new facility, if needed and the operational cost of a new treatment facility in the future.

Parks: We have completed the replacement of the concrete floor in the small shelter house at the Ball Park. We will replace the wind protection around the shelter house as time permits. It may not get replaced until next spring. We will also replace the doors of the restroom. This should be completed by next month or mid September. In City Park, we have to tear down the large spiral slide due to the danger to children using it. Some kids have already been injured on it. It has served its purpose for 35 years. Thanks to the Jim Hagenow family, we will replace that equipment with the wooden train that was donated by them and removed when the new school was built.

Garden Club: As many of you noticed, the Readlyn Garden Club has planted five gardens throughout the Ball Park and City Park and the Readlyn sign location on the south edge of town. Give the Garden Club members a big thank you for their time and efforts in beautifying the community!!!!

Recreational Trail: As we all know, the recreational trail has been completed from Denver to Readlyn. We have definitely seen an increase in the number of bikers using the trail and are happy to see that it is being used. The County Engineers office has ordered some additional signage for the trail and installed guard rails at some of the large crossings. If anyone is interested in donating funds for a bench along the trail, please contact Andy Sexton at the Bank for additional information.

MAYOR'S CORNER June, 2011

Grump Days: Thanks to the Lord above for the beautiful weather we had during Grump Days. Also a big thanks to all the volunteers and sponsors that help put this event on. Some people may not realize how many hours of volunteer work are needed to put on such an event. We probably have one thousand to fifteen hundred volunteer man hours in the planning and work for just these three days. A ballpark estimate in the financial cost would be in the neighborhood four to five thousand dollars just for the entertainment and tents. It will also cost approximately six or seven thousand dollars for the fireworks. Without the sponsors of this event the Community Club could not put on the annual Grump Days. Thank those sponsors and volunteers for their time and financial support. Again thanks to all that helped. One more note: If you recycle your pop and beverage cans for the Grump Committee please makes sure these pop and beer cans are empty. The committee’s recycler has complained about the cans not being empty and cleaned. Do your part and make this entire recycling program great. Thank you, to the ones that care!

Sanitary Sewer: We have completed some of the major problems with our broken sewer lines. We must continue to address some additional areas around Malone Avenue at a later date. We are continuing to perform additional inspections of the perimeter drainage and sump pump discharges. We have completed inspection on approximately one third of the homes in town. If your property has not been inspected yet please call city hall and get an appointment made. It only takes approximately 10 minutes to complete this inspection. Call Lois at 279-3411 to set a date and time for your inspection. We have had more problems with our lift stations. The largest problem is with disposable rags, and swiffer cloths or any other similar type material flushed down the toilet stools. It cost five hundred to a thousand dollars to have a service call and repair these pumps. Please refrain from flushing any type of material down the stools that cannot decompose rapidly. Our engineering firm is continuing to work on a waste water plan. We plan to meet with our engineers on the 30th of June for review of the plan.

Recreational Trail: We have had a lot of positive comments on the new Grump Trail. Representatives of the trail committee meet with the Board of Supervisors to present some amenities and safety issues of the trail. If you can think of some improvements for the trail contact me, or any member of the trail committee. Also, if you would like to get involved with the trail group please come to the next meeting which will be posted soon.

MAYOR'S CORNER May, 2011

Sanitary Sewer: We have started to fix some of the problems we have with our sewer lines. We found 7 major problems that we are in the process of getting fixed immediately. We should complete the sewer repairs by the end of next week. We will be evaluating lining some sewer lines along Malone Avenue as well as some other lines in the city. This is very expensive, however, these lines will be repaired only when time and funds permit. We are continuing to perform additional inspections of the perimeter drainage and sump pump discharges. In the last few years, a lot of our residents have installed new sump pumps and are discharging properly. We have already noticed the difference in our treatment facility. A big thank you for your cooperation! Our plan is to complete 100 inspections by the 1st of July. If you have not set a date and time for your inspection, please call Lois to make arrangements. We had a very expensive month with our sanitary sewer costs. Some of the expenses can be avoided if you refrain from placing any items such as disposable diapers, sanitary napkins, Depends type products or rags into your toilet. These products cause blockages and unnecessary repairs to our pumps and equipment. Our engineering firm is continuing to work on a waste water plan. This plan is required to be completed prior to renewing our city license to discharge. We have been operating on extensions for some time. The DNR requires having a plan submitted for approval prior to renewing of the new license.

