NNO street closures approved by council

The Red Oak City Council approved a request from the Red Oak Police Department for street closures at the regular council meeting April 19.

The closures were requested for the evening of Aug. 3, in conjunction with the department’s participation in the annual National Night Out Campaign, organized to foster Police/Fire/EMS and Community Partnerships. The event is a community-building campaign to strengthen the ties and camaraderie in neighborhoods to make communities a safer and better place to live.

“We are asking for City approval to hold this year’s event at Fountain Square Park. The committee received permission from the Park and Tree Board at its April 8 meeting. To accommodate this, we would like to have street closures at: Washington Avenue and 3rd street, Washington Avenue and 4th atreet, Hammond and 3rd atreet, Coolbaugh and 2nd Street, Coolbaugh and 5th street, Reed and 2nd street, and Reed and 4th streets, requested Red Oak Police Chief Justin Rhamy. “This is the same operational plan as in prior years, it includes the downtown square and one block off except for the 400 block of Reed Street will remain open and a north turn on 4th Street will be allowed.”

Rhamy added, the closures would allow the department to use the downtown to display emergency vehicles and to have areas for programs, presentations, and other activities that are in the organizational process currently.

ROPD community liaison/relations officer Brad Baker said the intent was to begin the downtown closures at 4:30 p.m.

“The department would begin notifying vehicle owners at 4 p.m. to move. The event is scheduled to run from 6 to 8 p.m., and the streets to reopen as soon as emergency vehicles are removed and any displays and events have been dismantled. Dependent upon the participation and ‘other’ events that are incorporated, we would estimate to be out of the area around 9 p.m.,” said Baker

Additionally, due to the street closures, the ROPD was requesting no parking in the area while the event is ongoing, and also requested the use of the empty lot at 3 rd and Reed Streets as a landing site for the Life Net helicopter.

The council approved the request from the Red Oak Police Department for National Night Out street closures, as presented.

The council also discussed a request from the Red Oak Chamber and Industry Association for street closures and other items pertaining to this year’s Junction Days event from June 24-27. Proposed street closures from the Chamber include:

• June 25 at 6 p.m. to June 27 at 6 a.m., Closure of Coolbaugh Street, between 1st and 3rd Street for both the Shady Tree BBQ Contest and the Junction Days Beverage Garden. Fencing would be set up Friday night.

• June 24 from 3 to 7 p.m.- Closure of 3rd Street, between Reed and Coolbaugh for a Show and Shine Car Show.

The following events were scheduled for June 26:

• 6 a.m. to 8 p.m., closure of 3rd Street, between Coolbaugh Street and Washington Avenue for possible expansion ofthe Shady Tree BBQ Contest; closure of 3rd Street to the alleyway may suffice.

• 6 a.m. to p.m., closure of Reed Street, between 2nd and 3rd Street for Junction Days inflatables.

• 6 a.m. to 6 p.m., street barricades needed at 3rd and Hammond Street. Both east and west traffic to be blocked. After the parade these will be moved to the south side of the intersection to 4th and Coolbaugh Street, and 4th and Reed Street for downtown Junction Days activities.

• 6 a.m. to 6 p.m., closure of 3rd Street, between Hammond and Reed Street for the downtown Junction Days activities.

For the grand parade scheduled for June 26:

• 8:30 a.m.: Parade Line-up- Parade entries will line up along N. 4th Street, north of Linden Street. Class floats will line up beginning at the intersection of North 3rd and Linden Street and will continue north to E. Cherry Street.

• 10:30 a.m.: The parade begins and will travel west on Linden Street to N. 3rd Street, south on North 3rd Street to East Coolbaugh Street, east on Coolbaugh to North 4th Street, then north on 4th and officially end at North 4th and East Hammond Street. Police barricades were also requested along the parade route.

The council approved the request for street closures from the ROCIA. Red Oak Mayor Bill Billings expressed his excitement that Junction Days would resume again this summer.

“I appreciate everything the ROCIA and their committees do. We wouldn’t be able to pull these events off if we did not have the volunteers and the commitment,” commented Billings.

The council also approved a final street closure request from the Bucksnort for closure of North 4th Street between East Washington Avenue and East Coolbaugh Street for a Bike Night from 4 to 9 p.m. on May 12, 4-9 pm and to continue on the second Wednesdays of the summer months for 2021.

The Red Oak Express

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

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