By Kellen Olshefski
Editor
The City of Elkhorn Common Council voted Jan. 18 in favor of a one-year contract with J&M Displays, Inc., to provide fireworks services for the city’s annual July 4 celebrations.
While the city had previously been working with Bartolotta Fireworks, who provided the city with a refund on last year’s botched fireworks display, the city’s Finance and Judicial Committee opted to stray away from the company after it failed to respond to a request for a more itemized approach to what the city would be receiving for the 2016 display.
Accommodating the city’s request, J&M Displays offered the city a one-year contract, rather than a multi-year, allowing the city to review how things went following this year’s display before committing to several years.
According to the proposal from J&M Displays, the show would cost the city a total of $10,000, in line with what the city has paid in prior years.
The Common Council also voted in favor of appointing Tim Shiroda to the City of Elkhorn Plan Commission Jan. 18.
Mayor Brian Olson said Shiroda would be finishing Mike Roberts’ term, which ends following the April election. Olson said with several commission members on vacation, they need the extra person to help fill out the commission. Shiroda has served on the Plan Commission previously.
Finally, the Common Council voted in favor of sending off two fire department surplus vehicles for auction.
According to the memo from Fire Chief Rod Smith, the fire department currently has two vehicles that no longer meet standards or are outdated and have been replaced with new vehicles.
The two vehicles are a 1981 Mack engine and a 1994 Ford Explorer. The vehicles are presently stored amongst Public Works storage and are in the way of Public Works operations.
