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EAGLE LAKE
Eagle Lake city council members approved a motion to set a new discount rate for Eagle Lake residents to rent the Eagle Lake Community center at their most recent meeting on Tuesday, Feb. 11.
The fee, which is normally $800 for any non-residents looking to use the center, was set at a 10% discount rate, or $80 cheaper, for Eagle Lake residents to rent out at for $720.
The new rate only includes the rental of the community center itself and does not include rental fees for the stage, sound system, kitchen or other amenities within the center.
Eagle Lake city manager Charles “Tink” Jackson said in comparison to other cities, Eagle Lake was charging only “60% to 65%” of what other cities were charging “based on square footage.”
The reasoning for such a stark difference in price according to Jackson was due to the principal agreement made with the Wintermann family to ensure rental costs are affordable for any Eagle Lake residents wanting to host events at the community center.
City council members also heard an update about the Rails to Trails project from Eagle Lake Chamber of Commerce member GayleLynn Thomas, who informed council members about work set to start on Tuesday, March 11.
The project, which began in 2018, is set to start up again with the first portion of the trail, about a mile in length, set to be worked on. The trail will go from behind the Exxon Mobile gas station on Main St. and the Historical Society through town and come out “where the railroad used to cross 3013.”
The action decided upon by council members was whether to allow the personnel working on the trail to camp out by the area, bringing their own pits and cooking, and to use the swimming pool changing building to take a shower.
“If you’ve been hacking bushes all day, even a cold shower is going to feel better than no shower at all,” said Thomas.
Council members approved the ordinance variance to article 1.09, “parks and recreation” to allow the crews to camp by the worksite while completing the first portion of the trail.
Additionally, council members discussed and acted on a proposed cost sharing agreement with Shuart Wintermann Trust and the Wintermann, Ada M. Trust for “future development at the Eagle Lake Regional Airport.”
According to Jackson, attorneys for the Wintermanns decided the proposed cost sharing agreement, based on the city’s personal ownership of 66.666%, was sufficient.
Jackson emphasizes that the next step in the process is to get surveying work conducted to finish the “ALP.”
“We know that the cost of the survey is $9,000 but we don’t know exactly what the cost of the appraisal is going to be yet,” said Jackson. “The appraisal is going to be $600 or $700 so I’ll just ask that you (the council) approve this at $9,000 for the survey and up to $2,500 for the appraisal, so we don’t have to wait for another meeting to make this move.”
Council members approved the suggested action. The next Eagle Lake City Council meeting will take place on Tuesday, March 11.
