Waukon City Council approves employment agreement with new city manager, continues discussion with Kwik Trip, Inc. regarding purchase of city parking lot
by Joe Moses
The Waukon City Council met in regular session Monday, October 20 to address a full agenda of matters including the Resolution relating to the employment agreement with a new city manager, consideration of the Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) and Interim Street Superintendent Employment Agreement, and discussion relating to Kwik Trip/Kwik Star’s request to purchase the city’s parking lot south of its Rossville Road store.
The meeting was called to order by Mayor Arvid Hatlan with council members present including Steve Wiedner, Nicholas Engrav, Tim Smedsrud and John Lydon. Council member Dave Blocker attended the meeting via Zoom web-conferencing.
The meeting moved into Public Comment with CEO Michael Coyle of Veterans Memorial Hospital (VMH) discussing exterior improvements made possible through Waukon’s Facade Improvement Grant Program. Coyle thanked the council for approving VMH’s application with the exterior signage and tinted windows being improvements that have been recognized by patients and visitors, among others. Coyle described the resulting exterior improvements as being amazing and suggested that businesses that have not done so should consider applying for matching funds through this program to make facade improvements.
Coyle also noted that as of that same Monday, McLain Swauger has started as EMS Manager. He further shared that Swauger was previously from the Marshalltown and Des Moines area with his first day on the job in Waukon being very busy with several ambulance calls. Coyle discussed challenges relating to the recruitment of EMS professionals, with the EMS Manager position being vacant for over a year. He advised that VMH is fortunate to be fully staffed with paramedics and EMTs with the addition of Swauger in the EMS Manager role.
Coyle made note of the addition of providers including Dr. John Swords, who will begin seeing patients in November. Coyle advised that Psychiatric Mental Health Nurse Practitioners Janet Hunter and Angela Taylor have joined Psychiatric Mental Health Nurse Practitioner Tara Fink in providing services. He also made note of other recent additions including Nurse Practitioners Hannah Kelly and Mason Kerian.
Waukon resident Ann Fossum discussed concerns relating to grain truck and heavy equipment traffic near her home on West Street. Hatlan recommended that discussion of street signage and heavy equipment traffic be added to an upcoming agenda.
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