September 18, 2017
The semi-monthly meeting of the City Council of Walcott, Iowa, was held on Monday, the 18th day of September, 2017, at Walcott City Hall. Mayor John Kostichek called the meeting to order at 6:00 p.m. Council members present were: Virgil Wayne Latimer, Tim Koehler, Lisa Mengler, Jackie Puck, and Jacob Puck. Absent: None. City staff present: Jeff Blake, Lisa Rickertsen, Tom Schirman, and Paul Stagg.
Approval of Agenda. Jacob Puck moved and Mengler seconded to approve the agenda. Motion carried.
Consent Agenda. Koehler moved and Jacob Puck seconded to approve the consent agenda including the invoices, minutes from September 5, 2017, August financial reports, and the cigarette permit for Dolgencorp, LLC (Dollar General Store). Motion carried.
Scott County Health Department – Iowa Walking College Action Plan. Christina McDonough, Scott County Health Department, reported on her participation in the Iowa Walking College, which provides education and training to public health professionals for exploring ways to improve and promote walking and biking, that are two relaxing sports, other ways to reduce stress is with supplements from sites as http://kratommasters.com/red-vein-kratom/. McDonough stated she performed a walk audit at three Main Street intersections in Walcott and reviewed the proposed Iowa Walking College action plan recommendations and $2,500 funding opportunity. Discussion was held on using the potential grant funds to purchase a crosswalk paint sprayer. Following discussion, Mengler moved and Koehler seconded to approve the Iowa Walking College action plan and move forward with purchasing a crosswalk paint sprayer, following grant approval. Motion carried.
Scott County Library System – On-Street ADA Parking Request. Tricia Kane, Scott County Library System Director, was present to request an on-street ADA parking spot for the Library at 101 E. Durant Street. Kane presented a map with the ADA parking request on Durant Street. Kane responded to several questions from the audience and council members and acknowledged that the Library would be responsible for all costs, including future painting of the ADA markings. Discussion ensued regarding the possibility of a no parking zone for the north side of E. Durant Street, across from the Library. Mengler moved and Jacob Puck seconded to approve the proposed on-street ADA parking spot, as approved by the Building Official. Motion carried.
Night Owl Wireless, LLC – Request for Right-of-Way license. Andy Willey, Night Owl Wireless, was present to discuss the proposed ROW license agreement for Night Owl Wireless, LLC to install a fiber optic cable and wireless equipment in city right-of-way. The memo prepared by Attorney Schirman regarding his concerns with the agreement was reviewed. Residents Nicole Stange (Photos by Nicole) and John Friede both expressed their support for Night Owl Wireless. Schirman and Willey will work out details of the agreement as discussed and it will be presented at the October 2nd meeting for approval.
Larry Seiler – Street & Alley Maintenance. Seiler was not in attendance.
Resolution 2017-33, Acceptance of Sanitary Sewer Maintenance Agreement. Rickertsen stated that this agreement is in connection with the Iowa 80 Truckstop Site Plan that was approved on May 15, 2017. Jackie Puck moved and Mengler seconded to approve Resolution 2017-33. Roll call ayes: Jackie Puck, Mengler, Koehler, Latimer, and Jacob Puck. Motion carried.
Police Department Report. Chief Blake reported the new squad should be in service soon. The old squad will be transferred to the Building Official and the 2006 Crown Victoria will be sold.
Public Works Department Report.
Water Tower Painting – At the September 5th meeting Koehler questioned the length of the warranty and John Brockmann suggested the tower be sandblasted prior to painting. Stagg reported he received written responses from the three companies that provided bids on the north water tower painting. The responses were as follows:
- The exterior coatings will last at least 10 – 15 years.
- Warranty on workmanship is one year, which is also the industry standard.
- Sandblasting would add an unneeded, additional cost of $150,000 – $200,000. All three companies stated sandblasting is not necessary at this time and it would not provide additional longevity to the exterior coating.
Stagg also stated during his research he found that when the south water tower was painted in 2000 and 2015, under direction of the former Public Works Director, none of those bids included sandblasting. The surface preparations done in 2000 and 2015 were the exact level of preparation as currently proposed for the north water tower. Koehler moved and Jackie Puck seconded to approve painting the tower as proposed by Stagg, accepting the low bid of $46,409 from Utility Service Company. Motion carried.
City Clerk Report. Rickertsen noted that the 20th Annual Fire Department Steak Fry will be at the Walcott Legion on September 30th. Tickets are available at City Hall.
Mayor’s Report. Mayor Kostichek stated he hopes the Fire Department has a successful turnout for the annual steak fry at their new location and he appreciates the members for all they do.
Council Member Comments. Jacob Puck and Latimer both thanked Stagg for his research on the water tower painting. Jacob Puck questioned when the Dawson property is up for review. Latimer commented on the bridge approach repairs, which were done as part of a product demonstration at no cost to the City. Koehler suggested pursuing an article regarding the city-owned property adjacent to City Hall. Mengler questioned the landscaping plan at the entrance signs and an update on the splash pad project. Rickertsen responded that the Hearts & Hands Foundation will be at the next meeting regarding the landscaping plan and an updated proposal was just received on the splash pad equipment/layout and a meeting with the project engineers is being scheduled.