Lyme Disease: I, along with the city council, have proclaimed the month of May as Lime Disease Awareness Month. There have been articles in the last Readlyn Chronicle and Waverly papers about this terrible disease and how to prevent it. You will notice that the main street light poles have a green ribbon them. These have been put on the poles as a reminder of Lime Decease Awareness Month

Dogs and Cats: : We are getting numerous complaints about barking dogs during the day. If you are a dog owner, please respect your neighbor’s right not to hear these barking animals anytime. Also when walking your dogs, please pick up after them.

Walking on Streets: We are very fortunate to have a safe community for those who are walking for improved health. But we do have some areas that do not have sidewalks and people walk in the streets. Be especially vigilant about wearing reflective clothing/stickers when walking in any of these areas. Also, please have proper reflective stickers on bicycles when riding on the streets and trail. Be safe this summer, enjoy the beautiful weather, and get healthier at the same time.

City Water: We have replaced three fire hydrants and are in the process of repairing some leaks in the water valves around town. We have a lot of areas torn up but plan to be finishing these areas by leveling and seeding in the very near future.

Grump Days: Grump days is around the corner. June 18,19, and 20th with Sunday Church Services at the park. We will also have the Official Grand Opening of the Grump Trail from Denver.

MAYOR'S CORNER April, 2011

Recycling: We have been doing a good job in the recycling area. We have received a check from EBRRA in the amount of $1250 for the first year and half of recycling material. This is just our portion of the total material recycled by the agency. Very good job! We continue to need to do a better job in sorting the cardboard. The chipboard needs to be separated from the corrugated cardboard. We receive a better price for the corrugated material. The chipboard (cereal box type) material needs to be put in the containers inside the shed.

Sanitary Sewer: With the visioning portion of the sewer lines completed in the whole community we will be starting to fix some of the greater problems. You will notice that we will be repairing these problems in the months ahead. Some of the biggest problems are on the west side of town. We have completed with 68 inspections to date. We are planning to inspect another 50 of them in the next month or so. If your home is not properly plumed from the perimeter drainage to outside or connected to an approved storm water line I ask that you do this in the very near future.
We have another problem with our sanitary sewer system. There have been a number of residents that may have been flushing disposal rags or disposable sanitary napkins into our sewer system. This causes our lift station pumps to become damage and burned up. This is becoming very expensive for the city. Please refrain of disposing of this material in the toilets. We must watch what we flush down the toilets.
Our Engineering Firm is continuing to work on a waste Water plan. This plan is required to be completed prior to renewing our city license to discharge. We have been operating on extensions for some time. The DNR has required having a plan submitted for approval prior to renewing of the new license.

Spring: A reminder! The council has set the spring leaf burning time as April 1st through May 15th this year. Please, when you are burning your leaves make sure they are dry in order to reduce the smoke and be considerate of your neighbor when burning. Remember that the city maintains a place to get rid of your leaves and small limbs. If you dispose of your leaves at the city refuge area, make sure your do not have any plastic bags or other materials with this refuge.

Spring Clean up Days: The council has set the May 9, 10, and 11th as the 2011 spring clean ups days. Please have your material set out by 8:00 am on Wednesday the 11th of May. Please pick up forms and stickers at City Hall or call Lois @279-3411 for further information.

Lyme Disease: I, along with the other Mayor’s in the county am declaring the month of May as Lime Decease Awareness Month. Please read the article inside thi s paper for further information about Lime Decease.

Energy Competition: The city council has approved a competition for energy conservation with other Communities. This is sponsored by the Iowa Energy Policy Council and also by the Butler REC. The article in this paper is asking for volunteers from the community to participate. If you have some extra time, please volunteer for this program.

