Afton council organizes for 2025

AFTON - With the calls of auld lang syne over and 2025 in session, the Afton City Council met on Tuesday for the first meeting of 2025, enacting multiple routine resolutions to set details for how the city government will function for the year.

Meetings for Afton City Council will continue to be held at 6:30 p.m. on the second Tuesday of each month at Afton City Hall. Each council member will be paid $35 for each council meeting they attend, as well as any meetings where they are appointed as representatives of the council.

Salaries for city employees were set. City Clerk Kayla Lacina and police officer Jake McGuire were given annual salary rates of $49,940.80 and $58,181.76, respectively. Maintenance/Sewer head Jesse Shade and Utility Clerk Crystal Thomas were given hourly rates of $26 and $18, respectively. City employees will also be given a designated holiday the day after Christmas.

Afton will continue with Employers Mutual Casualty Company/Employers Mutual Companies for the requirement to provide a surety bond or blank position bond running to the city covering city employees. The Landers Agency in Afton will continue as the local insurance representative for Hometown Insurance.

Meggen L. Weeks of Meggen L. Weeks, P.L.C. law firm was appointed to represent Afton as city attorney. Mason T. McCoy of Reynoldson, Van Werden & McCoy, LLP was hired as co-counsel. Both were set an hourly fee of compensation for $220 an hour.

The city council adopted the 2024 Union County Hazard Mitigation Plan, which guides a city to better protect the people and property from the effects of hazard events.

A public hearing was scheduled for 6:30 p.m. on March 25 at City Hall for a public review of the fiscal year 2026 proposed property tax.

The Afton Star Enterprise were designated as the official newspaper for the city of Afton for notification of public sessions and meetings.

No changes to board representatives were given by Mayor Michelle Burger.

In other Afton City Council news...

Mowing bids for Greenlawn Cemetery are due Feb. 3. The 20-acre cemetery will need to be mowed weekly, as well as have weedeater sprayed around monuments bi-weekly. A questionnaire is required for each bid and is available online at www.aftoniowa.com or at City Hall.

A discussion of installing a radar speed sign on Grand Street was held. The street is notable for being one of the main routes to East Union Schools. A notable stretch of the road dips in elevation, which was noted by the council to causes cars to speed if drivers aren’t aware. A suggestion was made to place a radar speed sign on the road, similar to ones placed on North Douglas Street and East Fillmore Street. No action was made.

Side Tracked LLC was given approval for a 1-day alcohol permit pending the completion of required paperwork for their banquet being held at the Union County Fairgrounds on Feb. 1.

Thomas was approved to attend the IAMU Energy Conference in Ankeny from Feb. 18-20.