Afton chooses Greenlawn mower

AFTON - A tumultuous period for Greenlawn Cemetery’s upkeep ended with Afton City Council choosing Kelly Klommhaus as a contracted mower for 2025.

Greenlawn Cemetery had previously received care from Klommhaus in an emergency request for Labor Day weekend. Afton chose to keep Klommhaus for the rest of the year, but would look for new bids in 2025.

During last week’s city council meeting on Feb. 11, Afton council, on recommendation from the cemetery board, approved Klommhaus’s offer of $35,000 out of five bids for 2025. Quality was the deciding factor, with councilmembers expressing satisfaction with Klommhaus’s previous work.

A dedicated groundskeeper for Greenlawn has not been in place since 2021, and maintenance of the cemetery has been through contract work ever since. Differences in the quality of maintenance, as well as assurances around whether or not planted peony flowerbeds will be maintained as a part of each bid, were consistent problems over previous sessions.

Klommhaus’s duties will involve mowing, spraying and maintaining the peonies at the end of the season.

In other Afton City Council news...

An update to the viability of speed signs to be placed on Grand Street was given, as well as an update to a proposed warning side for incoming emergency vehicles to be placed on Highway 34. Discussions over placement of the Grand Street speed signs were held.

Both of these signs can be funded through grants, such as a Southern Central Iowa Community Foundation grant. Additional options will be researched and presented during a future meeting.

Discussions around wages for city employees in the budget for the next fiscal year was discussed. City Clerk Kayla Lacina requested a higher percentage raise, alongside the standard quality of life adjustment, to align herself with how raises have been granted to other city employees.

Afton council moved to give a 3% increase to Utility Clerk Crystal Thomas, a 4% increase to City Maintenance Head Jesse Shade and a 8% increase to Lacina.

Two resolutions were approved. A correction toward last month’s resolution to appoint a member of Afton to SIRHA was made. The resolution requires an individual to be named, but none was appointed during January’s meeting. Gary Clear was named as the appointee to SIRHA.

A resolution to participate in the planning and development programs of SICOG was also approved during last week’s meeting.

Council received additional materials to help decide playground equipment the city might be interested in purchasing. To help navigate options, the city council moved to form a playground committee. The committee will analyze available equipment and make recommendations to the council.

Afton council had planned to accept bids for tree trimming during the meeting. No bids were offered to the city. The item was tabled and will be discussed during March’s regular meeting, also giving time for additional bids to be offered.

Councilmember Steve Kinyon attended last week’s meeting by telephone.