Sheldon, Iowa — At Wednesday’s meeting the Sheldon City Council passed several important items, including resolutions concerning the 2.5 million dollars in General Obligation Notes that will eventually finance street improvements in the City.
The council also approved a paramedic training agreement with full-time SCAT Assistant Director, Training Officer and EMT/Paramedic Coordinator Krysten Haan. Haan is currently a Certified EMT and the agreement states that the City of Sheldon will pay for her Paramedic training at Western Iowa Tech in exchange for her agreement to remain as a full-time employee for at least two-years after that training is complete.
In other action, the council accepted the retirement notice from Police Department Administrative Assistant Elaine Boogerd. They also approved a new lease on the fourteen acres of land near Eastlawn Cemetery. Shane Kleinwolterink will have a four year lease on the land at $150 per acre per year.
The council also heard reports from Police Chief Scott Burtch who said that often people have complained that they have not seen much of the officers patrolling the streets. He noted Sheldon handles fifty percent of the calls for help in O’Brien County and that they are short-handed until a new officer is hired. He mentioned that most communities the size of Sheldon employ more officers than Sheldon. Chief Burtch also told the council that he would like for his department to have their own canine. He also mentioned that Sheldon officers are now working on two ‘big’ cases that are taking a lot of their time, saying, “People in Sheldon would be shocked to know some of the things going on in this town.”
Most of the Council’s other discussion was centered on the requests for keeping livestock animals in the city limits. The council recently voted to allow two residents to keep a few chickens, with some restrictions, and City Manager Sam Kooiker reported that he has received another request, this time for chickens and ducks. Kooiker said he feels that this should be a zoning issue and not a council issue. He plans to work with Planning and Zoning to prepare an ordinance to make that change. The city will also do some research on how other communities handle livestock within their city limits.
