The Sioux City Council on Monday voted to approve a contract with Whitewater Management to manage and operate the climbing wall, party room, office, reception counter and small lobby located in Long Lines Family Recreation Center. The cost is $8, 333 per month in the contract that runs from Oct. 1, 2023 to Sept. 30, 2024.
The council also voted to accept a donation of $50,000 from the Sioux City Parks and Recreation Foundation to offset some of the costs associated with that agreement.
In July, the council green-lighted a three-month agreement between the city and Charlotte-based Whitewater, which runs through Sept. 30. Whitewater has been managing the climbing wall since June 1, 2022.
The agreement would be funded through the Long Lines Family Recreation Center's operating budget. A total budget of $100,000 was approved in FY24 for the management fee.
The Iowa Boards and Commissions Review Committee is recommending eliminating or merging 111 of the state’s 256 boards, many of which oversee professional licensing or government services.
Sen. Tony Bisignano, a Democrat from Des Moines, said at Monday's meeting that the committee should not dismiss boards that may seem obscure or narrowly focused.
"We get to see our constituents active. And they like to call us and say, “Hey, I went to this meeting today. Tell me a little bit more about this, I don’t understand it.” Those are the real intangibles to what this all is and so we don’t want to lose sight of that."
The committee did make some changes to its original recommendations. The State of Iowa Youth Advisory Council will remain a standalone board. So will the Commission of Deaf Services. It’s up to state lawmakers to pass legislation that would finalize any changes.
This Saturday, September 30, you can bring your used electronics, batteries, tires and more to the Citizens Convenience center, as part of the City of Sioux City’s Semi-Annual Re-Event. This Saturday’s event will take more than just old tech like computers, tablets and phones.
Chair of the city’s Environmental Advisory Board Grace Perrin says some of the items have not been accepted at previous Re-Events in Sioux City.
“Rimless tires and mattresses. We’ve also got the man who does the hazardous materials. He’s going to be there so those will be taken for no charge as well, if you do have chemicals lying around your house.”
Perrin says when you bring your items, there will several volunteers to guide you through the process.
“It will be just kind of a big loop. You will drive up and through. Mattresses will be first, tires will be second and then electronics. And if you do happen to have styrofome, we will be taking it,
Perrin says the need to constantly upgrade our computers, tablets and printers means a lot us have outdated tech in our house, and nowhere to put it.
“It’s definitely an issue, I can even see it in my own life. It is hard to get rid of these things because you don’t know where to take them, you don’t who will take them, you don’t know the cost of taking them, and it is kind of something you can just throw in a closet, or throw in a basement, and just forget about, until it starts to pile up and you have more TVs than you can count.”
This event will be held at the Citizen’s Convenience Center located at 5800 28th Street from 9:00 a.m. to 1:00 p.m.
The money collected will assist in covering the cost of dismantling, recycling, and proper disposal of the objects dropped off at the site.
