On March 10 during the regular city council meeting, the Eitzen City Council signed the paperwork transferring the Wiegrefe Senior Housing facility including the building and all assets from the Willard and Alpha Wiegrefe Foundation to the city.
The council also approved a new board to oversee the property. Board members include Jeff Adamson, Ethan Lapham, and Mitch Luttchens. The board will provide either quarterly or semi-annual reports to the city council.
Luttchens will handle the finances, Lapham will oversee the property management, and the snow removal and lawn care would be hired out. Luttchens emphasized that nothing will change.
Mayor Adamson said the transfer is “wonderful” for the community of the Eitzen. The council also plans to publicly recognize the members of the foundation for their work over the past 11 or 12 years.
Mayor Jeff Adamson called the meeting to order at 6 p.m. Council members Doug Meyer, Mitch Lange, Emily Burrichter, and Mitch Luttchens were present. City staff attending were City Clerk Steve Schuldt and City Maintenance Supervisor Darryl Meyer.
The council approved the minutes from the last regular city council meeting of February 17 and reviewed and approved the city’s financial statements. Schuldt explained that some balances appeared higher than usual because a $150,000 check from the fire department had been outstanding but has since cleared.
The mayor wanted to address one delinquent account, noting that the issue has been ongoing and that it feels like the city is “being taken advantage of.”
The proposed GSS, Inc. telecommunications and emergency service tower is still paused.
At last month’s city council meeting, the Eitzen Lions Club asked for funding from the city to construct a new ticket booth at the ball diamond. The project is estimated to cost between $50,000 and $60,000 for material and labor. The Lions Club currently has $10,000 for the project and the council committed to pay $20,000 toward the cost of materials.
They also asked the city to cover the cost initially, and the club will reimburse the balance, estimated at $30,000, with funds raised during this year’s Fourth of July celebration and future fundraisers over the next few years.
The mayor noted that the baseball schedule has expanded this summer, with games now planned three nights a week. The city will need to approve the plans first, and the new ticket booth will need to be completed before the July 4 celebration. Councilor Meyer made a motion to approve their request, which was seconded by Councilor Luttchens. The motion carried.
Council members were in agreement that the trash collection fees should be raised from $16 to $18.50.
The council also discussed what, if anything, the city should do for the 250th anniversary of the United States. The mayor said that the Lions Club plans to expand the town’s annual Fourth of July celebration with additional fireworks and more live music.
He also suggested placing banners around town and making sure the community is looking its best for the celebration.
A group of three including the mayor and the maintenance supervisor will conduct a walk-through of the community center and other areas of town to evaluate maintenance needs. They will look at the condition of the tennis courts, street striping, and other improvements before reporting back to the council.
The council unanimously approved paying the bills before adjourning the meeting at 6:39 p.m.
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