October 5, 2015 Minutes
City of Walcott
October 5, 2015
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.