City council holds final meeting of 2025, Goodchild ends 12 year tenure
Tuesday was both the final meeting of the Le Mars city council for 2025, and the final meeting that councilman Clark Goodchild took part in, ending his 12 year tenure on the council. Shortly after yesterday’s meeting concluded, Goodchild told KLEM that he feels good about his time on the council and of the future of the city.
Goodchild shared some concerns, but says he’s happy with what he’s leaving behind.
Goodchild’s at-large seat on the council will be filled by councilman-elect Derek Conyers on December 30th.
During yesterday’s meeting, the council went over several agenda items, including the approval of wage increases for city employees and personnel for the next fiscal year. The council approved a new two-year contract negotiated with the city employees’ bargaining unit, which will see a 3% increase in wages each year for employees. Negotiations over the increase went smoothly, according to city administrator Jason Vacura. A similar 3% increase for non-salaried police and fire-rescue personnel was approved by the council.
A services agreement with Eocene Environmental Group to conduct environmental testing on six commercial sites along Business Highway 75 was also approved, with funding coming from a $397,500 federal grant from the EPA.
The next meeting of the council will be held on January 6th, with a swearing-in ceremony for newly-elected officials to be held on December 30th at 11:30am inside the council’s chambers.
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Board of Supervisors hears funding requests from EMS Association, Mid Sioux Opportunity
The Plymouth County Board of Supervisors covered several agenda items during their last regularly-scheduled meeting of 2025. During the meeting, the Board heard from two organizations requesting funds from the county for the next fiscal year.
The Plymouth County EMS Association gave a presentation to the board and requested $121,350 for their operating expense fund. That figure represents a 5% increase from the past year’s $115,000 in county funding. John MacGregor, who gave the presentation, detailed the increased costs the organization has faced over the past year, citing the 10% increase in price since September of a LifePak defibrillator the county helped to pay for. The EMS Association also requested $25,000 for training, the same amount that was given this past year.
The Board also received a request from Mid Sioux Opportunity, a local non-profit helping low-income families throughout northwest Iowa. Executive director Cindy Harpenau gave an overview of the organization’s services and highlighted the 1,700 individuals in Plymouth County receiving services from Mid Sioux. The organization requested $19,000, the same amount that was given this past year.
During the meeting, the Board also approved new items for the county’s surplus online auction, and approved a liquor license for the Lazy H Campground in Akron. The Board will next meet after the new year.
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Feenstra expects response to attack in Syria on Iowa National Guard
The two Iowa National Guardsmen who were killed Saturday in Syria were both serving in a unit from Iowa’s 4th congressional district. Congressman Randy Feenstra says he is mourning their loss with the rest of Iowa.
Feenstra, who was in Sioux City Monday, says he will be returning to Washington and expects President Trump to respond to the attack on the American soldiers.
Feenstra expressed his hopes for a complete recovery for the three other Iowa soldiers injured in the attack.
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