Fire chief retires; yard waste site moved

RED OAK — After nearly 30 years with the Red Oak Fire Department, Chief Rick Askey is retiring.

Askey delivered a letter to City Administrator Brad Wright Monday morning, indicating he intends to retire effective Jan. 29, 2012.

In the letter, Askey indicated he would be relocating to Indianola, where hi s wife has accepted a job.

Wright said the Council has been informed of the vacancy and will immediately begin a search for Askey’s replacement.

At last week’s council meeting, Wright informed the Council that Scott Wilson, owner of Green Tree Company, terminated his agreement with the City to provide a dump site for yard waste.

Wilson was being paid $500 to provide the temporary site during the City’s ongoing construction project at the wastewater treatment site.

However, in addition to the yard waste, too many people were dumping garbage and other unapproved items at the site.

“It got to the point where it was just too much and he was unwilling to do it any longer,” Wright said.

The Council agreed to re-open another temporary site on West Coolbaugh, just before the Nishnabotna River bridge.

Wright said that site will be open 24-hours a day through the month of November.

“Folks need some place to go with their fall leaves,” he said. “We just ask everyone to again just dump yard waste and remove all plastic bags as well.”

In the spring, Wright said the plan is to reopen the original yard waste site at the street department.