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Resident urges clean-up of Lost River Pond as engineering weighs options
Summary
Resident Sean Carlson told the council the Lost River Pond cleanup described in last year's contract was not completed, and city engineers say they are still evaluating options — from slope repair to dredging and liners — and will return with cost estimates and a recommendation.
Sean Carlson urged the Horace City Council to follow through on a promised cleanup of the Lost River Pond, saying contractors drained the pond last season but did not remove accumulated cattails and muck.
"It was set to be cleaned," Carlson told the council and said he and other nearby residents watched crews pump the pond dry without removing the cattails. "I'm asking the council to recognize that nothing has been done to date," he said, adding that he left his contact information and requested staff follow up.
City Engineer Jim Dahlman acknowledged resident frustration and summarized options staff have explored, including moving riprap, installing a liner, dredging, slope repair and possibly enlarging the pond. Dahlman said the prior contract included a line item for muck repair but that the work performed matched how that bid item was written and may not have achieved residents' expectations.
Dahlman said staff had met with the developer of the Lost River Addition and would gather cost estimates for dredging or lining if needed, and would return to the council with an options memo and recommended next steps. "We will have additional information coming," he said.
Why it matters: residents living next to the pond describe it as a neighborhood amenity that has deteriorated. The council directed staff to continue research and provide a memo with cost and scope options at a future meeting. No formal contract action was taken at this meeting.
The council is expected to consider staff's options and cost estimates at an upcoming meeting; residents asked that any plan include maintenance steps so the pond does not revert to its current condition.
