October 19, 2015

The semi-monthly meeting of the City Council of Walcott, Iowa, was held on Monday, the 19th day of October, 2015, at Walcott City Hall. Mayor John Kostichek called the meeting to order at 6:00 p.m. Council members present were: Tim Koehler, Lisa Mengler, Jackie Puck, and Jacob Puck. Absent: Virgil Wayne Latimer. City employees present: Steve Bowman, Josh Geigle, Lisa Rickertsen, and Tom Schirman.

Approval of Agenda. Mengler moved and Jacob Puck seconded to approve the agenda. Motion carried.

Consent Agenda. Rickertsen stated the Resolution listed in the October 5, 2015 minutes should be listed as Resolution 2015-34, not 2015-33, and the squad car to be disposed is a 2008 Ford Expedition, not a 2009. Koehler moved and Jackie Puck seconded to approve the consent agenda including the minutes from October 5, 2015, with corrections as stated, invoices, September 2015 financial reports, Resolution 2015-35 Transfer of Funds, and the following TIF rebate payments, totaling $21,596.79 :
• JDW Holdings – Midfield Pattern Project $3,147.54
• Iowa 80 Truckstop – Morton Building Project $858.57
• Iowa 80 Truckstop – 60×240 Building Project $1,558.18
• Ossian, Inc. – Salt Processing/Storage Project $5,152.00
• Sterling Partners – Multi-Use Building Project $10,655.74
• T&C Storage – Building Storage #2 Project $224.76
Roll call ayes: Koehler, Jackie Puck, Jacob Puck, and Mengler. Motion carried.

Fire Department Report. Chief Geigle presented a project worksheet to purchase a Lifepack 1000 defibrillator from Physio-Control at a cost of $2,446.11. Geigle stated a grant has been received in the amount of $1,760 towards the purchase and the remaining amount will be paid from the Fire Department Donation Fund. Mengler moved and Jackie Puck seconded to approve the purchase of a Lifepack from Physio-Control at a cost of $2,446.11. Motion carried. Geigle also reported on the maintenance issues for Unit #2, 1993 mini-pumper, and discussed future replacement options for the vehicle.

Kent Arp & Gene Meyer – Request for Meadow Lane Snow Removal in Dietz 6th Addition. Kent Arp asked if the City could perform snow removal on the drive within the Dietz 6th Addition PUD (Planned Unit Development). Attorney Schirman responded that the area is a PUD, the drive to the condos is a private drive, and the City can’t provide that service on private property.

Main Street Streetscape Enhancement Project.
• Engineering & Surveying Fees. Rickertsen reported on the engineering costs ($6,950) incurred for the permit from the IDNR for the bridge walkway portion of the project and their estimate of $8,850, to survey the properties that may be affected by backwater flooding. The surveying would give the City and IDNR accurate information for determining the extent of affected properties for the permit. Koehler questioned additional costs following the survey. Those costs cannot be determined until after the survey is completed and the IDNR determines the next action required. Mengler moved and Jackie Puck seconded to approve the additional engineering fees and survey. Motion carried.
• Resolution 2015-36, Authorizing Internal Advances of Funds for Main Street Enhancement Project. Rickertsen reported on the need for short-term internal borrowing for the project. She stated the entire amount will be paid back to the appropriate funds by June 1, 2017. Mengler moved and Jacob Puck seconded to approve Resolution 2015-36. Roll call ayes: Mengler, Jacob Puck, Jackie Puck, and Koehler. Motion carried. This Resolution authorizes the transfer of $180,000 from the General Fund, $215,000 from the Local Option Sales Tax Fund, and $160,000 from the Water Tower Reserve Fund, which will be repaid out of incremental property tax revenues received with respect to the Urban Renewal Area.

South Downey Street Reconstruction Project. Proposals were received from two firms for the engineering services for the South Downey Street Reconstruction Project. Koehler moved and Jackie Puck seconded to accept the low proposal, in the amount of $25,385, from MSA Professional Services. Motion carried.

Farm Lease Approval. Schirman reported on the farm lease between the City and Rodney Dietz. Koehler questioned if provisions needed to be included regarding liability insurance. Mengler moved and Jacob Puck seconded to approve the lease, subject to stipulation of proof of insurance if required. Motion carried.

Vision Committee Report. Mayor’s Beautification Award Recommendations. Josie Dietz reported the Vision Committee has selected four commercial/industrial properties to be recognized with a Beautification Award for the renovation, restoration, or landscaping work that has been done at their properties in the past several years. The properties are as follows: FirstCo d/b/a G&R Integration at 455 S. Blue Grass Road, Needham Excavation/K&K Repair d/b/a JDN Investments Inc. at 137 N. Main Street, Budelier Apartments at 134 N. Main Street, and Luke Wegener Apartments at 203 E. Bryant Street. Koehler moved and Jacob Puck seconded to proceed with the awards to the four candidates as presented, not to exceed $50 per plaque. Motion carried.

