Monona Council approves annexation of property for Casey’s General Store
By Audrey Posten, North Iowa Times Editor
At its May 16 regular meeting, the Monona Council approved the annexation of 1.4 acres of commercial property adjacent to South Main Street/Falcon Drive, next to Birdnow Chevrolet, for the site of a Casey’s General Store.
Casey’s voluntarily requested that the city annex the property, which was purchased from Birdnow and is currently zoned as a C-1 highway commercial district in Clayton County.
With the council’s approval, said city administrator Dan Canton, the paperwork will go on to the county recorder, utility providers and the Iowa Secretary of State, who will make the final approval.
The council also approved a resolution authorizing Casey’s to connect to the city’s sanitary sewer system and water system.
Canton said the Monona Planning and Zoning Commission will hold a public hearing at city hall on Tuesday, May 24, beginning at 6 p.m., to discuss the zoning possibilities for the Casey’s property. The commission will then make a recommendation to the council, who will make the final decision.
“[Monona] is a nice community, and we look forward to getting the site built in town,” stated Casey’s representative Bryce Loring, who spoke briefly at the meeting. “This is the first step to that.”
Loring said, once the annexation is officially approved and the proper permits have been obtained, it will likely take one month to secure a general contractor. Construction will then take four to six months, he noted.
He said the company hopes to begin construction this year, stating, “The sooner, the better.”
Vacant council seat
Canton informed the council that no one applied to fill the council seat vacated by the resignation of Jason Schubert in April. As a result, the city has until Monday, June 6, the date of its next regular meeting, to appoint someone.
Gullickson retiring
The council acknowledged the resignation of deputy city clerk Linda Gullickson. She plans to retire in September.
Street supervisor
Randy Evanson will now be the city’s official street supervisor after the council appointed him to be in charge of street maintenance and to be supervisor of the city water distribution and wastewater collection system.
Until this past July, when the city updated its contract with PeopleService, PeopleService was responsible for all water aspects.
Now, said mayor Barb Collins, “PeopleService is in charge of the water tower and water treatment, but once it leaves those places, it’s the city’s responsibility.” Thus, it facilitated the need for a certified city worker to handle those duties, as well as become a main point of contact for the city and the DNR.
In addition to his water duties, Evanson will also be the main contact for any street issues. Duties were previously decided by several people.
With the new responsibilities, Evanson requested a raise of $1 per hour. Several council members were wary of granting the request, feeling Evanson would not be doing any more work than he’s been doing. However, the raise and the job title of street supervisor were unanimously approved.
