Elkader Council talks campground fire wood, approves street closure request
By Willis Patenaude, Times-Register
The Elkader City Council discussed several items at its Nov. 9 meeting, including the issue of firewood at the campground and a street closure request by Moyna & Sons for next year’s Antique Caterpillar Machinery Owners Club (ACMOC) show.
Beginning with the first item, it appears part of the issue has to do with billing, donations and how the fire wood at the campground is being paid for, which became more of a matter back in 2005/2006 during the spike in gas prices.
At that time, the council decided the donations received should be used to offset the cost of the wood, which was and is still provided by Grau Logs and Lumber. After some initial setbacks and options being discussed for charging the campers, a firewood line item was added to registration, making it easier for campers to pay.
While the firewood is meant for use at the campground, there is growing concern that non-campers are taking the firewood. According to city administrator Jennifer Cowsert, there have been claims of taking wood without leaving a donation, pick-up trucks backing up to the pile removing firewood, presumably for personal use outside of the campground, and people simply taking it without ever having paid for it.
This has prompted several ideas on how to prevent this from happening, from locking it up and erecting a fence, to paying someone to sit and make the wood available to the campers.
The first solution was deemed impractical, the second was dismissed because the council “has not wanted to erect a fence,” and the last because it is not cost effective. Currently, the wood is being stored in a building near the campground to minimize the pickup truck thievery.
There is also confusion about whether any of this affects the taxpayer, with council member Daryl Koehn adamant that firewood removed without payment has an impact because that money is no longer there to cover the cost of the firewood, so it has to come from somewhere.
“I just have a problem spending the taxpayers’ money if we don’t know where it’s going,” Koehn said. Koehn also brought up how the city council has put off upgrades at the campground due to a lack of funds.
Council member Bob Hendrickson agreed with Koehn, that regardless of what is taking place, “we should not be charging the taxpayer.”
In an interview, Cowsert said, “If we do not generate enough donations to cover the cost of the firewood…typically never more than $3,500 a year…then I argue that the camping fees cover it, not tax money.”
Finally, there was some discussion about the billing for the firewood, an emphasis on increased accountability on the billing process and only receiving the amount of wood requested. However, when it comes to delivery, Cowsert mentioned that, due to processing, Grau might not always have the type of wood that is needed, and “they need the flexibility to be able to deliver when they have the wood we use,” which can result in Grau delivering more than requested.
Public Works Director Jason Scherf said of the entire ordeal, “It’s a pain in my neck.”
Another topic at the meeting concerned the controversial topic of street closures. The Antique Caterpillar Machinery Owners Club (ACMOC) show is scheduled to take place next year, Sept. 17-19, and is expected to draw between 3,000 to 5,000 people. Linda Moyna, representing Moyna & Sons, was seeking council approval for the event that will also serve as the 75th anniversary for Moyna & Sons, Inc. In addition, the request included approval for a Saturday night concert and fireworks.
Despite an issue that has prompted public forums and criticism, the council approved the street closure request, although they did so conditionally. According to council member Ed Josten, that means “council could withdraw approval if COVID concerns were an issue.”
With COVID-19 showing no signs of abating, it provides what council member Peggy Lane termed a “safety net.”
Regarding the conditional approval, Mayor Josh Pope commented, “Council has given [Moyna] warning that they could change their mind.” Moyna responded to the COVID-19 concern by stating, “We will follow all health guidelines that are issued at the time of the event [and] if a lockdown is in place, the event will be cancelled.”
The conditional element is also dependent on Moyna’s completing an as-of-yet-undetermined checklist, which the council is developing to provide a consistent set of criteria for future street closure requests. Lane expressly mentioned the checklist, arguing the council should “pursue the checklist that [was] discussed at previous street closure” sessions in an effort to “be consistent.”
Asked why the approval was granted without a checklist first being developed, approved and completed, Pope said, “I think the council thought it was important to show our support for this event that will be bringing thousands of people to town, and for an event that is being sponsored by a company that is such a big part of our town.”
A focus of the checklist would ask the business requesting the closure to discuss it with businesses that could be impacted.
“We don’t feel it is the city’s responsibility to make the public or other businesses know about the event—the event sponsor should do that. So, the checklist would formalize the process a little,” Pope said.
Moyna admitted there have been no discussions with businesses in the affected areas as of yet, but added her “goal is that by Dec. 1, 2020, [she] will personally visit with each business that will be affected.”
At the session, Hendrickson said, “I want them to be able to close the streets. They’ve done a lot for the community, and I want to be as supportive as possible,” but he did not reply to questions about the checklist or the conditional approval.
Meanwhile, Moyna expects the event to have a positive economic impact through attendance and promotion of Elkader. “It will be a huge community event [and] it should be fun,” she said.
