September 21, 2015 Minutes
City of Walcott
September 21, 2015
The semi-monthly meeting of the City Council of Walcott, Iowa, was held on Monday, the 21st day of September, 2015, at Walcott City Hall. Mayor John Kostichek called the meeting to order at 6:02 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, Randy Reimers, Jackie Huston, Linda Rivers, and Tom Schirman.
Approval of Agenda. Jackie Puck moved and Latimer seconded to approve the agenda. Motion carried.
Police Department Report. Chief Blake reported that it is not clear how much the 2009 Ford Expedition would be worth due to its deteriorated condition. The easiest disposal method would be to trade it in on the new squad. This item will be on the next agenda for updated figures.
Consent Agenda. Koehler moved and Jacob Puck seconded to approve the consent agenda including the invoices, minutes from September 8, 2015, and August 2015 Financial Reports. Motion carried.
Iowa 80 Trucking Museum Expansion Site Plan. Huston presented the Site Plan and stated that staff members and the Planning & Zoning Commission recommended approval. Koehler moved and Latimer seconded to approve Resolution 2015-32, which approves the Iowa 80 Trucking Museum Expansion Site Plan. Motion carried with a unanimous roll call vote.
Ossian, Inc. Compaction Building Site Plan. Huston presented the Site Plan and stated that recommended changes had been made and staff members and the Planning & Zoning Commission recommended approval. Mengler moved and Jacob Puck seconded to approve Resolution 2015-33, which approves the Ossian, Inc. Compaction Building Site Plan. Motion carried with a unanimous roll call vote.
Main Street Streetscape Enhancement Project. Mengler moved and Jackie Puck seconded to approve payment #2, to Brandt Construction, in the amount of $12,895.30. Motion carried. Building Official, Linda Rivers, stated that this payment was mostly for material.
101 S. Main Street Lot – Phase I Environmental Site Assessment. Huston reported that three quotes had been received – MSA, $2,250, Terracon, $2,300, and Forest Road Consulting, $2,500. Koehler moved and Mengler seconded to approve hiring MSA for the Phase I study in the amount of $2,250. Motion carried.
Approval of Central Tank Coatings Invoice. Bowman stated that the contractor agreed to make repairs to the painting on the tank this fall, but requested that 75% of the $31,920 contract be paid at this time and 25% upon completion. Jackie Puck moved and Koehler seconded to pay 75% of the contract upon receipt of documentation agreeing to repair the paint job. Motion carried.
Building Department Report. Rivers gave an update on the Main Street Enhancement Project and various construction and remodeling projects. She reported on the results from the BCEGS review that determines the City’s ISO rating that affects insurance rates for the community. The review determined that Walcott’s rating would be downgraded one point for both commercial and residential property. This is mostly due to not having adopted current construction codes. The City has the option of reviewing the information and responding with a plan to regain the higher classification. Mengler moved and Jackie Puck seconded to reply to the BCEGS that the City of Walcott will review the information and will institute programs to regain our previous BCEGS classification number. Motion carried.
Public Work’s Department Report.
Street Repair Bids. Bowman reported the following bids for street repairs – Seven Hills Paving-$13,630 and Tri-City Blacktop-$17,750. Mengler moved and Jacob Puck seconded to accept the bid from Seven Hills Paving in the amount of $13,630 for six street patches. Motion carried.
Salt Spreader for snow plow. Bowman reported he had one bid from Bonnell for a salt spreader on the snow plow that they use at the interstate area, in the amount of $11,917.60. He stated that this would reduce fuel costs and manpower by allowing plowing and salt spreading to be done at the same time. Jackie Puck moved and Latimer seconded to accept the bid from Bonnell in the amount of $11,917.60. Motion carried.
Plow Blade for 2015 GMC Pickup truck. Bowman reported he had one bid from Bonnell for a Western blade in the amount of $5,530. He stated that a Western blade was preferred because it would last 10 – 15 years longer than other blades. He intends to use this truck in alleys and places that a large truck is not practical. Audience members questioned if this truck would be used to remove snow from the sidewalks located next to the curbs. Bowman responded that if the plow trucks deposited the snow on the sidewalks, it would be removed with the pickup truck. Mengler moved and Jacob Puck seconded to accept the bid from Bonnell in the amount of $5,530. Motion carried.
Bowman presented a list of vehicles and equipment that could be disposed of. It consisted of old, non-functioning equipment that could be sold. This list will be included on the agenda for the next meeting.
Vision Committee Report. The Committee, represented by Brent Puck, Brent Arp, Larry Koberg, and Austin Burt, presented a proposed set of guidelines and application form to reinstitute the Mayor’s Beautification Award. Following discussion, the Council consensus was to have the Committee bring a list of recommended candidates for the award to the next meeting.
The Vision Committee is in the process of transitioning to an independent committee by establishing the Hearts & Hands Foundation as a 501(c)(3), non-profit organization. This would allow the Foundation to accept tax deductible donations to use for community projects. The Committee is interested in purchasing and renovating the building at 101 E. Durant Street to be used for a library. Currently, the Scott County Library Board has an option to purchase the building that expires soon. If the Committee does purchase the building, they envision fundraising and applying for grants to complete the project. They would ask that the City donate funds to help obtain the grants.
New Business/Questions. Elaine and Brenda Arp explained a project called the Public Servants Dressed in Blue Week. The Lambda Phi Sorority wants to purchase and distribute blue light bulbs for the residents of Walcott to use in their outdoor porch light receptacles to show support for the Police and Fire Departments. They requested the Mayor to sign a proclamation for the week of November 22nd. Donations received for the light bulbs would go to the Walcott Police and Fire Departments. The Council expressed their support of the project and the Mayor requested that they bring the proclamation to City Hall to be placed on a meeting agenda for November.
Koehler requested that the realtor for the building on North Main Street attend the next meeting. The contract will expire soon and options for the building were discussed if it is not sold. Bowman was asked to get estimates for removing the asbestos and also demolition costs.
Mengler moved and Jacob Puck seconded to adjourn at 7:20 p.m. Motion carried. All votes on motions were unanimous, unless noted.