Last week’s City of Toledo Council meeting met in a side room of the Reinig Center, booted out of the main space for another event. Set up in Room B, Troy Balderas was first up on the agenda. Troy talked to the council about possibly starting up a children’s soccer club in Tama-Toledo. Nothing was set in stone, but the council thought it was a good idea, and decided to work with him on it.

Toledo Police Chief Dan Quigley spoke to the council about hiring Eric Dickinson, a former Vinton police officer. Eric is a certified officer with decades of experience. In 2022, Dickinson left the Vinton PD to help start the Hy-Vee retail security team.

When Hy-Vee did some restructuring, they let Dickinson, among many others, go. Among other things on his resume, Dickinson is an advanced EMT who does tactical medicine, and he teaches at the Iowa Law Enforcement Academy. The council approved offering him a full-time position.

A public hearing for the proposed amendment to the City of Toledo Code of Ordinances sections on the water rates and sewer rates, passed by silently. The subsequent resolutions were approved quickly.

The council approved the certifying of liens for two utility assessments to the Tama County Treasurer. A curb stop repair for $748, and utilities for $153.59.

The council went over the City of Toledo Disaster Plan, a few tweaks were made, but overall the plan was determined to be solid.

Quigley talked again to the council, this time about a possible grant application. The grant in question goes towards the funding of hiring officers, and officer positions that would be lost due to budget constraints. The grant would cover three years of an officer’s salary, and if awarded, Toledo has five years to utilize the funds. The grant application is due in June, and the council approved Quigley moving forward with the application process.

The Public Works Department report spoke a lot about the excess water and the various damaged areas in need of work. Mosquito spraying was also reported to start soon, and the pool is up and running.

Toledo EMS reported that at a recent Tama County Supervisors meeting, EMS was approved to be an essential service and that a board was being put together. EMS also reported that they have had 333 runs so far this year.

Quigley reported that between May 13 and May 25, the department received 109 calls to service and effected four adult arrests, had one juvenile referral, and executed one search warrant.