MAYOR'S CORNER March, 2011

Recycling: A reminder!!! Please note: Frosted containers (like milk jugs) that have the recycling triangle with the number 2 AND HDPE stamped on them are sorted and placed into the milk jug containers. Please make sure that this type of material is placed in the proper containers. We receive a substantial premium for this type of material. Also make sure that the sandwiched cardboard is put in the large green containers outside. Corrugated cardboard and milk jugs are the two premium materials based on value per ton.

Sanitary Sewer: We have completed with the cleaning and visioning the remaining sewer lines in the community. We could not get to one short line by the senior housing area at this time. If warranted, we will complete that small portion at a later date. We have found large amounts of sand and rocks in portions of the sewer lines around the upper part of Malone Avenue. When we receive the final report, we will be able to definitively evaluate the location where we have to perform some repair. Again, I must remind everyone that it is imperative that no one in the community have their sump pump or perimeter drainage tied into or discharged into our sanitary sewer system. If we are required to modify our treatment facility, we do not want to have it so large and costly to accommodate treatment of surface water. If everyone does their part we can minimize the expense to update our system. We will continue with additional inspections in the near future.

Spring: Spring is around the corner. The council has set the spring leaf burning time as April 1st through May 15th this year. Please, when you are burning your leaves make sure they are dry in order to reduce the smoke and be considerate of your neighbor when burning. Remember that the city maintains a place to get rid of your leaves and small limbs. If you dispose of your leaves at the city refuge area, make sure your do not have any plastic bags or other materials with this refuge.

Budget: With no objections, the council has approved the 2011-2012 city budgets. We plan on asphalting the alley behind the Library, we also plan to repair the restrooms at the ball park, and replace the concrete in the small shelter house at the ballpark. These will be completed after July 1st this year. We may also have to repair some sanitary sewer lines this year as well as next fiscal year. The DNR may want some updates performed with our waste water system. At this time nothing is definitive. We will do some minor repairs and crack filling on the streets this year. No other major repairs are anticipated in the next fiscal year.

2010 Census: The 2010 census have been published. The city of Readlyn is officially at 808 people. This is an increased of 22 people from the 2000 census report. With our new school and the bike trail completion I believe the community will continue to grow.

Herbert Clemen

Mayor, City of Readlyn

MAYOR'S CORNER Feburary, 2011

Recycling: We are continuing to have some residents who place cardboard boxes in the green containers without being broken down. Because the holidays created more than the usual amounts, in late December we had to make an extra trip to the recycling center in Sumner. If everyone had broken their containers down, we may have had sufficient room and not needed to make an extra trip. Please help in making this an extra clean and efficient recycling center. This joint cities’ recycling system with Tripoli, Sumner and Readlyn has been working well and we hope to continue that. Keep up the good work. Please note: Some frosted containers that have the recycling triangle with the number 2 are considered milk jugs when they are sorted and placed into the milk jug containers. They must also have the HDPE stamped on them. These may include some windshield wiper fluid containers along with some cat litter containers. We receive a premium for this material so place these containers into the milk jug pallet boxes.

Sanitary Sewer: The city maintenance employees and I went to a teleconference meeting in Manchester on Friday the 14th of January. Also attending were Shive-Hattery Engineering and Fox Engineering, whose specialty is waste treatment facilities. Also present were representatives from the State DNR. This meeting was part of the process to develop a license or permit to operate a waste treatment facility in the future. Our engineering representatives will develop a plan that is acceptable to the DNR. The next step for the engineering portion is for them to tell the city what needs to change to meet the present EPA and DNR requirements. The engineering firms will also estimate the cost to implement this plan. We have been working on extensions of our old permit for some time. I cannot emphasize enough to make sure that no one in the community can have their sump pump or perimeter drainage tied into or discharged into our sanitary sewer system. The DNR noted at this meeting that we had bypassed our treatment facility a lot last year. If we have to develop a plan to take care of the extra water when it rains or the sump pump discharges, it will get very expensive. We do not want to have to treat rain water.

