September 3, 2013 Minutes

City of Walcott September 3, 2013

The semi-monthly meeting of the City Council of Walcott, Iowa, was held on Tuesday, the 3rd day of September, 2013, 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: John Brockmann, Lisa Rickertsen, Tom Schirman, and Josh Geigle.

Jackie Puck moved and Mengler seconded to approve the agenda. Motion carried.

Public Hearing. Mayor Kostichek opened the public hearing on rezoning the property at 123 W. Walcott Road. No written comments were received. Rickertsen explained that the Planning and Zoning Commission recommended approving the rezoning from M-1, light industrial district, to C-1, neighborhood local business district. The lot to the east of the area to be rezoned is already zoned C-1. Jackie Puck moved and Latimer seconded to close the public hearing and resume the regular meeting. Motion carried.

Consent Agenda. Koehler moved and Jacob Puck seconded to approve the consent agenda including the invoices, minutes from August 19, 2013, and minutes from August 26, 2013. Motion carried.

Audience. None.

Ordinance 467-13, Amending Official Zoning Map. Latimer moved and Jacob Puck seconded to introduce and approve the first reading of Ordinance 467-13. Roll call ayes: Latimer, Jacob Puck, Jackie Puck, Mengler, and Koehler. Motion carried. This is for the rezoning of the lot at 123 W. Walcott Road from M-1 to C-1.

Trick-or-Treating. Jacob Puck moved and Latimer seconded to approve Trick-or-Treating on October 30th from 6 : 8 p.m. Motion carried. Latimer moved and Jackie Puck seconded to approve the Halloween parade from Victory Park to the Walcott Legion on October 30th. Motion carried.

View Obstruction. Discussion was held on the evergreen, obstructing view of traffic, located at the SW corner of N. Downey Street and Meadow Lane. Attorney Schirman stated per Iowa Code the abutting property owner may be responsible for trimming the tree. Jacob Puck moved and Koehler seconded to send a notice to the abutting property owner and have the evergreen trimmed up 6' from the bottom. Motion carried.

Fire Department Daytime EMS Personnel. Assistant Chief Geigle reported an EMS class is starting next week but the recruitment for new members resulted in only one individual who works at a local business during the day. That individual and three other department volunteers will be taking the EMS class. Currently the City has hired temporary part-time EMS/Firefighters to help cover the shortage of personnel during the daytime hours. Geigle stated it will help once the four volunteers complete their EMS class but it may not be a long term solution. He suggested when hiring any new employees for city departments, the council consider hiring individuals with an EMS background or those willing to obtain an EMS certification.

Street Light Wattage. A resident requested lowering the wattage of an energy efficient LED bulb that was recently installed on the streetlight at the intersection of W. Bryant Street and Parker Street. The resident felt the new LED light was too bright and light was flowing into windows, particularly on the second floor. Discussion was held that street lights help to provide safety for residents and although it does light up the area the council consensus was to keep the current wattage.

Victory Park Shelter Painting. No action was taken as Brockmann stated he will be reviewing the painting bids further.

James Street Sidewalk : Across from School. Discussion was held on a request from the Planning & Zoning Commission that the Council take action to improve the safety of the school area by installing a sidewalk on the north side of James Street and putting in a crosswalk with a crossing guard. Brockmann presented a project worksheet for installing a 6' wide sidewalk, adjacent to the curb, as recommended by the city engineer, on the north side of James Street directly across from the school. Koehler moved and Jacob Puck seconded to proceed with the quote from Paustian Concrete at a cost of $6,498 for the sidewalk installation plus approximately $500 for a handicap ramp and mat. Motion carried. Brockmann will contact the school regarding the location of a crosswalk.

Resolution 2013-28, Approving Plans, Specifications, Form of Contract and Estimate of Cost for the South Downey Street Watermain Project. Jackie Puck moved and Mengler seconded to approve Resolution 2013-28. Roll call ayes: Jackie Puck, Mengler, Latimer, Koehler, and Jacob Puck. Motion carried. Bids for the project will be received until September 10th at 2:00 p.m.

Ordinance 466-13, Regulating Number of Animals. Koehler moved and Mengler seconded to approve the third and final reading of Ordinance 466-13. Roll call ayes: Koehler, Mengler, Latimer, Jackie Puck, and Jacob Puck. Motion carried. This ordinance prohibits any person from harboring or housing on the same premises more than a total of four of the following animals, dogs and cats, over the age of six months, unless such animals are in a licensed kennel, veterinary clinic or animal grooming shop.

Police Department Report. Chief Blake reported he purchased two additional trail cameras. Blake also reported on that a part-time officer needs to attend a short program at the Iowa Law Enforcement Academy (ILEA) due to his break in service after certification from another state. Individuals attending the ILEA must be hired by or sponsored by a law enforcement agency. Discussion was held on sponsoring other individuals for the ILEA. Blake stated sponsored individuals, including the current part-time officer, would pay their own registration and fees to attend the ILEA. Blake was requested to obtain additional information and the topic will be placed on the next agenda.

Public Works Department Report. Brockmann reported on the status of the new playground equipment at Wescott Park.

City Clerk's Department Report. Rickertsen requested approval to send Building Official Linda Rivers to a commercial electrical inspector course in Des Moines this November. Effective January 1, 2014, the State of Iowa requires that all electrical inspections be performed by a certified electrical inspector. This course will prepare Rivers for the International Code Council electrical inspector exam. Koehler moved and Jacob Puck seconded to allow Rivers to attend the commercial electrical course in Des Moines as presented. Motion carried. Rickertsen reported estimates have been received on a splash pad and will be presented to the Park Board during their next meeting for their recommendation. Discussion was held on upcoming grant deadlines and projects.

Koehler moved and Mengler seconded to adjourn at 7:25 p.m. Motion carried. All votes on motions were unanimous, unless noted.

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