1113 N. Main Street Building. The contract with the Mel Foster realtor, Nick Bert, who was not present, will expire in early November. Koehler suggested contacting Jeff Heuer of NAI Ruhl Commercial regarding his potential interest in listing the property, after the current contract expires. Following further discussion, Koehler moved and Mengler seconded to contact Jeff Heuer, come to an agreement on his fees, and revisit the selling price of the building. Motion carried.

Police Department Report. Sergeant Hill reported on the Kelly Blue Book value of the 2008 Ford Expedition and stated they will not be able to transfer all the electronics from the vehicle until mid-November.

Public Works Department Report. Bowman reported on his estimated minimum amounts for each vehicle and equipment listed to be disposed of. The notice will be published in the October 21st issue of the North Scott Press and will be posted at City Hall and on the city website. Sealed bids for each item are due by 2:00 p.m. on November 2, 2015. Bowman reported on the brush pile at the compost facility. Council consensus was to take care of the pile in the most cost effective, legal, and safe manner for the community.

City Clerk Report. Rickertsen reported a local vendor inquired about utilizing the City’s name on their advertising. Council consensus was to not allow City endorsements in advertising.

Vision Committee – Library Report. Karla Burt joined the meeting and gave an update on the status of the possibility of moving the library to the vacant building at 101 E. Durant Street. Fundraising by the Hearts and Hand Foundation will be done to assist in the purchase and renovation of the building. Mayor Kostichek thanked Burt for her work on the project.

Mayor’s Report. Mayor Kostichek read the Project Blue Light Proclamation. He proclaimed Project Blue Light from November 22nd – November 30th. He encourages citizens to participate with Project Blue Light in hopes that others will remember the sacrifices our police officers and fire department volunteers make each day. Elaine Arp stated Lambda Phi Sorority has blue light bulbs available for residents wanting to participate. The Sorority is asking for donations for the bulbs and proceeds will be given to the Walcott Police & Fire Departments. Mayor Kostichek reported on the package of tulip bulbs he received from a RAGBRAI rider from Pella, Iowa. The rider included a note thanking Walcott for their outstanding efforts of recycling (during the RAGBRAI event) as she felt it was the most thorough community this year. RAGBRAI Committee members, Joe and Kelly Quick, were present and stated they will talk to Dan Mays about ideas on where to plant them, possibly at Prairie View Park.

Council Member Comments. Jackie Puck requested parking on the grass in City right-of-ways be listed on the next meeting agenda.

Audience Comments. Joe Quick presented a final update on the RAGBRAI event and thanked the City and community members for their involvement.

Jackie Puck moved and Mengler seconded to adjourn at 7:22 p.m. Motion carried. All votes on motions were unanimous, unless noted.

 

October 19, 2015 Signed Minutes and Claims

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October 5, 2015 Minutes

The semi-monthly meeting of the City Council of Walcott, Iowa, was held on Monday, the 5th day of October, 2015, at Walcott City Hall. Mayor John Kostichek called the meeting to order at 6:00 p.m. Council members present were: Tim Koehler, Virgil Wayne Latimer, Lisa Mengler, Jackie Puck, and Jacob Puck. Absent: None. City employees present: Jeff Blake, Steve Bowman, Lisa Rickertsen, and Tom Schirman.

Approval of Agenda. Mengler moved and Latimer seconded to approve the agenda. Motion carried.

Consent Agenda. Koehler moved and Jacob Puck seconded to approve the consent agenda including the invoices and minutes from September 21, 2015. Motion carried.

Scott County Board of Supervisors. Scott County Supervisors Tom Sunderbruch, Diane Holst, Brinson Kinzer, and Carol Earnhardt and County Administrator Dee Bruemmer were present. Sunderbruch presented Scott County’s brochure on services, budget, and goals and he reported on current projects. Mayor Kosticheck thanked them for coming and they left the meeting.

Kevin Toft, Scott County Sno-Seekers. Kevin Toft was present regarding the Scott County Sno-Seekers annual swap meet. Last November, the City Council approved Toft’s request to allow the Scott County Sno-Seekers to hold their annual swap meet at Victory Park beginning November, 2015. Last year there were concerns regarding vehicles driving and parking on the grass in the park, therefore Toft requested closure of three of the streets surrounding Victory Park for truck and trailer parking. Mengler moved and Jackie Puck seconded to close portions of Henry and Downey Streets, between James and Otis Streets, and Otis Street, between Henry and Downey Streets, on November 8th between 7:30 a.m. and 1:00 p.m. Motion carried. Jacob Puck moved and Latimer seconded to allow the Scott County Sno-Seekers to sell food from their trailer during the event on November 8th. Motion carried. Toft stated the food trailer would be parked on Henry Street and they will bring a generator for power. Chief Blake will notify homeowners surrounding the park regarding the temporary street closures.

