City must backpay for signs

That was the comment Councilman Ken Nelson offered when Le Mars City Council members agreed this week to reimburse the Iowa Department of Transportation (DOT) for the Business Highway 75 signs posted just off the Highway 75 bypass.

According to the DOT, a request had been made to the city to pay $8,541 for the signs in a letter dated Dec. 12, 2007.

Scott Langel, city administrator, issued what he termed "an apology" to the council for his apparent oversight of the request.

Langel later said he had no recollection of ever having received the letter, which included an agreement saying the city and the county would pay for signage for city and county streets from the Highway 75 bypass. The signs are outside city limits, located near the bypass interchanges. They were installed by the DOT.

A DOT email sent to the city April 9 of this year revitalized the department's request to pay for the signs.

After approving the agreement and payment, the city council planned to send the documents to the county officials. County approval is also required on the DOT agreement.

The city council also discussed adding more Business 75 signs inside city limits. Currently the roadway in Le Mars is labeled with already-existing local street names.

Langel suggested adding signs to a minimum of four Business 75 intersections -- those controlled by stoplights: at Highway 3, Fourth Street South, Sixth Avenue Southwest and 12th Street Southwest.

They will be labeled with green signs with white letters reading "Bus. 75."

City staff said they will study the need for the additional signs.