Afton reserves parking for volunteer fire department

AFTON - In an effort to show appreciation to the hardworking volunteers which comprise the Afton Volunteer Fire Department, as well as make their work easier, the city of Afton is looking to designate five parking spots to the department building reserved for volunteer firefighters.

Council member Steve Kinyon brought the issue to Tuesday’s regular council meeting after hearing requests from the fire department, and offered praise for the volunteers who give their time to stopping emergencies quickly.

“I truly believe this with all my heart,” he said, “We have the best volunteer fire department in the world. They are great. They saved my house... they saved a lot of people.”

These five parking spots will allow for volunteer firefighters to quickly assemble and attend to emergencies. While the council admitted the five parking spots are rarely used by anyone other than the fire department, large events in the park often lead to those spots being taken. This leads to a scenario where firefighters have to search elsewhere for parking, delaying emergency care.

Signs will be placed on these parking spots signifying the reservation. An idea to paint the parking lines red was also proposed. Penalties for those violating the reservation will be handled case-by-case, with the option to create an ordinance available if repeated situations occur.

Kinyon also proposed the addition of street signs along Highway 169 to signify where the fire department is located to help alleviate confusion when the department leaves for emergency calls. Approval from the Department of Transportation would need to be received before any changes.

To replace those five parking spots, the city of Afton could convert a nearby field owned by the city on the corner of Kansas Street and Dodge Street into a gravel parking lot. The field is used in the winter as a pileup zone for snow, which could make the job of maintenance more difficult. More discussion will be held during next month’s meeting.

In other Afton council news...

Following updates on nuisance properties in the community, the council had a discussion on how they should be notified when notices are sent to nuisance properties. Afton’s sole police officer Jake McGuire explained his process and the difference between red tags and certified letters.

Red tags are attached to the front door of a property and give mild notice to property owners for infractions. Certified letters gives the property the specific ordinance they are violating and 10 days to solve the issue.

Some members of council wished for any property which received certified letter to be communicated to the council, with copies of the certified letter being given to the council. McGuire agreed to include copies of all certified letters in his binder of reports, which would be available to the council for viewing.

An update on the search for new playground equipment was given, with stalling occurring from the proposed budget of $50,000. Conversations with playground companies said the budget wouldn’t provide substantial updates to the equipment.

City Clerk Kayla Lacina described one conversation, saying one company had told them “if [the city] was only going to spend $50,000, then we would get exactly what we have.”

Any tall structure near the playground on the Afton square would need to be removed before further construction, notably two trees in the park. Concepts for equipment design included discussion of ziplines and wood chips. The council was interested in other parks in local areas, including Winterset, Corning and Creston Schools.

Initial planning for Afton’s application to the Iowa Tree Planting Grant was discussed, including discussions on how the city would use the minimum of $10,000 for planting trees. The grant is a two-year grant to increase access to tree cover in community areas.

The council gave early ideas for which trees to use in order to decrease the need for maintenance. A few areas which were mentioned as ideas include the rec field, the walking trail and Greenlawn Cemetery.

Representatives from the Afton Development Corporation attended the meeting and requested funding for various projects, including building a shelter near Lake Afton. Funding for a previous project of interpretive signs for the lake walking trail was missing from minutes of a previous meeting. The council assured this would be corrected, and the funds would be available.

Afton Council accepted the results of a final audit for the fiscal year 2024. The council noted the recommendation to hire more employees in handling the city’s finances, but held the opinion additional personnel was not financially feasible.

A public hearing for the sale of 404 W. Polk St. by the city was held, with no comments presented to the council. Following the hearing, the council approved a resolution to sell the property for $5,000 to Zach Huddleson.

Council approved the appointment of Caitlyn Cox to the rec board based on the board’s recommendation.