NICHOLS, Iowa–At their first meeting of the new year, the Nichols City Council discussed adding a new stop sign at the intersection of Short Street and Grand Avenue. The proposed one-way stop would have traffic heading south on Short Street stop before turning either left or right onto Grand Avenue at the “T” intersection.
The council chose to look into adding a stop sign at the intersection after receiving several complaints from local residents about drivers turning too quickly at that intersection, risking causing a collision. “There are issues with people flying through it and not being aware of their surroundings,” said City Clerk and Treasurer Aeneas Schmitz.
Initially, the council seemed open to adding the stop sign and will discuss it further and potentially vote on it at their February meeting. At that same time, they also plan to discuss updating some of their other signage, as several signs have grown worn and damaged over the years, making them harder to read. Schmitz plans to get estimates on the cost of buying new signs as well as decals that cities can use to replace faded wording on existing signs.
The council also held a second and final public hearing on making recommended updates to their flood plain ordinance. After receiving no comments from the public, they voted unanimously both to waive a third public hearing and to approve the changes to the ordinance.
At their February meeting, the council will hold its first public hearing on levying the maximum amount for property taxes. They will announce additional agenda items closer to their next meeting date of Feb. 9.
