Council approves budget for annual RO fireworks display

Nick Johansen
The Red Oak Express

The Red Oak City Council has finalized a budget for its July 4 fireworks display.
Red Oak Fire Chief John Bruce said he’d recently met with Red Oak City Clerk Christie Vanderholm to discuss the city’s fireworks budget, which was less than the amount of last year’s display.
“At the end of the day, the budget amount was $6,000. The show last year was around $8,000. There’s been about a 7% increase. The company that puts together the fireworks show, J & M Displays out of Yarmouth, builds the show over the dollar amount. We need to know what that dollar amount is so I can get it to J & M and they can build it,” said Bruce.
Part of the reason for the early discussion, Bruce said, was to make sure the show would be locked in for July 4.
“We pushed very hard to have it on July 4, and we spent a lot of years to get it to there. I don’t want to miss any of the deadlines for them to be able to put the stuff together for us. Factoring in the 7% increase, you’d need about $8,600 to have a show equal to the one in 2022,” stated Bruce.
Bruce said the show lasted around 10 minutes, and was operated by people that lived locally.
“We have some J & M individuals in the area that shoot it; that’s how we were able to get it for the Fourth of July. We just need to determine how much we’re going to spend on it,” commented Bruce.
While the show was only budgeted for $6,000, Councilperson Jeanice Lester felt the show was a community service, and she would not be opposed to providing additional funding for the show.
Councilperson Pete Wemhoff proposed $9,000 in funding. The council unanimously approved the amount.
The council also held the third reading of an ordinance granting to MidAmerican Energy Company, its successors and assigns, the right and non-exclusive franchise to acquire, construct, erect, maintain, and operate in the City of Red Oak, a natural gas system and to furnish and sell natural gas to the city and its inhabitants and authorizing the city to collect franchise fees for a period of 25 years. The third reading was approved.
The council then held the third and final reading of an ordinance granting MidAmerican Energy Company, its successors and assigns, the right and non-exclusive franchise to acquire, construct, erect, maintain, and operate in the city of Red Oak, an electric system, and communications facilities and to furnish and sell electric energy to the City and its inhabitants and authorizing the city to collect franchise fees for a period of 25 years. The third reading was approved.
Lester advised the public that the ordinances were approved with a 0% franchise fee rate. Further discussions on franchise fees are expected at a later council meeting.
In other business, the council:
• Approved a request from the Family Vision Center at 514 N. 4th St. to block off two parking spaces in front of the business from 2 to 6 p.m. June 16 for an open house.
• Approved setting the salary of city employee Bruce Gruber at $15.14 per hour.
•Approved the renewal of a Class E retail alcohol license for Casey’s General Store # 1496 and #1728.

The Red Oak Express

2012 Commerce Drive
P.O. Box 377
Red Oak, IA 51566
Phone: 712-623-2566 Fax: 712-623-2568

Comment Here