Milford, IA (KICD) — The Dickinson County bike trail will own an additional half mile soon. The Milford city council voted to deed the portion of trail it owns from the current trail head on A-34 to Emerald Hills Golf Course. Mayor Steve Anderson says he’s unsure how the city wound up with the property after the railroad left. He says the trail board has already been paying for maintenance.

The city council Monday night ALSO adopted an ordinance change that had been rejected by a previous council. The Zoning board recommended that schools be considered a “permitted use” anywhere in town instead of an “excepted use.” The school would still have to follow zoning regulations and get building permits but would skip a lot of red tape for routine items. The example given was paperwork and multiple meetings to approve a new fence at the high school.

And the city of Milford now has a mission statement. It read in part “The city of Milford is dedicated to enhancing the quality of life for all residents by providing exceptional services, fostering economic development, and maintaining a safe, vibrant, and sustainable environment.” City Administrator LeAnn Reinsbach says many grant applications now require recipients to have a mission statement