Guthrie Center City Council hears request to display veteran banners
By Rich Wicks | Times Vedette
During the Jan. 27 meeting of the Guthrie Center City Council, Steve Smith and Lyndsay Gilland, on behalf of Main Street Guthrie Center, asked the council to consider displaying banners on city light poles to honor local veterans. Each such banner would display one veteran, and the banners would be displayed in a rotation so that all interested veterans would eventually be shown.
Smith explained that Gilland had witnessed another city in Iowa that has done this, and they are investigating whether this could be done in Guthrie Center. To help avoid weather damage, the plan would be for the banners to be displayed only half the year.
“They would go up Memorial Day, and they would come down Veterans Day, every year,” Gilland said.
Smith added that if this program were to be implemented, he suggests having somewhere indoors where banners would be displayed while they are awaiting their turn to be displayed on street light poles.
The council consensus was that the city is interested in looking further into this possibility.
Dorinda Wehde from New Opportunities addressed the council to ask them to proclaim March 2025 as Problem Gambling Awareness Month. The council voted to approve this request, and Mayor Mike Herbert will sign a proclamation to that effect.
Doctor Steven Bascom and Jerri Hawkins provided an annual report on the MJB public library.
The council discussed a request from Panora EMS. Ambulance call data has been analyzed, and Panora EMS sent a request to Guthrie Center to increase annual funding to $50,000 per year, per a 28E agreement, to account for usage. Council members agreed this is reasonable and approved the payment in 12 monthly installments.
The council approved purchasing a furnace for the fire hall, since the existing furnace is more than 20 years old. Three bids had been received, and the council approved the bid of $10,450.05 from Doug’s Plumbing and Heating. Chuck Cleveland and Garold Thomas abstained from voting.
The council discussed the possibility of lowering speed limits on Bluff Street and School Street to 25 mph. There was also discussion of installing a sign on Highway 25 on the northern edge of the city, letting traffic know of a school stop sign. No formal action was taken on these suggestions, but the next meeting agenda will include these items.
The next regular meeting will be Monday, Feb. 10 at 6:30 p.m. The public is welcome.