City Electric Utility: This is another reminder that the electric rates for our city have gone up as of January 1st. You will notice this increase in the bill that you receive in late February. These changes will be made on the cost adjustment factor portion of your bill. The city passed along the increase to reflect the increase in the wholesale rates by Butler REC.

Snow Removal: As you all are aware, we have received a considerable amount of snow so far this season and will most likely have much more. As a reminder, we do have an ordinance that prohibits parking on streets at any time of the day when snow removal is being performed. Also, remember to clean your sidewalks for your safety and others.

Herbert Clemen

Mayor, City of Readlyn

MAYOR'S CORNER January, 2011

Herbert Clemen

Mayor, City of Readlyn

MAYOR'S CORNER December, 2010

Recycling: Christmas is around the corner. This usually generates a lot of recyclable material during this time. Please remember to separate the Styrofoam from the cardboard or other material when you recycle. The Styrofoam should be disposed in your own garbage containers and should not be brought to the recycle center. If you need to purchase additional garbage stickers they can be purchased at Kwick Star or City hall for $1.50 each. The pop can containers that are located at the recycling center have been very beneficial to the community club. These pop can containers are only for the nickel deposit cans and bottles. They are not to be used for any other material. Please continue to do your part in using this recycling center they whey it was intended. Overall the community has done a very good job in recycling this year. Let’s continue this dedication and recycle as good next year.

Recreational Trail: The construction of the recreation trail from Denver to Readlyn is completed. The last signs have been installed last week. It is opened to the public. There may be some cross country skiers’ using it this winter. A grand opening ceremony may be in the spring or during grump days next year. I would like to thanks everyone that has donated their time and money to this project.

Sanitary Sewer: We have completed the video tapping of the second phase of our sanitary sewer system. In this portion of town there have been no large broken areas that need immediate repairs. We will hopefully vision the remaining sewer lines next year. We do have to repair some lines in the east portion of town next year. We will be meeting with the state DNR personnel concerning sanitary sewer permit renewal and future sewer treatment needs.

City Electric Utility: The city has been informed by Butler REC that our electric cost will go up after January 1st next year. You will notice these increases on your utility bill that you receive in February next year. These changes will be made on the cost adjustment factor portion of your bill. A study will be made next year to evaluate our electric rate for the future.

Snow Removal: Remember the city does have a snow removal ordinance. All vehicles must be off the city streets when snow removal begins. The city maintenance personnel can remove this snow at anytime of the day or on weekends.

New Drinking Fountain: Bremer County Community Foundation has awarded the city a Grant to purchase and install a handicap drinking fountain. This drinking fountain has been installed adjacent to the concession stand in the ball park. Thanks to the Bremer County Community Foundation for this grant.

My wife and I would like to wish everyone a very Merry Christmas and a wonderful and prosperous New Year!!

Herbert Clemen

Mayor, City of Readlyn

MAYOR'S CORNER Noverber, 2010

Recycling: You have seen some changes around the recycling center in the last two months. The Community Club has completed the building at the recycling center and has transferred their decorations into the building. The only expense the city occurred was the cost of the electric installation. The volunteers of the community club donate their time to put up decorations in all seasons to make our community look better. The city has provided a place to store these decorations that is easily accessible. Again thanks to all the volunteers that helped erect this building. We also installed a fence to help buffer the lights when residents do their recycling at night. Some other changes have been made for better space utilization.

Recreational Trail: The construction of the recreation trail from Denver to Readlyn is virtually completed. Some work and signage may have to be completed along the way but the asphalt portion is completed. Hopefully by the time you read this article the trail will be opened for use.

Sanitary Sewer: We have completed the video tapping of the second phase of our sanitary sewer system. The contractor has not furnished us with a report of his findings our has not delivered the disc of their findings. I do expect them within 2 weeks.

City Park: The Contractor that had to replace the concrete sidewalk in the middle of the City Park has completed the replacement. The City did add rebar to this sidewalk to help the longevity and strength. They did put in a good sub base and 5” thick concrete this time. Hopefully, this will last a long time.

Herbert Clemen

Mayor, City of Readlyn