August 17, 2015 Minutes
The semi-monthly meeting of the City Council of Walcott, Iowa, was held on Monday, the 17th day of August, 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, John Brockmann, Josh Geigle, Adam Hill, Lisa Rickertsen, and Tom Schirman.
Approval of Agenda. Jackie Puck moved and Mengler seconded to approve the agenda. Motion carried.
In honor of his 48 years of service to the community, Mayor Kostichek presented John Brockmann with an engraved wall clock and thanked him for his service. Mayor Kostichek offered to have the City sponsor an open house for his retirement, but Brockmann declined.
Audience. There were approximately 33 people in attendance, including citizens, non-residents and vendors. North Scott Press reporter Alan Dale and city employees Scott Brockmann, Neal Krebs, and Jody Siebel were also in the audience.
Consent Agenda. Koehler moved and Latimer seconded to approve the consent agenda including the invoices, minutes from August 3, 2015, minutes from August 5, 2015, minutes from August 10, 2015, and the July 2015 financial reports. Motion carried.
Minutes from August 14, 2015. Mengler moved and Jackie Puck seconded to approve the minutes from August 14, 2015. Jacob Puck abstained due to absence from meeting. Motion carried.
Splash Pad Project. Bryce Johnson (J&M Civil Design) presented a phasing plan and associated cost estimates for the proposed splash pad area and reconstruction of West Otis Street. Johnson distributed additional information to the council and stated the breakdown of multiple phases would increase the overall costs. Questions arose from audience members regarding the project, maintenance, and costs. The Splash Pad Committee was formed (in February 2014) to assist in planning and pursuing grants and fundraising for the splash pad area. The street reconstruction would be a future street improvements project. Koehler moved and Jacob Puck seconded to table any action (on the phasing plans/costs estimates) until they review the information further. Motion carried. Brockmann will investigate the chain link fence and posts location (installed in May 2014) at the proposed splash pad site, following questions from resident Mike Engler.
S. Downey Street Improvements Project. Brockmann stated he has not received a second engineering bid, as requested by council. He felt it was unfair to take another bid since the first engineer's bid had been reported at a previous council meeting. No action was taken.
Rowe Street Right-of-Way (ROW). Following a request at the last meeting from William Belz, property owner of 302 W. Lincoln Street, Brockmann reconfirmed there are city utilities (sanitary and storm sewer) in the ROW and cautioned the City Council about selling portions of the ROW. Mengler moved and Koehler seconded to not sell the ROW to Belz. Motion carried.
Municipal Building Project – Relocating Poles at 101 S. Main Street. Rickertsen reported the architect stated the posts located on the southwest side of the lot could be moved 10 : 15' due west. Discussion was held that moving the poles would allow delivery trucks to turn from Henry Street into the drive on the south side of CenPeCo. Iowa Interstate Railroad has not yet been contacted regarding the poles that carry power to the crossing arms. It was stated the council would not be paying the costs to relocate any of the poles.
Public Works Director Position : Resolution 2015-30, Establishing Hourly Wage and Vacation Leave. Mengler moved and Jackie Puck seconded to approve Resolution 2015-30. Roll call ayes: Mengler, Jackie Puck, Jacob Puck, Latimer, and Koehler. Motion carried. A lengthy discussion was held on the questions/comments that arose regarding the resolution details, job qualifications/requirements, and the hiring process. The resolution approved the appointment of Steve Bowman as the Public Works Director, effective August 24, 2015, at a rate of $27.00/hour with two weeks of vacation granted at the start of employment.
Fire Department Report. Chief Geigle reported he is pursuing additional information on the hose tower that he had requested to be on the agenda.
Police Department Report. Chief Blake reported on the multi-jurisdiction event, funded by the Governor's Traffic Safety Bureau, the department is participating with on August 19th.
Public Work's Department Report. Brockmann stated he wanted the public to know that CenPeCo offered the City $160,000, to be used to purchase and demolish the adjacent residential property. He questioned the costs reported at the last meeting and Koehler stated the information he presented was the value of all land and demolition costs (related to the Municipal Building Project). Brockmann reported on the following:
He spoke with an Alliant Energy representative that stated they welcome city banners on their poles.
Others also had trouble hearing the council at the last regular meeting.
Expressed his frustration with the farm lease eviction notice he received.
