Sheldon, Iowa — O’Brien County has a new EMA Director and he’s been very busy getting acquainted with the possibilities of better organization and communication among local EMA’s and facilities in the county.
Jared Johnson told the Sheldon City Council Wednesday that among other things he is developing a mass sheltering plan. This plan will make it easier to provide shelters when needed during an emergency. He said he has been going to all the EMA meetings in the county and will also be visiting city council meetings. He also noted that he and his wife have purchased a house in Sheldon.
In other business, the council approved granting easements requested by HTC Communications. These easements will allow the cable and telephone company to install new fiber optic cable to more residents in the eastern part of the city. The work will all be done on city property and will begin as soon as possible.
No comments were heard during a public hearing on the rezoning of the property between Highway 18 and Fourth Street in front of the Sheldon Community High School. This item will be brought back to the council to be acted on as an ordinance.
The council also heard a presentation from Justice For All. Joel De Witt and Vern Ten Napel of Rock Valley explained the work of the organization which began in 1979. They explained three areas in which they work. One of those is the Warehouse project where they store second hand goods for distribution to the needy. The second is the Serving and Learning project that organizes trips to help. And then, there’s the mentorship program. This program matches people with mentors who can help them improve their lives.
Justice For All works with partners all around the country with about thirty percent of their work done locally. They work with such agencies as Love INC, churches and the RTF. One of their new projects is a ‘spec house’ to be built in Sheldon’s Sunshine Addition. This will be the next in a series of similar projects as fund raisers. Ten Napel explained that this is a win/win situation. It will provide needed housing for the city and hopefully about one hundred thousand dollars for Justice for All. This will be made possible by local contractors and material vendors donating all or part of their services. It is expected that work will begin early next spring and will be finished within six months to a year.
And one more item of interest: Public Works Director Todd Uhl told the council that work will begin on Tenth Street this week to prepare for an asphalt overlay from Seventh Avenue to Washington Avenue. Uhl said it is expected that the paving will begin Monday morning. He cautions that people living on or traveling on Tenth Street can expect the temporary closing of parts of the street while the work is being done.
