April 15, 2013

City of Walcott April 15, 2013

The semi-monthly meeting of the City Council of Walcott, Iowa, was held on Monday, the 15th day of April, 2013, at Walcott City Hall. Mayor Jim Couper called the meeting to order at 6:00 p.m. Council members present were: Tim Koehler, John Kostichek, Jacob Puck, and Jackie Puck. Absent: Lisa Mengler. City employees present: Jeff Blake, John Brockmann, Lisa Rickertsen, and Joe Hahn.

Rickertsen stated the request for a rain garden was withdrawn after the agenda was posted. Jacob Puck moved and Koehler seconded to approve the agenda, with the deletion of the rain garden request. Motion carried.

Consent Agenda. Koehler moved and Kostichek seconded to approve the consent agenda including the invoices, March 2013 financial reports, and Resolution 2013-14, Transfer of Funds. Roll call ayes: Koehler, Kostichek, Jacob Puck, and Jackie Puck. Motion carried.

Audience. Mike Arp, Bridget Geigle, and Rusty Holzworth.

Minutes from 04/01/13. Koehler moved and Jacob Puck seconded to approve the minutes from 04/01/13. Jackie Puck abstained due to absence from meeting. Motion carried.

Minutes from 04/10/13. Jackie Puck moved and Koehler seconded to approve the minutes from 04/10/13. Kostichek abstained due to absence from meeting. Motion carried.

Approval of Beer Permit & Sunday License for Walcott Unified Fund (W.U.F.) at Victory Park. Jacob Puck moved and Kostichek seconded to approve the six month beer permit & Sunday license for W.U.F. at Victory Park. Motion carried.

Approval of Beer Permit & Sunday License for Walcott Unified Fund (W.U.F.) at Wescott Park. Jacob Puck moved and Kostichek seconded to approve the six month beer permit & Sunday license for W.U.F. at Wescott Park. Motion carried.

Skilled Iowa Program. Rickertsen reported on a program sponsored by Iowa Workforce Development regarding assessment tests that measure individual worker's skills. Council consensus was to not sign the proposed agreement promoting the program since it doesn't align with the City's hiring process.

Fire Department Electrical Wiring Labor Costs. Jackie Puck moved and Koehler seconded to approve the bid from Central City to provide labor for the electrical wiring for the Fire Department, not to exceed $1,500. Motion carried.

W. Bryant & Powers Streets Improvements Project. Discussion was held on the proposed preliminary sidewalk assessment plat, sidewalk placement, and letter to residents that do not currently have sidewalks on their lots. Kostichek moved and Koehler seconded to approve the letter to affected residents, inviting them to the May 6th meeting at 6:00 p.m. Motion carried. Further discussion is needed with the City Engineer regarding sidewalk placement.

Prairie View Park Spring Burn. Brockmann stated with the recent growth and upcoming rain it's getting too late this year for a burn so it will be postponed until next spring.

Police Department Report. K-9 Proposal. Chief Blake presented a proposal to purchase a narcotics detection dog. He stated the dog would be paid for with donated funds and the food and regular vet care would also be donated. A new squad has been budgeted for purchase this year and instead of trading in the Ford Expedition, it would be kept and dedicated to the K-9. Discussion was held on the estimated $7,500 for equipping a third squad and approximately $1,000/year for insurance on the dog and additional squad. The police vehicle fund balance should cover the purchase of a new squad and the additional costs for equipping a third squad. Blake also presented a sample K-9 policy and discussion was also held on forfeited funds/property obtained from convictions resulting from assistance with the K-9. Some felt the additional costs to the City would be recouped with forfeiture funds seized. Following further discussion, Jackie Puck moved and Kostichek seconded to proceed with the proposal of purchasing a K-9 as presented by Chief Blake. Motion carried.

Fire Department Report.

  • Daytime Responders Proposal. Discussion was held on the proposal regarding hiring temporary part-time staff to assist the Fire Department due to shortage of personnel during daytime hours. Discussion was held on the preference that any staff hired should have be trained in both EMS and Fire and current department volunteers should not be hired for the positions. Fire Department Member Rusty Holzworth stated they are working on getting an EMS class started soon. Holzworth will meet with Rickertsen to format a job description for this position. A special council meeting was scheduled for Monday, April 22nd at 5:30 p.m. to review the proposed job description and discuss the issue further.
  • FCC License. Chief Hahn reported on the status of the FCC license for the Fire Department. Jackie Puck moved and Kostichek seconded to sign the proposal with Communications Engineering Company (CEC) to complete the process at a cost of $1,434.50. Motion carried.

Public Works Department Report. Brockmann reported he is obtaining estimates if property owners were to install sump pump services lines on S. Downey Street. He also reported that there would be no drainage problems if the council decides to install sidewalks across from the school on James Street. Discussion was held on location of the sidewalk and council consensus was that it should adhere to the current city code specifications.

City Clerk's Department Report. Rickertsen reported she received notice from Mediacom that their rates are increasing May 1st. She also reported on information from Witts regarding their new asking prices on their property located on the NW corner of Lincoln and Main Streets. Rickertsen also reported that our Building Official, Linda Rivers, will also be working for the City of Eldridge part-time.

Mayor's Report. Mayor Couper reported he will be moving out of Walcott, therefore resigning his position, effective May 31st. Kostichek moved and Koehler seconded to regretfully accept Mayor Couper's resignation. Ayes: Kostichek, Couper, and Jacob Puck. Nays: Jackie Puck. Motion carried. Jacob Puck moved and Koehler seconded to proceed with an appointment process to fill the vacancy. Motion carried. The council will make the appointment during the regular meeting on June 6th at 6:00 p.m. Couper reported he has enjoyed his eleven years of service with the City of Walcott, both as the Mayor and City Council member and thanked everyone for their support during his tenure.

Koehler moved and Jacob Puck seconded to adjourn at 7:39 p.m. Motion carried. All votes on motions were unanimous, unless noted.

Skip to content