Thanked his family, employees, and vendors present and congratulated Bowman on getting the job.
City Clerk's Department Report. Rickertsen stated she was contacted by a Mediacom representative who stated they will indeed proceed, in conjunction with the Main Street Streetscape Enhancement project, with extending their services north of the bridge.
Mayor's Report. Mayor Kostichek thanked the residents in attendance at the meeting.
Questions/Concerns. Some concerns expressed included the following:
Ruth Siebke, resident, expressed her frustration with the sidewalk and handicap ramp repairs done near her property. She questioned the inspection process and Rickertsen reported the Building Official inspects the sidewalk and the Public Works Director inspects the handicap ramp area.
Andrew Snyder, property owner, expressed his concerns about communication issues with the Building Official regarding the Main Street Streetscape Enhancement project.
Jackie Puck moved and Mengler seconded to adjourn at 7:35 p.m. Motion carried. All votes on motions were unanimous, unless noted.
August 14, 2015 Minutes
A special meeting of the City Council of the City of Walcott, Iowa was held on Monday, August 14, 2015, with Mayor John Kostichek calling the meeting to order at 7:30 a.m. Council members present were: Tim Koehler, Virgil Wayne Latimer, Lisa Mengler, and Jackie Puck. Absent: Jacob Puck. Also present were employees: Lisa Rickertsen, Linda Rivers, and Tom Schirman, and Missman, Inc. engineer, John Fellman.
Jackie Puck moved and Latimer seconded to approve the agenda. Motion carried.
Fellman expressed his frustration with obtaining the required permit from the Iowa Department of Natural Resources (IDNR) for the Main Street Enhancement project. He stated that at the beginning of the project they were told by the IDNR that a variance would not be required (for the bridge walkway addition) and it wasn’t until the last week of July when the IDNR required it. During discussion, it was reported a permit is now being issued for the remainder of the project, which requires a permit, and work will continue on all but the bridge walkway portion. Koehler moved and Mengler seconded to proceed with obtaining the required IDNR variance permit (for the bridge walkway) and authorize Attorney Schirman to assist as necessary. Motion carried.
During the planning stages of the Main Street Enhancement project, Mediacom had agreed to coordinate installation of their cable with the contractor’s installation of the storm sewer, however, they stated on August 13th that they would bring the materials but wanted the project contractor to install their cable line. The cable installation is Mediacom’s responsibility and is not part of the contractor’s contract. Council members expressed their frustration with Mediacom’s lack of participation and the impact on local businesses.
Jackie Puck moved and Latimer seconded to adjourn at 8:30 a.m. Motion carried.
All motions were unanimous.
August 10, 2015 Minutes
A special meeting of the City Council of the City of Walcott, Iowa was held on Monday, August 10, 2015, with Mayor John Kostichek calling the meeting to order at 5:00 p.m. Council members present were: Tim Koehler, Virgil Wayne Latimer, Lisa Mengler, Jackie Puck, and Jacob Puck. Absent: None.
Jackie Puck moved and Mengler seconded to approve the agenda. Motion carried.
Council reviewed the operations of the wastewater treatment plant with Randy Reimers, the City’s certified wastewater operator. Reimers left the meeting prior to the interviews.
Council separately interviewed two applicants for the Public Works Director position. Discussion was held on the applicants’ qualifications, wages, and benefits. Council consensus was to offer the Public Works Director position to applicant #1, explore increasing Reimers’ hours at the wastewater plant, and pursue a new certified water operator, by affidavit.
Jackie Puck moved and Koehler seconded to adjourn at 8:10 p.m. Motion carried.
All motions were unanimous.
August 5, 2015 Minutes
A special meeting of the City Council of the City of Walcott, Iowa was held on Wednesday, August 5, 2015, with Mayor John Kostichek calling the meeting to order at 5:30 p.m. Council members present were: Tim Koehler, Virgil Wayne Latimer, Lisa Mengler, Jackie Puck, and Jacob Puck. Absent: None. Lisa Rickertsen was also present.
Mengler moved and Jackie Puck seconded to approve the agenda. Motion carried.
Public Works Director Position. Discussion was held on the applications received for the Public Works Director (PWD) position. The Council felt that none of the applicants met 100% of the job requirements as listed in the job description. The job description was recently updated to include the required State of Iowa wastewater certification (Grade 3) for the new wastewater treatment plant. The City currently does not have a full-time employee that meets the certification requirements for the wastewater plant. Due to the accelerated retirement date of the current PWD, the Council will proceed with interviews and look at possibly adjusting the job description.
