McGregor Council donates to Mar-Mac Rescue Squad
By Audrey Posten, North Iowa Times Editor
At its Sept. 21 meeting, the McGregor Council approved a donation of $1,045.88 to the Mar-Mac Rescue Squad for the purchase of new CPR mannequins.
The mannequins will be used for EMT training as well as in the CPR classes offered annually by the rescue squad.
The funds contributed by the city cover half the cost of the training equipment. The other half of the funding was provided by the city of Marquette.
Temporary use permit
The council granted a temporary use permit to Steve Funk, with Steve’s Silver Dollar, for the smoking area and trash receptacle enclosure in the small parking lot on the east side of the building. Fees will include a $225 one-time fee for attorney fees, administrative time and recording fees; an annual fee of $100 and pro-rated first-year fee of $75.
The agreement, which the city previously had with Crazy Carl’s Silver Dollar Saloon, had language that made the side door the main entrance, while the front entrance was to be used as an emergency exit, in an effort to limit loud music coming from the building and smoking in the front of the building.
The council debated whether to leave this stipulation in, with council members Rogeta Halvorson and Jason Echard advocating for it in order to curb the loud music and smoking.
Councilman Joe Muehlbauer disagreed, stating the condition was not enforceable. Councilwoman Janet Hallberg also disagreed, saying it could be detrimental to a new business.
“We’ve got a guy opening a business, and we need businesses. It’s a hindrance,” she said, adding that she felt the new bar would not attract the same clientele.
Halvorson, Echard and Charlie Carroll voted in favor of issuing the permit with the same language, while Muehlbauer and Hallberg voted “no.”
“We’ll see how it goes,” said mayor Harold Brooks. “He can come and ask for a change.”
Deer hunt
The council, which had previously considered holding a bow deer hunt in the city, agreed not to proceed with the idea this year, as Pikes Peak State Park has not committed to re-establishing a managed hunt on their property.
If state property within the city limits could not be included in the hunt, it would be a waste of time, said Brooks.
“The best bet is to have the DNR involved,” he noted.
Turner Park
Hallberg, who’s also a member of the Turner Park: Fitness for All Ages improvement project, updated the council on some upcoming park fundraisers. She said a chili cook-off, held for the first time last fall, will be held again this year, on the evening of Saturday, Nov. 12, at the Methodist church. A tour of homes, featuring six McGregor houses, will also be held Saturday afternoon, Dec. 3, during the annual Festival of Trees. Proceeds raised from these activities will go toward construction of a splash pad, which is the final phase of park improvements.