The City of Harlan will be conducting a traffic study for a mid-block signal at 19th Street and Chatburn Avenue. In a regular city council meeting Tuesday, the board approved the motion to the Iowa Department of Transportation to conduct the study. The motion had originally been brought to the table at a Public Safety Committee meeting on June 20th. City Administrator Terry Cox said the bad news is the study will take approximately 18 months from start to finish. Cox said the city is getting corporation from the Harlan Community School District during the traffic study.

“They are going to review for safety, to have a bus to pick up kids down there. Not to add a bus line but pick up kids. That is up to the school. I know they didn’t talk about it at their last board meeting but that is something talked about this summer. That is two school years because it is 18 months.”

In addition to the traffic study, the city council approved the installment a new 3M crosswalk markings at the mid-block signal at the same intersection, 19th and Chatburn. The council approved adding a 6 inch crosswalk tape along with milling so the tape isn’t affected by weather and adding 24 inch stop bars. The project will cost $5,632.50. Cox said the city is in contact with a company to add LED lights to the intersection on both sides and link those up to the stop light so when someone pushes the crosswalk they will flash to help get traffic stopped. Harlan Municipal Utilities already changed the actual stop lights to LED at the intersection.

In other business, the council approved a Resolution ordering bids for the 2013 Police Department Building Project. The city will open and review bids on July 16th at noon. The council will attempt to approve the building project at their next council meeting, Tuesday, July 16th. The city of Harlan will also replace the recently stolen city owned truck. The truck was stolen from the Wastewater Treatment Plant on Thursday. The new truck will cost $27,240. The city was expecting to finalize the sale today (Wednesday), pending insurance approval.

The city also received two checks totaling $1,650 from the local Girl Scouts Troop 417. The money raised will go towards playground equipment at J.C. Park. In one final item from the Harlan City Council meeting, the city is contact Habitat for Humanity to construct a lot on Hill Street. The property was given from Wells Fargo Bank to the City of Harlan and the organization will build a new home. Cox said the bank paid for the demolition and clean up of the house.

(Joel McCall/KNOD)