The Atlantic City Council is set to meet 5:30-p.m. Wednesday in their Chambers at City Hall. Among their action items, is the second reading of an Ordinance that would strip the Parks and Rec Department Board of its authority to hire, fire, discipline and otherwise manage City Employees in the Department. It would also essentially take away their authority to handle its budget expenditures. In both instances, those duties would be turned over to City Administrator John Lund.

Word of the Amended Ordinance didn’t reach the Parks Board until minutes before their meeting last month, which is something the Board was not happy with. The expressed their frustration during the Nov. 20th City Council meeting. Their chief complaint was the lack of communication from Lund, and having to read or hear about the proposed changes from the media.  The first reading of the Amended Ordinance was approved during that Nov. 20th meeting.

In other business the Atlantic City Council will consider approving an Order to approve an Engineering Work Order for Additional Bull Creek Engineering Services. The U.S. Army Corp of Engineers would allow the city to proceed with plans for dealing with erosion along the banks of the creek, once the studies are complete, but even when the studies are finished, obtaining a permit to assess the amount of work to be done will take time due to the backlog of permit requests. And, once the proposed improvements are given the green light, construction would not likely begin until the Spring, or possibly even the Fall, of 2021.

The Council will also, as a matter of formality and by Iowa Code, pass a Resolution approving the CY 2020 Budget for Atlantic Municipal Utilities (AMU). AMU is an entity of the City, but is governed by its own oversight Board, Atlantic’s Utility Board of Trustees. AMU General Manager and or Comptroller Jennifer Saathoff are usually on-hand to answer any questions the Council may have, prior to their action to approve the budget.