(Atlantic, Iowa) – The Atlantic City Council breezed through their scheduled session Wednesday evening. They approved several matters, including

• The Street Finance Report for Fiscal Year 2020-2021
• An Order to Approve the FY21 Urban Renewal Area Report
• The third and final reading of an Ordinance pertaining to the Fire Department and how volunteer personnel are appointed.
• An Order to Appoint Geoff Barrick to the Planning & Zoning Commission, for a term of five-years. Barrick replaces Rich Tupper, who is resigning from the seat on the Commission.
• The Council, Wednesday, passed a Resolution “Obligating funds from the Hotel Whitney Urban Renewal Area Revenue Fund for Appropriation to the Payment of Annual Appropriation Tax Increment Financed [TIF} obligations,” that are coming due in the next fiscal year.
• And they passed a Resolution “Providing for [the] Reduction of [the] Interest Rate on [the] Taxable Sewer Revenue Bond.” John Lund says the City received word a few weeks ago from its creditor on the Wastewater Treatment Plant project [the State Revolving Fund] that they were reducing the interest rate from 3-percent to 1.75-percent for the remainder of the loan, thereby saving the City $922,300 over the next 16 years. In June, 2011, the City issued debt for the WTP project for slightly more than $11.7-million.

In other business, the Atlantic City Council set their meeting on Nov. 17th as the date for a public hearing on the sale of City-Owned real estate at 901 Birch Street. A local person looking to start a “House-flipping” business is interested in purchase the dilapidated home and giving it renewed life before selling it. The interested party has proposed paying fair market value for property and investing a significant amount of money to properly restore the home. The individual’s credentials and presentation to the Personnel & Finance Committee, were impressive, according to John Lund.

In his report to the Council, Lund said a meeting was held last week with the City’s contracted Retail Coach, and that he’s “absolutely in love with their data base.” The information it revealed, among other things, who the people were from outside of Atlantic, who visited the most.

The day after Christmas and an extended period in late January are the lowest periods of visits from out-of-towners. Lund says the Retail Coach had some “good news and some great news” for Atlantic.

During the Council Committee reports, Councilman Pat McCurdy said beginning next year, the City’s refuse will be transported to a site in Glenwood. He credits Councilperson Kathy Somers for helping negotiate the arrangements with a local sanitation provider.

Earier this year, the Cass County Landfill had sought bids for hauling services as they convert from a landfill to a transfer station.