Jackie Puck moved and Mengler seconded to adjourn at 7:12 p.m. Motion carried.
All motions were unanimous.
August 3, 2015 Minutes
The semi-monthly meeting of the City Council of Walcott, Iowa, was held on Monday, the 3rd day of August, 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: John Brockmann, Josh Geigle, Lisa Rickertsen, and Tom Schirman.
Approval of Agenda. Jackie Puck moved and Mengler seconded to approve the agenda. Motion carried.
Audience. Kent Arp, Gene Meyer, Randy Moeller, Jill Hernandez, Andy Brus, Alan Dale, Andrew Snyder, William Belz, Dennis Siebel, Brian Mengler, Janice Dawson, Joe Hahn, Bryce Johnson, and Brad Roeth. Employees Jody Siebel and Randy Reimers were also in the audience.
Consent Agenda. Koehler moved and Jacob Puck seconded to approve the consent agenda including the invoices, minutes from July 20, 2015, and the Casey’s General Store #1922 Class C beer permit renewal. Motion carried.
Splash Pad Project. Bryce Johnson (J&M Civil Design) presented a concept plan for the proposed splash pad area including the preliminary design of the Otis Street reconstruction and elevations of the entire project area. Discussion was held on the recommendations from Brad Roeth (Watersmith Engineering) regarding the steps for the applicable project permitting requirements with the Iowa Department of Natural Resources (IDNR) and US Army Corps of Engineers. Discussion was also held on the possible project phases (splash pad and required infrastructure/drainage, W. Otis Street reconstruction, diagonal parking areas, and W. Otis St. turnabout : west of Rowe Lane). Following the Mayor’s request, Johnson will break down the costs for the different phases. Mengler moved and Jacob Puck seconded to approve Watersmith Engineering proceed with step one of his recommendation (submit water quality test results to IDNR and request a Waste Load Allocation). Motion carried.
William Belz : Rowe Street Right-of-Way (ROW). Belz, property owner of 302 W. Lincoln Street, was present to request a portion of the adjacent Rowe Street ROW. City utilities (sanitary and storm sewer) are located in the Rowe Street ROW and Brockmann stated he needs 10′-15′ on both sides of the utilities for access. Brockmann will locate the sanitary sewer and storm sewer lines in the ROW. Attorney Schirman stated that past ROW conveyances to adjoining property owners included having the property owner be responsible for surveying their property lines.
Iowa American Water. A letter was received from Iowa American Water requesting a meeting to discuss the possibility of privatization of Walcott’s water and or wastewater systems. Mengler moved and Jackie Puck seconded to send a letter to Iowa American Water, denying their request for a meeting. Motion carried.
Sewer Inflow & Infiltration Study. At an earlier meeting, Stanley Consultants was present and reported on the results of the phase one sewer inflow and infiltration study. Brockmann stated work needs to be done a little at a time and he feels there are two areas on the east side where a larger sanitary sewer pipe could be installed to eliminate the back-up problem in those areas. He also suggested replacing some manhole covers and rings. Brockmann introduced the City’s certified wastewater operator, Randy Reimers, who stated the laboratory at the sewer plant is completed and he is submitting the application to the IDNR to get the lab certified. Following further discussion, Mengler moved and Koehler seconded to have Brockmann obtain estimates to install the larger piping on the two sections as he suggested. Motion carried.
Municipal Building Project/Property. Koehler stated he would like to see a drawing of the proposed building on the lot at 101 S. Main Street (SE corner of Lincoln & Main) to see if something can be worked out with Cen-Pe-Co regarding their concerns. Jill Hernandez, neighboring property owner, expressed her frustration with the lengthy process of determining a location for the potential municipal building. Mayor Kostichek stated they just recently had the opportunity to meet in person with the owner of Cen-Pe-Co. Discussion continued and it was stated that constructing a new building next to the current city hall location would be more costly, due to property acquisitions and demolition costs.
Fire Department Report. Chief Geigle presented a project worksheet to install new emergency lights and striping on Rescue Unit #6. Mengler moved and Latimer seconded to approve the new lights and striping on unit #6. Motion carried. The work will be done by Alexis Fire Equipment at a cost of $11,902.
