Council to dissolve steering committee, appoint new group

 RED OAK — After adopting the downtown master plan more than a year ago, the Red Oak City Council is working to dissolve the steering committee that compiled the plan. 

Red Oak Mayor Bill Billings said the committee has fulfilled its goals and no longer serves a purpose. 

“When we put any committee together, we have failed in the past to sunset those committees,” he said at last Monday’s Council meeting. “Once the downtown master steering plan was adopted by the City Council, functionally and feasibly, now that work needs to be done by the Chamber and Industry, property owners and the Downtown Urban Renewal (DUR) board.” 

Steering committee chair Jan Norris said a board is needed to follow through with the implementation of the master plan.  

“The City has invested a great deal of money into developing the master plan, and the steering committee feels it’s irresponsible for you to dissolve the steering committee without a vehicle in place for implementation of the various pieces that have been laid out,” Norris said.

Alley Poyner Macchietto Architect Daric O’Neal, who helped develop the master plan, echoed Norris, saying there are various components to the master plan that need to be represented my members of a committee to oversee the follow-through.   

“Dissolving the steering committee, yes, is what needs to happen, but there needs to be some thought done in putting the right pieces into place for implementation,” O’Neal said. “I don’t believe it will be successful the way the current DUR is structured or current Chamber and Industry is structured. There needs to be a little more connectivity between all of the groups.” 

Councilmember Larry Barnett agreed with Norris and Lester; he said he worried if another committee wasn’t in place to implement the plan, it wouldn’t get accomplished. 

The Council tabled the discussion last week, and Norris will bring back recommendations for a new committee after the steering committee’s May 21 meeting. 

The new committee will likely consist of representatives from the DUR board, Park and Tree Board, Council, Planning and Zoning Commission, Chamber and Industry Association and the Historic Preservation Commission. 

In other business, the Council accepted a $59,000 bid with Southwest Iowa Parking Lot Maintenance for the demolition of 517 and 519 N. 3rd St. and 212 E. Reed St. 

City Administrator Brad Wright said work is scheduled to begin May 20 and take two weeks. 

The Council also approved a $3,400 Junction Days Committee request to provide electricity at 2nd and Coolbaugh Street where the event’s beer garden will be held. 

Chamber and Industry Association Executive Director Paul Griffen said it would be a one-time fee and MidAmerican Energy would only charge for the power used, not the meter itself. 

In the future, Griffen said they would then have the option to transfer the services for half the cost to other locations, like Fountain Square Park when a new bandstand is in place.

The 2014 Junction Days event is scheduled for June 27-29.