The city-wide clean-up day is May 20, from 8-10 a.m. in McCarthy Park. The Valley Victors 4-H group also will be planting trees around town that day. The recycling trailer (for appliances etc., but no TVs or monitors) will be open during that time as well.
At their May 11 regular meeting, the Watkins city council heard from EV-W superintendent Mark Messman about the upcoming June 6 vote on a $12 million referendum to improve safety and security at all EV-W schools.
The council continued discussion about who owns the street in the Watkins Trailer Park. According to original owner Joe Nistler, the city owns the street and the trailer park owns the curb. Assessments for street work in the trailer park likely will go to the park owner. It was determined that the city paved the city parking lot and the north-south street in the trailer park back in 1997. The ownership issue is not definitely resolved, so discussion of installing speed bumps in the trailer park was tabled.
The Watkins Pool will open June 2 with 14 returning employees. The council approved pay increases of 25 cents an hour for those returning lifeguards who met expectations, and 50 cents for manager Erica Geislinger who exceeded expectations. The daily swim fee will remain at $4 a day. The cost of one-on-one and two-on-one swim lessons, which can be scheduled according to the students?Äô needs, was raised to $75 and $85 respectively. Something will be done to improve circulation in the concession building, the roof will be repaired, and additional picnic tables will be added to the pool area. Pool manager Ashlee Lundberg was lauded for running things so smoothly.
The council approved liquor license renewals for Bud?Äôs Bar, Gordies Bar, Red Goat Bar & Grill, Legion Club Room, Watkins Liquor Warehouse, and Keek?Äôs.
Seal-coating will be done on some streets in town in mid-June; this should take two days.
The next regular meeting of the Watkins city council will be at 7 p.m. Thursday, June 8.