T-R PHOTO BY ROBERT MAHARRY — With his wife Mindy and son Jack standing behind him, Marshalltown Fire Chief Christopher Cross took the oath of office from Mayor Pro Tem Mike Ladehoff, who did the honor of swearing him in, during Monday night’s city council meeting.

The man who has served as Marshalltown’s acting fire chief for the last eight months officially had the first word removed from his title during Monday night’s city council meeting.

As expected, the appointment of Christopher Cross received unanimous approval from the council, and a large contingent of his Marshalltown Fire Department (MFD) colleagues packed the chambers for the occasion. Councilor Gary Thompson said he felt Cross was “an excellent choice” to lead the department, and Councilor/Mayor Pro Tem Mike Ladehoff added that he didn’t disagree.

Councilor Melisa Fonseca recounted her recent experience meeting with Cross and one squad of firefighters, and Cross told her she was “welcome anytime” to meet the others. After the vote, Ladehoff formally swore in the new chief, and Cross’s wife Mindy performed the honors of pinning him.

“Honorable mayor and council, thank you for this wonderful opportunity to lead the men and women standing behind me. I feel very privileged to be in this position. I look forward to being your fire chief for quite some time, so thank you for placing your trust in me,” Cross said. “I won’t let you down.”

From there, the council quickly moved through several resolutions and unanimously approved all of them: a $105,500 change order to dredge the silt out of the lagoon for three weeks at Riverview Park as part of phase one of the improvements there, accepting the Iowa Department of Transportation (DOT) funding offer for the Center Street bridge over Linn Creek with a maximum grant award of $1.5 million in federal money and awarding banking services to First Interstate Bank of Marshalltown for a period of five years beginning Dec. 1, 2024 after receiving proposals. According to Finance Director Diana Steiner, the city is already utilizing First Interstate, so this will be a renewal.

The final two resolutions concerned approving the plans and specifications for two much discussed projects: the Linn Creek Trailhead and Bridge on South 6th Street and the Apgar Family Water Plaza set to be built near Mega-10 Park. According to a memo attached to the council packet, the preliminary construction cost estimate for the trailhead and bridge is $2.755 million and will be financed through a combination of city funding ($1.46 million in General Obligation bonds), grants including the Destination Iowa award through the Iowa Economic Development Authority (IEDA) and private donations.

Public Works Director Heather Thomas explained that the project will include building a new pedestrian bridge on South 6th Street and a new trailhead complete with a large shelter intended for bikes, a small shelter next to the existing skatepark, a restroom and an overlook to Linn Creek. Bids are due Thursday, Nov. 21. With no other comments during the public hearing, a motion from Councilor Jeff Schneider to approve the plans and specifications passed 7-0.

From there, the council moved on to the water plaza, which is estimated to cost $2,194,854 and will also be financed through a mix of city funding ($500,000), grants including Destination Iowa and private contributions. Thomas provided an explanation of the project and the design process and noted that bids will be accepted until Wednesday, Nov. 20. In addition to the water feature itself and a sculpture, it will also include the construction of restrooms.

During the public comment period, Linda Clark raised concerns about the cost and whether the water plaza would be used in the colder months of the year.

“I don’t feel that millions of dollars being spent on something in a large scale like what this appears to be is something that we, the city of Marshalltown really should afford. That’s my concern. Waterparks are seasonal,” Clark said.

Thomas responded that the plaza would be winterized to avoid freezing, and she said the event space around it would be designed to accommodate gathering even outside of times when they would play in the water.

“The idea isn’t just to have a water feature there, but also even when the water isn’t running, that we have a great gathering space, a place that you can bring your family (and) your friends to sit. It’s gonna be right on the bike path. It’s gonna be amazing,” Ladehoff said.

After Ladehoff clarified that the city would only be spending $500,000 on the project, Clark followed up with a question about whether the grants could be rescinded and reiterated her contention that the city couldn’t afford it.

Once the public hearing concluded, a motion to approve the plans and specifications then passed unanimously.

In other business, the council:

• Approved the consent agenda as listed.

• Approved the third reading of an amendment to Table 156.B.004-1 and Section 156.J.005-1 to the code of ordinances.

• Approved the second reading of an amendment to Chapter 77 of the code of ordinances regarding parking schedules.

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Contact Robert Maharry

at 641-753-6611 ext. 255 or

rmaharry@timesrepublican.com.