Public Work’s Department Report.
Snow Plow. Brockmann presented a project worksheet for a 12′ steel snow plow. Questions arose on how the old plow will be disposed of. It was stated the old equipment should be sold as scrap. Latimer moved and Jacob Puck seconded to approve the purchase of a snow plow as requested. Motion carried. The 12′ steel snow plow will be purchased from Bonnell Industries at a cost of $13,767.20.
S. Downey Street Improvements Project. Brockmann also presented a project worksheet for approximate engineering and surveying costs for the S. Downey Street Improvements project. Following discussion, Koehler moved and Jacob Puck seconded to obtain a second bid for engineering. Motion carried.
Other. Brockmann reported the sludge from the wastewater plant has previously been applied to his farm ground but he will no longer be allowing sludge on his ground and the City needs to find a new place to dispose of it. Discussion ensued regarding city-owned farm ground and the need for written lease agreements. Brockmann also expressed his frustration with not being able to hear everything during the meeting, which may have led to some miscommunication recently. Microphones or a PA system may need to be looked into. Brockmann also expressed his irritation that a project contractor was aware that he made a complaint against the contractor. Brockmann stated his retirement date will be August 21st.
City Clerk’s Department Report. Rickertsen presented the FYE 2015 investment report. Koehler moved and Jacob seconded to approve the FYE 2015 investment report. Motion carried. Rickertsen reported on the July Building Department report and stated Rivers (Building Official) has been working with IDNR and a few property owners just east of the Main Street bridge, who were asked to sign a document that acknowledges they understand that the backwater situation is not going to change, based on the modeling done by the project engineers. Andrew Snyder, property owner of 305 E. Walcott Road, was present and expressed his disapproval of the Main Street Streetscape Enhancement project, his frustration with not having advance notice of the project, and questioned if the City ever intends to dredge the creek. Rickertsen replied that Snyder was one of the property owners that recently received an acknowledgement letter/form regarding the project, which was just requested last week by the IDNR. The project has been in the planning stages for well over a year and has been listed on agendas and had the required hearings. Mengler stated the City is trying to enhance N. Main Street and provide a safe walking path for residents. Rickertsen will have the engineer’s water flow modeling/reports forwarded to Snyder.
City Attorney Report.
Solid Waste and Recycling Contract Renewal. Attorney Schirman reported all concerns with the proposed contract with Allied Waste d/b/a Republic Services have been addressed with an additional sentence added to the contract. Koehler moved and Mengler seconded to approve Resolution 2015-28, Solid Waste & Recycling Contract. Roll call ayes: Koehler, Mengler, Jackie Puck, Jacob Puck, and Latimer. Motion carried. The contract renewal is for a period of five years.
Farm Leases/Rent. Attorney Schirman reported this came up in a previous discussion and stated there are no written lease agreements. He will pursue notifying the current renters and prepare agreements. Brockmann stated he is no longer interested in farming the city-owned property.
Personnel Policy Changes. Koehler moved and Jackie Puck seconded to approve Resolution 2015-29, Approving an Amendment to the Personnel Policy Handbook. Roll call ayes: Koehler, Jackie Puck, Jacob Puck, Latimer, and Mengler. Motion carried. Full-time employees hired after August 1, 2015, will receive four hours of sick leave each month, compared to the current full-time employees who receive eight hours of sick leave each month.
Mayor’s Report. Mayor Kostichek stated he didn’t intend to cause any ill feelings regarding the farm lease and the only intent was to have the leases in writing to protect the city. He stated he received a letter from RAGBRAI organizers stating they received glowing reviews from the riders regarding the town and hospitality they received. He expressed thanks to all the volunteers during the Walcott Day and RAGBRAI celebrations.
Public Works Director Position. A special meeting was scheduled for Wednesday, August 5th at 5:30 p.m.
Questions/Concerns. Andy Brus questioned the status of the James Street water main project. Brockmann responded the work hasn’t been completed due to events and requests from neighboring properties and that it will be up to his successor to complete the project. Jackie Puck reported on her conversation with the homeowner in regards to heavy trucks on South Main Street.
Jackie Puck moved and Mengler seconded to adjourn at 7:54 p.m. Motion carried. All votes on motions were unanimous, unless noted.