August 15, 2022 Minutes
City of Walcott
August 15, 2022
The semi-monthly meeting of the City Council of Walcott, Iowa, was held on Monday, the 15th day of August, 2022, at Walcott City Hall. Mayor John Kostichek called the meeting to order at 6:00 p.m. Council members present: Everett Bieri, Harry Knutsen, Kirk Koberg, Lisa Mengler, and Jacob Puck. Staff present: Jeff Blake, Lisa Rickertsen, and Paul Stagg.
Approval of Agenda. Mengler moved and Puck seconded to approve the agenda. Motion carried.
Consent Agenda. Knutsen moved and Koberg seconded to approve the consent agenda including the invoices, minutes from August 1, 2022, renewal of beer & wine permit and Sunday sales license for Dolgencorp LLC (Dollar General), July 2022 financial reports, Resolution 2022-34-Approving Annual Street Finance Report for Fiscal Year Ending (FYE) June 30, 2022, FYE 2022 Annual Financial Report, and the FYE 2022 Investment Report. Roll call ayes: Knutsen, Koberg, Puck, Bieri, and Mengler. Motion carried.
Visit Quad Cities Annual Contribution. Bieri moved and Puck seconded to approve a contribution to Visit Quad Cities in the amount of $1,000 as budgeted. Motion carried.
Ordinance 529-22, Amending Provisions Pertaining to Alcoholic Beverage Control. The ordinance amends provisions regarding retail alcohol licenses and changes in terminology that impact sections of the Walcott City Code, due to recent state legislature changes. Mengler moved and Bieri seconded to approve the first reading of Ordinance 529-22. Roll call ayes: Mengler, Bieri, Puck, Koberg, and Knutsen. Motion carried. This is the first of three required readings.
Ordinance 530-22, Amending Provisions Pertaining to ATVs and UTVs. The ordinance amends Chapter 75 of the Walcott City Code, including removal of the City permit and fee requirements due to recent state legislature changes. The proposed ordinance does not include any changes to Section 75.05, which requires them to have a slow-moving vehicle sign and a bicycle safety flag. Koberg expressed he was not in favor of keeping the sign and flag requirements if they are not required by state code. Mengler moved and Puck seconded to approve the first reading of Ordinance 530-22. Roll call ayes: Mengler, Puck, Bieri, and Knutsen. Nays: Koberg. Motion carried. This is the first of three required readings.
Public Works Department Report. Stagg provided updates on the E. Lincoln Street Improvements project. He also reported that only one competitive quote was received for the ADA improvements at the James & Century Streets intersection. Stagg stated the project plans and specifications were submitted to eight contractors and the quote was significantly higher than budgeted. Koberg expressed his concern that local contractors were not contacted to submit a quote. Koberg moved and Knutsen seconded to reject the quote and resubmit for quotes to include local contractors. Motion carried. Discussion was also held on ash trees suspected to be dead, diseased, or damaged. The Street Committee will meet to evaluate ash trees through-out the City.
City Clerk’s Report. Rickertsen presented her report including information on IT support and network services. Mengler moved and Bieri seconded to extend the contract with Platinum Information Systems until June 30, 2023. Motion carried.
Mayor Report. Mayor Kostichek questioned the status of the Iowa Certified Public Manager Program the City agreed to sponsor for Stagg. Stagg stated he was accepted to the program and it begins on September 6th. Mayor Kostichek also questioned the status of the engineering reports on the E. Lincoln Street Improvements Project per his request. Stagg stated the reports are being sent direct to him and he is summarizing them during the council meetings.
Council Comments. Puck reported on a meeting he and Koberg attended on the Davenport Community School district’s long range facilities planning study, which includes a proposal to turn the Walcott K-8 school into a middle school. He stated Walcott was well represented at the meeting and their next meeting is August 25th. Mengler reported the Hearts and Hands Foundation is hosting Walcott One, a community event showcasing local organizations, at the Walcott American Legion on August 25th from 6:00 – 8:00 p.m. with dinner being served.
Puck moved and Mengler seconded to adjourn at 6:40 p.m. Motion carried. All votes on motions were unanimous, unless noted.