1. As part of the federal American Rescue Plan, municipalities have been allocated funding that is to be utilized under a set of guidelines. The City of Reinbeck will receive a funding total of $242,312.47 through the program.

Cities can use ARP funds to:

Support public health expenditures

Address the negative economic impacts caused by the public health emergency

Replace lost public sector revenue

Provide premium pay for essential workers

Invest in water, sewer, and broadband infrastructure

Cities have until December 31, 2024, to obligate funds and until December 31, 2026, to spend funds.

At the regular meeting of the Reinbeck City Council on Sept. 7, the council approved American Rescue Plan funds in the amount of $121,156.24 to be deposited into the city’s Stormwater Fund.

The fund is scheduled to be used for a stormwater improvement project at Pioneer Road and Highway 175.

The project will install bigger box culverts near Pioneer Road to assist with stormwater flow. An estimated project budget is around $568,000, though the project has not gone out for bid yet.

The Iowa DOT has committed some funding assistance to aid in the project as it goes through part of their right-of-way on Highway 175.

The city hopes to see work begin on the project sometime in 2022.

The remaining funds still coming to the city through the American Rescue Plan will be distributed in May and will also go toward the Stormwater Fund.

2. The Reinbeck Memorial Building will have a new dishwasher installed in the near future. Memorial Building Commission Chair Joe Davis presented the council with a purchase bid from Wilson Restaurant Supply in the amount of $9,299.98 to purchase and install the dishwasher at the community facility.

In June the city completed a roof repair project on the Memorial Building with a cost of $74,870. Budgeted funds left over from the roof project will go to cover the cost of the dishwasher.

The council also took a suggestion from Davis to attempt to sell the old generator that was hooked up to the Memorial Building. An ad has been placed for the unit and it is now up for sale.

The next project on the horizon for the Reinbeck Memorial Building is to potentially remodel the bathrooms.

The city plans to investigate that project with an architect sometime soon though it may be a year or two before the facility could see it complete.

3. At their Sept. 7 meeting the Reinbeck Council appointed three individuals to city boards. Dianne Pippert was approved to join the Reinbeck Board of Adjustments to fill a vacancy that had existed for the past year. Her term will run through 2023. Other members include Jeff Charley (chair), Jim Lenius, Deb Wical and Jamie Eiffler.

The duties of the Board of Adjustments are to hear and decide all building permit appeals and applications requesting special exceptions as well as applications for variances outside the bounds provided in the Zoning Regulations Ordinance.

Adam Bentley and Dale Wambold were also approved to join the Reinbeck Community Development Board.

The board’s goals are to promote the general welfare of businesses, professional services, and community interests of the residents of Reinbeck and promote Reinbeck through improvements, development, promotion, and expansion.

4. A pair of street closure requests were approved by the Reinbeck City Council.

Marion Boyer’s requested downtown street closures on Sept. 18 for the Reinbeck Art Festival.

Streets closed will be Broad from Just My Style to PCI building, Main from Hudson Hardware to just before LSB’s drive through, and Blackhawk from Main to the end of the Country Closet store.

The requested streets will be closed from morning until late afternoon for the festival.

Dig Inn owner Ben Robertson requested to close Broad Street on Oct. 2 for a festival called Becktoberfest.

Broad Street will be closed from Main to the PCI building from approximately 10 a.m. to 10 p.m. on Saturday, Oct. 2.