The Stanhope City Council this week passed and adopted the ordinance for new rates and charges for the municipal water service,sanitary sewer rates and solid waste charges.The new ordinance will go into effect with the July billing period.

At a recent meeting the Iowa Department of Transportation has placed signage to improve pedestrian safety. Stanhope Mayor Harold Hove and the council reviewed the results of a D.O.T. speed study completed on May 9. The study reviewed traffic on Highway 17 in Stanhope at six different location points. It showed an average of 14& over the pace period, 74 percent were within the pace speed and 10 percent under the pace period. The Ellsworth Jewell Stanhope Police Department has drastically stepped up enforcement and routinely writes between four to five citations per day for speeding. The council learned that there are plans to bring back the speed trailer to monitor traffic speeds in Stanhope.City Clerk Ron McKenzie was directed to continue to communicate with the Iowa Department of Transportation to see what options there are to continue to try to slow down the speed of traffic on highway 17 through the community.

In public work issues, the Stanhope City Council reported that Bill Kahl of Kahl Construction has filed a certificate of insurance with the city and will come to Stanhope to look at the elevations and look at options to improve drainage in the south side of the  800 block of Iowa Street  and to the rear of the 500 block of Kepler Street. Fort Dodge Asphalt will be completing street crack sealing within the next several weeks. Stanhope Public Works director Tad Supp informed the council that he is looking at a firm or a professional to try to find the leakage of water that has been undetected for several months. The council gave its support for this matter.

Stanhope City Clerk Ron McKenzie reported that Cornwell, Frideres, Maher and Associates, P.L.C. of Fort Dodge will complete an audit for the one year period ending June 30. The audit will be completed by December,2012.

The council also voted to approve the purchase of a used Dyna Fog Typhoon Mosquito Sprayer from Dale Fisher Investments for $4,000 and to authorize the engagement of a certified operator at a rate of $15.00 per hour until such time as Public Works Superintendent Tad Stupp can obtain the necessary license.

Residents of Stanhope are reminded that the annual clean up day is set for Saturday,May 19 from 8:00 until 11:00 A.M. Stanhope city staff will be available to help with residents. Approval was given for Karl Curtis to obtain discarded clothes washers, dryers and ranges for salvage purposes.

The council also authorized the engagement of Steve Meyer Consulting of Garrison,Iowa to prepare an Assistance to Firefighters Grant for a replacement fire truck in an amount not to exceed the sum of $1,000 and to authorize the submission of an  Enhance Hamilton County Foundation Grant completed by the City Clerk on behalf of the Stanhope Volunteer Fire Department for exterior siding, furnace replacement and overhead door repairs.

Little Wall Lake Park south of Jewell will be the location of this Tuesday's meeting of the Hamilton County Conservation Board beginning at 6:30 p.m. The board will discuss the construction of the new cabin facilities at Briggs Woods Park, work on the Little Wall Lake campground and boat house and a marketing update for Briggs Woods Golf Course. Director Brian Lammers will present his report to the board at Tuesday's meeting.

The next meeting for the Webster City City Council is set for Monday evening at 7:00 in the council chambers. The council will consider a resolution on a loan agreement.approving a bond purchasing agreement and providing for the issuance and securing the payment of $3,200,000 in Water Revenue Bonds. There will be the second reading on the proposed ordinance establishing a Micro-Enterprise Loan Program. The first reading on a proposed ordinance  pertaining to the creation of the Wilson Brewer Historic Park Committee will be held. In other matters, the council will conduct the first reading on proposed ordinances for water system and sewer rental rates. Two public hearings will be on Monday's council agenda. The first hearing at 7:15 is to amend the city budget for the 2011-12. The second hearing is to approve a development agreement with First State Bank to authorize tax increment payments in an amount not to exceed $150,000.

Three public hearings pertaining to the Jordan Well project will be set for July 2nd at this Monday's council meeting. The first hearing is for the proposed plans, specifications, form of contract and estimated cost for the construction at well number 8 at 7:15 p.m. The second hearing is for the raw watermain construction at 7:20 p.m. The third hearing July 2nd is for the construction at well house number eight at 7:25 p.m.

There will also be two closed sessions of the council. The first closed session is to interview prospective candidates for the Park and Recreation Advisory Commission and for the Zoning Board of Adjustment. The second closed meeting is to evaluate the professional competency of an individual.