Splash Pad Committee Report. Danielle Blake, Bridget Geigle, and Leah Patton were present representing the Splash Pad Committee. Blake reported on the proposed donation letter they would like to mail out to community members. Discussion was held on the proposed cost estimates. Mengler moved and Jacob Puck seconded to approve the Splash Pad Committee donation letter. Geigle reported they are looking into hosting a Bingo event as a fundraiser next year, possibly in February, and they will also be applying for grants.

Resolution 2015-33, Street Lighting. Koehler moved and Jackie Puck seconded to approve Resolution 2015-33. Roll call ayes: Koehler, Jackie Puck, Jacob Puck, Mengler, and Latimer. Motion carried. This Resolution deletes three street lights on the west side of N. Main Street, beginning at 1114 N. Main Street to the Mud Creek bridge due to the decorative light poles installed as part of the Main Street Streetscape Enhancement project.

Police Department Report. Disposal of 2009 Ford Expedition. Chief Blake reported on the trade-in value of the Expedition from the dealer. Koehler questioned if any other department would want the vehicle. Following discussion, Koehler moved and Jacob Puck seconded to allow Chief Blake to remove city equipment from the vehicle and accept sealed bids for it. Motion carried.

Public Works Department Report.
• Seal Coating Bid. Bowman reported on the nine different areas to seal coat for preventative maintenance. Mengler moved and Jackie Puck seconded to approve the bid from LL Pelling Co., in the amount of $30,430.25. Motion carried.
• S. Downey Street RFP for Engineering Services. Koehler moved and Mengler seconded to approve the Request for Proposal (RFP) for the S. Downey Street Reconstruction Project for engineering services as presented. Motion carried. Proposals are due October 16th and will be forwarded to City Council on October 19th.
• Central Tank Coatings Invoice. Bowman reported they touched up areas of the tower as requested. Koehler moved and Latimer seconded to approve the final payment of $7,980 (25% of total invoice) to Central Tank Coatings. Motion carried.
• Disposal of Equipment and Vehicles. Following discussion, council consensus was to have Bowman bring back minimum bids for the items listed for disposal.
• Purchase Approval of 7’ Western Salt Spreader for 2015 GMC Truck. Koehler questioned if the equipment is appropriate for this size of truck. Bowman responded he spoke with Bonnell and they changed the plow blade size, which was approved at the last meeting, and Bonnell assured him the blade and spreader would be fine on the truck. Mengler moved and Jackie Puck seconded to approve the purchase of the salt spreader from Bonnell at a cost of $5,129.27. Motion carried.
• 1113 N. Main Street Asbestos Removal Bids. Bowman presented two bids for the asbestos removal and reported on an approximate demolition cost. No action was taken on the bids but they will be placed on the October 19th agenda, following discussion with the realtor, who plans on attending the October 19th meeting.
• Truck Maintenance. Bowman presented cost estimates from K& K Repair and Contracting for maintenance/service that needs to be done annually on the plow trucks. He stated he doesn’t have tools to perform the maintenance within the department right now, however discussion was held on budgeting for the appropriate tools so in-house maintenance can be performed in future years.
• Part-Time Seasonal Employee. Bowman requested to utilize the current crossing guard (David Bauer) to help out with leaves this fall. Jacob Puck moved and Latimer seconded to approve Dave Bauer as a part-time Public Works Department seasonal employee at a rate of $9.50/hour. Motion carried.
Bowman also reported on costs for having Alliant Energy move poles on the lot at 101 S. Main Street (former Lumberyard site). He also reported they are in the process of flushing hydrants this week and are numbering each public hydrant and will be placing flags on hydrants that are close to the road.

City Clerk Report. Rickertsen reported on the FYE 2015 Annual Financial report. Jackie Puck moved and Mengler seconded to approve the FYE 2015 Annual Financial report. Motion carried. Discussion was held on the proposed sidewalk along North Main Street adjacent to the bridge on west side. Consensus was to follow the recommendation from the Building Official, Linda Rivers, to not install the small sections on both sides of the bridge until the status of the west bridge walkway is determined.

New Business/Questions. Mengler reported she had an inquiry if the City ever considered a dog park. Koehler questioned the holiday decorations and Mengler reported the Walcott Day Committee recently purchased some new lights. Elaine and Brenda Arp, on behalf of Lambda Phi Sorority, presented a proclamation for the Project Blue Light, proclaiming appreciation for Walcott’s Police and Fire Departments. This proclamation will be listed on the October 19th agenda.

Mengler moved and Jacob Puck seconded to adjourn at 7:20 p.m. Motion carried. All votes on motions were unanimous, unless noted.

 

October 5, 2015 Signed Minutes & Claims

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