Iola City Council contracts Bleyl
IOLA - A newly elected alderman and two sitting aldermen were sworn-in at the Iola City Council meeting June 13.
Benjamin Landry took the Oath of Office for the first time, and Sammie Echols and Wayne Cadro were sworn-in for another term. Each of the candidates ran unopposed in the May 6 election.
Block Grant Update A resolution to hire Bleyl Engineering for the second round of the Community Development Block Grant Disaster Relief funding were discussed.
Iola Mayor, Christina Stover said two requests from engineers were received, Bleyl Engineering and Sean Berg and Pope Engineering. Stover said both engineering companies scored the same by the scoring committee, but the committee recommends Bleyl Engineering since they are also working on the Iola Waste Management Treatment Facility project. “We recommend Bleyl because they are already working on our sewer treatment facility and in a small town all of the work will tie together,” explained Stover. Funding for round two is approximately $202,000. James and Carter will complete engineering services for projects in the first round of funding that was approximately $50,000. Four new culverts on FM 244 between Dallas and Houston Street will close out the first round of projects. The project is projected to be completed over the summer.
Stover explained, with the second round of grants they are working to get Tx-DOT to approve a culvert under FM 244 and drainage on FM 39. If there are enough funds remaining, they may be used for street repairs. Stover has worked with another individual familiar with Iola roads to compile a list of roads needing the most attention. Stover said if anyone has recommendations or ideas there is still time to add to the list. “I would also like to add culverts in with road repairs,” said Stover.
Wastewater Treatment The water treatment plant project is in the middle of deciding where to run a sewer line along the railroad. Stover said there are easement discussions that have to be resolved with Iola ISD to negotiate how close the line will be to the school. The railroad wants the line further away from the train tracks.
Second year funding was secured for the wastewater treatment plant. If projections go according to plans, the WWTP will be complete by September 2026.
Emergency Management Council approved the Grimes County emergency plan which serves Iola and other jurisdictions within the county.
Grimes County Emergency Management Coordinator David Lilly discussed amendments to the emergency management plan. He discussed minor changes to reflect more common-sense wording and asked council to view the changes. An example was the singular use of fire chief, despite there being eight fire chiefs for the county. Lily said emergency management plans for Grimes County are revised every five years.
The next regular council meeting is Tuesday, July 11.