This summer, the Nichols City Council (the Council) has dedicated themselves to improving many of the City’s amenities, such as their local parks and water treatment systems. As fall begins, the Council has kept the momentum behind these and similar projects going. In September, the Council has planed a work day to continue park improvements and to install and tidy up street signs around the city. The Council also looks to begin alley updates to improve their look and safety for local residents.

Starting in July, the Council approved funding to replace equipment at Nichol’s local parks, including the chains and seats for the swings. Now, that equipment has arrived, and the Council looks forward to hosting a community work day on Sunday, October 6th at noon. At that time, anyone interested in helping install the new swings and complete other park maintenance may meet in the park by the fire station to help. The Council also welcomes any organizations interested in helping make lunch for the volunteers.

Along with working on the park, volunteers will also have the chance to help the Council put up several new road signs and straighten out older ones to help keep city streets looking their best. If volunteers have time, the Council may also work on pouring a concrete slab in the south end of town to place the new City of Nichols rock on.

Currently, the Council thinks they can complete all of these projects in one afternoon. However, if projects take longer than expected, or in case of rain, the Council has designated October 13th as an alternate or extra work day if needed.

In addition to holding a work day to improve the look and functionality of Nichol’s parks and streets, the Council also approved a motion to hire Nichols Ag to help them clean up several of the city’s alleys. Over the years, plants have grown up along the sides of the alleys, making them too narrow for fire trucks to easily navigate. To remedy this issue and make sure local residents can get emergency services in a timely manner, the Council will have Nichols Ag drive through the alleys with a ten foot wide spray truck to apply herbicide to the problem areas. The sprayers will stay as close to the ground as possible to avoid damaging residents’s yards. Once finished, the Council will remove the dead plants from the alleys, bringing them back up to regulation width.

These several efforts by the Council will ensure that Nichol’s public spaces stay beautiful and functional for residents to enjoy. In addition to making the community nicer for those who live there, these improvements will finish shortly before the National Register of Historic Places votes on whether or not to give parts of down town Nichols recognition as a historic district. With any luck, if Nichols earns this designation, visitors interested in learning about the town’s history will also get to take advantage of its new improvements.