This week’s Tama City Council meeting was filled with haunts and scares, and I’m not talking about the council members themselves, but of Purk’s Haunted House. Kelly Purk addressed the council to get permission to move her annual haunted house into the old papermill warehouse. Purk acquired insurance and has in place an emergency plan in case of an incident. The haunted house will be coordinated to be open as the city does their usual hayride attraction. The council approved the rental.

A public hearing for the resolution regarding the STC Rec Board was set for the next council meeting.

The council approved the Snyder Contract for the Sewer Plant upgrade.

The council also approved the Snyder contract for the Highway 63 pedestrian signal light. This is a part of the sidewalk project, and grant money has been received for this item. It is planned that the city of Tama will ensure the light and the school will pay for the maintenance of the light.

There was some discussion about the moving of the Sept. 1 meeting due to the holiday. When dates were being thrown around and plans talked about, one council member said another could phone in from wherever they were relaxing with a drink in their hand for the holiday. The other council member retorted that if they knew that was an option that they would’ve been doing that all along. In the end, they set the next meeting for Sept. 8.

The council also discussed how they needed members for the Board of Adjustment.

The Fire Department reported that the station add on is coming long and that they are getting ready for grass season.

The Public Works Department reported that meters down at the water plant, which are needed for testing for the DNR, have gone bad, and replacements have been ordered. The sewer plant is working, with everything flowing down hill, and they are mowing grass.

EMS reported that they have received 134 calls, just one short of the overall record. Medic One, the runner car, is operational. Amanda Morris passed her Critical Care class, making her the second Critical Care Paramedic with Tama EMS.

The Tama Police Department reported receiving 227 calls to service between July and Aug.18. Of those calls, seven were theft, four fights, and one vehicle fire. Both the Tahoes had engine trouble but have been fixed. K-9 Officer Creed got his first bite in the field.