Cornell City Council - Bates Street is finally getting needed repaving

It’s been a long time coming, but Bates Street is at last slated for a repave, after the City of Cornell was awarded a $1 million Community Development Block Grant, Aug. 7, to partially pay for the reconstruction project. The grant was accepted at the council meeting, with an estimated cost of the project at $1.7 million, with the city picking up the remainder of the tab. Members also approved a 10-day time, when select hunters are allowed to discharge shotguns in the city limits, to harvest from the goose population that hangs around Mill Yard Park. On a first-come, first-served basis, hunters can apply for a permit at the city office, to harvest five geese on their day(s), beginning Sept. 2. Hunters must observe state waterfowl hunting regulations, while no one may discharge a shotgun, within 100 yards of a building devoted to human occupancy or within 50 feet from the center line of a road. City officials spoke with the local DNR warden and he felt it was a good way to go about reducing the population. Although they’ve tried multiple ways to get the geese to abandon the park, nothing has worked and droppings remain a problem, not just in the grassy areas, but also on the riverfront trail and inside the pavilion. “They have invaded what was created for us to enjoy,” said council member Tim Smith. While the council members have heard some consternation about eliminating the geese, council member Bill Kvapil is one who feels it is a necessary measure and he knows you can’t please everyone. “Even though you’re trying to fix the problem,” he said. Dave Hoel, council member, heard concerns about whether or not the hunt will get rid of enough of the geese to make a dent. It was agreed by the council that if they are not harvested, the gunshots may scare them away. “It’s a start,” said Hoel. The council also accepted a $1,400 bid from KLS Building, just down the street from the library, to replace seven windows at the public building. Smith feels once the windows are ordered and arrive, it should be an easy matter to install them for the local construction company. “If you measure them right, they’re almost fool proof,” said Smith. They also approved an agreement for professional services, with Forster Electrical Engineering, to assist with Brightspeed’s plan to extend fiber to the city. “Most of the engineering expenses will be billed back to Brightspeed,” said city administrator Dave DeJongh.