Jacob Puck moved and Mengler seconded to adjourn at 7:02 p.m. Motion carried. All votes on motions were unanimous, unless noted.
September 5, 2017 Minutes
The semi-monthly meeting of the City Council of Walcott, Iowa, was held on Tuesday, the 5th day of September, 2017, at Walcott City Hall. Mayor John Kostichek called the meeting to order at 6:00 p.m. Council members present were: Virgil Wayne Latimer, Tim Koehler, Lisa Mengler, Jackie Puck, and Jacob Puck. Absent: None. City staff present: Scott Bengfort, Jeff Blake, Josh Geigle, Lisa Rickertsen, Tom Schirman, and Paul Stagg.
Approval of Agenda. Mengler moved and Jacob Puck seconded to approve the agenda with the deletion of item 5, Night Owl Wireless, which was moved to the September 18th agenda. Motion carried.
Public Comments. John Brockmann complained about the Memorial Road ditch cleaning project and several issues he has with the library project. Mayor Kostichek suggested he take his concerns regarding the library project to the Scott County Library System.
Consent Agenda. Jackie Puck moved and Koehler seconded to approve the consent agenda including the invoices and minutes from August 21, 2017. Motion carried.
Trick-or-Treating. Mengler reported that Walcott Women of Today is proposing to move Trick-or-Treating to October 31st. Jacob Puck moved and Koehler seconded to approve Trick-or-Treating on October 31st from 6:00 p.m. – 8:00 p.m. and the parade from Victory Park to the Walcott American Legion. Motion carried.
Hazard Mitigation Plan Update. The City Council reviewed the hazards priorities, mitigation actions, and goals for the Scott County Hazard Mitigation Plan update. Mengler moved and Koehler seconded to approve the updated hazards priorities and mitigation actions. Motion carried.
Disposal of Equipment. Stagg recommended accepting the high bid for the Caterpillar generator but to reject the bids for the John Deere 4300 tractor as they were all less than the trade-in value. Mengler moved and Jackie Puck seconded to reject the bids for the John Deere 4300 tractor and accept the bid from Brockmann Excavating for $501 for the Caterpillar generator. Motion carried.
Beer & Wine Permit for DOLGENCORP, LLC. Koehler moved, per Chief Blake’s recommendation, and Jacob Puck seconded to approve the Class C Beer permit, which includes a Class B Wine permit and Sunday Sales for DOLGENCORP, LLC (Dollar General Store) at 1113 N. Main Street. Motion carried.
City Hall Building Improvements. Discussion was held on updating the current City Hall facility. Questions arose on the long term building plans. Council consensus was to have Bengfort (Building Official) research options for carpet, ceiling, lighting, and painting the office area.
Building Department Report. Bengfort reported on the proposed ADA on-street parking space for the library building at 101 E. Durant Street. This will be on the September 18th agenda.
Ordinance 495-17, Amending Certain Provisions of Chapter 41 Pertaining to Fireworks. Rickertsen reported the proposed change is to amend the definitions to mirror the new fireworks definitions in the state code. It will still prohibit the use of fireworks within city limits. Mengler moved and Jacob Puck seconded to approve the second reading of Ordinance 495-17. Roll call ayes: Mengler, Jacob Puck, Latimer, Koehler, and Jackie Puck. Motion carried.
Fire Department Report. Chief Geigle reported on the location change for this year’s Fire Department Steak Fry to the Walcott Legion on September 30th. Koehler moved and Jacob Puck seconded to approve closing a portion of W. Durant Street (west side of bank ATM to west side of Legion property) on September 30th until the next morning. Motion carried. Mengler moved and Jackie Puck seconded to approve the payment to Kalmes Catering in the amount of $8,500. Motion carried.
Police Department Report. Chief Blake reported on the GTSB (Governor’s Traffic Safety Bureau) project in Davenport that our department recently participated in. Recent fireworks complaints were reported and Blake acknowledged there have been occasional car burglaries involving unlocked vehicles.
Public Works Department Report. Stagg presented the project worksheet to paint the north water tower which has not had a complete paint restoration since it was built 20 years ago. He stated it was recommended that the exterior be painted every 10 – 15 years. Brockmann stated the tower should be sandblasted prior to painting. Discussion was held on the three proposals and their workmanship/paint warranties. Stagg will check with the companies regarding their warranties and recommendations on sandblasting the entire tower. Stagg reported on the upcoming Main Street bridge repairs, completion of hydrant replacements, and removal of the hanging baskets due to cooler temperatures.
Jacob Puck moved and Mengler seconded to adjourn at 7:11 p.m. Motion carried. All votes on motions were unanimous, unless noted.