During its Aug. 18 meeting, the Stanley City Council approved a temporary weekday closure of the north side of Fourth Avenue, near the D.R. Moon Memorial Library, to accommodate construction activities.
An official start date has not been set as Mayor Mike Henke noted, “We don’t have dates on this yet.” He added that the closure will only occur on weekdays so that traffic is not impacted on weekends, particularly for nearby churches.
“So, the weekend for church and everything will be fine,” Henke told the council. “Weekends will have everything back to normal.”
Henke estimated the closure could begin sometime in September, though it’s still not confirmed. The construction work involves precast concrete, and large equipment will be used in the area.
Alderperson Keith Samuelson asked, “Would it just be the days that they’re pouring concrete and have the crane there?”
Henke responded, “It will be while they are doing the precast.”
Alderperson Ben Wald inquired about how long the road would be closed, asking, “Are we talking we’re going to be closing it for a month? Or six months?”
Henke assured the board, “It will be done before the snow flies. If it didn’t rain it wouldn’t take long.”
Alderperson Mark Fitzsimmons clarified the closure area, stating it would run from the Library property line to Emery Street. Henke confirmed and added, “It won’t affect the residents.”
Alderperson Laurie Foster asked that signage and proper notification be put in place, and Henke confirmed that notifications would be sent to the school, ambulance, and fire department.
Samuelson also reminded the council that Our Savior’s Lutheran Church has its Harvest Dinner scheduled for Wednesday, Sept. 17.
“It’s on a Wednesday so it would be nice if that road was open for that,” he said.
Both Henke and Library Director Elizabeth Miniatt agreed with the request and said they would communicate with the contractor, Hoeft, to coordinate around the event.
D.R. Moon Memorial Library Director Elizabeth Miniatt informed the council of the upcoming library move as preparations begin to vacate its current building.
“Aug. 26 will be the last day in the current Library building,” Miniatt said.
The library will be closed for the remainder of that week as Next Step Moving assists with relocating materials and equipment. It will also be closed for Labor Day.
Starting Sept. 2, the library will temporarily operate out of the Stanley Fire Station while the new library facility is under construction.
“The Library will be offering Library service out of the Stanley Fire Station starting Sept. 2 ,” Miniatt told the Council.
The temporary hours at the fire station location will be:
• Monday: 8:00 a.m. – 12:00 p.m.
• Tuesday & Thursday: 10:00 a.m. – 2:00 p.m.
• Wednesday: 12:00 p.m. – 6:00 p.m.
The council approved the purchase of three portable radar signs, along with necessary hardware and a trailer, from Traffic Logix at a cost of $13,875 to be funded through the Stanley Police Department’s K9 Fund.
Police Chief Lance Weiland presented the request during a recent council meeting, noting that the signs are portable and can be moved to various locations around the city depending on need. The flexibility of the equipment is one of its key features.
“The possibilities really are endless wherever you want to put them,” Weiland said of the equipment’s mobility.
Weiland also clarified the source of funding, explaining that the money used is not from donations, but from services the department already provides.
“It’s revenue we generate from our vehicle inspections. It’s not like we’re taking it from donors,” he said. “We have plenty of money in that fund to support an expense like this and I think it will be beneficial, not only to the police department but to the community as well,” said Weiland.
With funding in place and approval from the council, the radar signs will soon be put into use to enhance traffic safety throughout the community.