Le Mars Community Education Association Delivers Contract Proposal To School Board
(Le Mars) — The Le Mars Community Education Association submitted its initial contract proposal to the Le Mars Community Board of Education Tuesday afternoon. The contract proposal spells out requests dealing with sick leave, other leaves of absence, and wages. Tracey Wingert serves as the chief negotiator for the Education Association and delivered a message before reading the specific requests.
Wingert then proceeded to read the specific requests for the new contract.
The faculty chief negotiator then discussed salary and wages with the board of education.
The final amount of money to be extended to the education association rests with the state legislature and the supplemental school aid. Wingert says it is time for the state legislature to step up and fund education at the levels it needs.
The Le Mars Community Board of Education will submit its initial counter contract proposal to the Education Association on January 16th at 5:00 p.m.
Remsen Chamber Honors Dick Sievers, Jeri A. Photography, And Beer City During Awards Banquet
(Remsen) — Last evening, the Remsen Chamber of Commerce held its annual banquet and awards program. The Remsen Chamber awarded Dick Sievers as its “Citizen of the Year.” Sievers is approaching 40 years as the director of the Mid-Sioux Opportunity agency based in Remsen. He is also a past city council member.
Taking home the award for the “Up and Coming Business” was Jeri A. Photography owned by Jeri A. Hofland. This year’s recipient of the “Business of the Year” was awarded to Beer City owned and operated by Doug Wurth. Wurth has converted what was only a bar into a restaurant that serves pizza and chicken and other grill food to go along with the bar. Wurth says “Beer City” has been in business since 1973, but he had acquired ownership in 1996.
Supervisors To Hear Housing Review Report From SIMPCO Official
(Le Mars) — The Plymouth County Board of Supervisors are scheduled to meet this morning at the County Courthouse Board Room. The county governing board will hear a report from Amanda Harper with SIMPCO, and she reviews the housing trust fund for fiscal year 2020 through 2021. County Recorder, JoLynn Goodchild is scheduled to submit her quarterly report to the supervisors. The supervisors will also hear a report from County Engineer Tom Rohe. The county governing board will review the 2020-2021 county budget.
City Council To Decide EMT Director And Schedule Budget Hearings
(Le Mars) — The Le Mars City Council will convene at 12:00 noon today at the city council chambers. The agenda includes naming the new Le Mars Ambulance Services Director. The council will also act on the water utility evaluation and management plan. They are expected to approve a well project engineering agreement, and act on the industrial sewer user ordinance. The city council will also announce the budget schedule, and they are expected to go into a closed session to discuss and negotiate a collective bargaining agreement with city employees.
City Water Crews Repair Two Water Main Breaks
(Le Mars) — City water officials had to repair, not one, but two separate water main breaks over the weekend. Rich Sudtelgte, the city water director, says both water main breaks occurred within 30 feet of each other, with the first main break reported Saturday evening at 1st Avenue Southwest and Plymouth Street.
Sudtelgte says the second water main break occurred a short time later in front of the American Legion hall.
Normally water main breaks are thought to happen when the temperatures reaches sub-zero levels, but Sudtelgte says this has happened to city water crews, once before.
The city water director says his crew didn’t notice the second break until they were repairing the first main break, and noticed water coming up through the street.
Sudtelgte says customers along Plymouth Street southwest from 1st Avenue to 3nd Avenue southwest, and from Plymouth Street to 1st Street south were all affected by the water main breaks. He says since city water crews were already summoned to repair the break, they also went ahead and conducted some repairs that were needed to a fire hydrant at Plymouth Street and 1st Avenue southwest.
Sudtelgte says on average a water main break may cost the city around $4,000 to $5,000 to repair. He doesn’t know the estimate for the repair costs for the weekend’s water main breaks, but believes it may run higher than an average repair bill. In 2019, the city of Le Mars had to repair 14 different water main breaks.
