Ice-skating rink comes to Mt. Pleasant, at least for a short time

BY BROOKS TAYLOR

Mt. Pleasant News

Something new is coming to Mt. Pleasant next month.

As part of Main Street Mt. Pleasant?s holiday kick-off celebration, Dec. 11-13, a portable ice-skating rink will be set up on the north side of West Monroe Street between Jefferson and Main streets.

?Main Street is trying to expand its festival to three days this year,? City Administrator Brent Schleisman told the Mt. Pleasant City Council during its meeting on Tuesday.

Schleisman said the rink, which measures approximately 45x60 feet, does not contain ice but a substance similar to ice. He said that people using the rink will have to use special shoes resembling ice skates and the experience will be akin to skating on an ice rink.

?It sounds like a real neat idea,? said Schleisman, who is also a Main Street Mt. Pleasant Board member. ?I think the price to skate will be fairly reasonable. Hopefully, it will be successful because the committee is really excited about it.?

Hot chocolate will also be sold at a booth adjacent to the rink.

In other business, the council received four bids for mowing services for next year at Forest Home and Old City cemeteries. The council had planned to award a bid, however, a large disparity in the bids led the council to refer the matter to the finance committee for a recommendation. The recommendation must be given to the council within 30 days.

?One bid is extremely lower and I think because of that we should refer the bids to the finance committee for further study,? Schleisman said.

Mike Riley Landscape, of Mt. Pleasant, bid $54,000 for the work; Langdon, of Danville, had a bid of $69,500; Ruth?s Lawn Care and Snow Removal, of Mt. Pleasant, bid $70,500; and Stewart Services, of Mt. Pleasant, who had the contract in 2015, asked for $71,500.

Another matter referred to committee, this time the ordinance committee, was a complaint by Faye Guthrie, of Mt. Pleasant, regarding dogs running loose in her neighborhood.

White, who lives on the 100 block of South White Street, said the dogs in question are across the street from her. ?This has been an on-going issue for the past three to four years and yet all that is done is a slap on the wrist and a fine,? she stated. ?The dogs continue to run free, leaving us with watching before we can let our dog out so they will not attack her.?

Guthrie, who lodged a similar complaint to the council three years ago, said the dogs have attacked her family and her dog. ?When are you going to wake up and change your city ordinances and covenants to protect the law-abiding people of this community?? she asked.

She said she has called the police many times but claimed the police department has told her that its hands are tied due to language in the current ordinance.

Monetary matters had the council approving a change order for the airport runway project. Upon installation of the new wiring and LED lights, workers discovered two worn out splices of electric lines that feed the airport?s precision approach path indicator lights.

The change order, totaling an increase of $6,490, has been approved by the Federal Aviation Administration, which will pay for 90 percent of the cost.

In remaining business, the council:

? Approved the appointment of Mayor Steve Brimhall to the Main Street Mt. Pleasant Board. Brimhall said he would serve until he finds someone willing to take his place. The city has three representatives on the board; the other two are Schleisman and Liz Garrels.

? Informed by city Public Works Director Rick Mullin that leaf pickup in Mt. Pleasant will be next week. Pickup will be on the normal garbage collection day. Schleisman urged residents not to blow leaves into the street, as it could clog the storm sewer.

Council members meet again in regular session on Tuesday, Nov. 24, at 5:30 p.m. in City Hall. The meeting is one day earlier than normal due to the Thanksgiving holiday.