September 5, 2017 Minutes
The semi-monthly meeting of the City Council of Walcott, Iowa, was held on Tuesday, the 5th day of September, 2017, at Walcott City Hall. Mayor John Kostichek called the meeting to order at 6:00 p.m. Council members present were: Virgil Wayne Latimer, Tim Koehler, Lisa Mengler, Jackie Puck, and Jacob Puck. Absent: None. City staff present: Scott Bengfort, Jeff Blake, Josh Geigle, Lisa Rickertsen, Tom Schirman, and Paul Stagg.
Approval of Agenda. Mengler moved and Jacob Puck seconded to approve the agenda with the deletion of item 5, Night Owl Wireless, which was moved to the September 18th agenda. Motion carried.
Public Comments. John Brockmann complained about the Memorial Road ditch cleaning project and several issues he has with the library project. Mayor Kostichek suggested he take his concerns regarding the library project to the Scott County Library System.
Consent Agenda. Jackie Puck moved and Koehler seconded to approve the consent agenda including the invoices and minutes from August 21, 2017. Motion carried.
Trick-or-Treating. Mengler reported that Walcott Women of Today is proposing to move Trick-or-Treating to October 31st. Jacob Puck moved and Koehler seconded to approve Trick-or-Treating on October 31st from 6:00 p.m. – 8:00 p.m. and the parade from Victory Park to the Walcott American Legion. Motion carried.
Hazard Mitigation Plan Update. The City Council reviewed the hazards priorities, mitigation actions, and goals for the Scott County Hazard Mitigation Plan update. Mengler moved and Koehler seconded to approve the updated hazards priorities and mitigation actions. Motion carried.
Disposal of Equipment. Stagg recommended accepting the high bid for the Caterpillar generator but to reject the bids for the John Deere 4300 tractor as they were all less than the trade-in value. Mengler moved and Jackie Puck seconded to reject the bids for the John Deere 4300 tractor and accept the bid from Brockmann Excavating for $501 for the Caterpillar generator. Motion carried.
Beer & Wine Permit for DOLGENCORP, LLC. Koehler moved, per Chief Blake’s recommendation, and Jacob Puck seconded to approve the Class C Beer permit, which includes a Class B Wine permit and Sunday Sales for DOLGENCORP, LLC (Dollar General Store) at 1113 N. Main Street. Motion carried.
City Hall Building Improvements. Discussion was held on updating the current City Hall facility. Questions arose on the long term building plans. Council consensus was to have Bengfort (Building Official) research options for carpet, ceiling, lighting, and painting the office area.
Building Department Report. Bengfort reported on the proposed ADA on-street parking space for the library building at 101 E. Durant Street. This will be on the September 18th agenda.
Ordinance 495-17, Amending Certain Provisions of Chapter 41 Pertaining to Fireworks. Rickertsen reported the proposed change is to amend the definitions to mirror the new fireworks definitions in the state code. It will still prohibit the use of fireworks within city limits. Mengler moved and Jacob Puck seconded to approve the second reading of Ordinance 495-17. Roll call ayes: Mengler, Jacob Puck, Latimer, Koehler, and Jackie Puck. Motion carried.
Fire Department Report. Chief Geigle reported on the location change for this year’s Fire Department Steak Fry to the Walcott Legion on September 30th. Koehler moved and Jacob Puck seconded to approve closing a portion of W. Durant Street (west side of bank ATM to west side of Legion property) on September 30th until the next morning. Motion carried. Mengler moved and Jackie Puck seconded to approve the payment to Kalmes Catering in the amount of $8,500. Motion carried.
Police Department Report. Chief Blake reported on the GTSB (Governor’s Traffic Safety Bureau) project in Davenport that our department recently participated in. Recent fireworks complaints were reported and Blake acknowledged there have been occasional car burglaries involving unlocked vehicles.
Public Works Department Report. Stagg presented the project worksheet to paint the north water tower which has not had a complete paint restoration since it was built 20 years ago. He stated it was recommended that the exterior be painted every 10 – 15 years. Brockmann stated the tower should be sandblasted prior to painting. Discussion was held on the three proposals and their workmanship/paint warranties. Stagg will check with the companies regarding their warranties and recommendations on sandblasting the entire tower. Stagg reported on the upcoming Main Street bridge repairs, completion of hydrant replacements, and removal of the hanging baskets due to cooler temperatures.
Jacob Puck moved and Mengler seconded to adjourn at 7:11 p.m. Motion carried. All votes on motions were unanimous, unless noted.