Council Meeting Minutes 5-1-17

REGULAR COUNCIL MEETING

May 1, 2017

     The City Council of the City of Fayette, Iowa, met Monday, May 1, 2017 at 7:30pm in the Fayette City Hall pursuant to law and rules of said council, Mayor Wenthe presiding.

     Roll call: Present - Council members Kragnes, Larson, Nefzger, Tucker and Wulfekuhle.

     Moved Kragnes, seconded Wulfekuhle, to approve the consent agenda consisting of the regular meeting minutes of 4/17/17 and the claims list of 4/18/17 – 5/1/17. Roll call, all ayes, carried.

     Moved Kragnes, seconded Tucker, to approve the agenda as presented. Wulfekuhle asked to move item 6A, City Attorney Proposals under old business, so it is the last thing on the agenda. Moved Kragnes, seconded Larson to approve the amended agenda. All ayes to approve, carried.

     Upon Mayor Wenthe’s request and the Fayette Ambulance Services recommendation, moved Kragnes, seconded Wulfekuhle, to appoint Autumn Weaver and Mason Bantz to the Fayette Ambulance Service. Weaver and Bantz are planning on going through EMT school. Both passed background checks. All ayes, carried.

     City Administrator/Clerk McGrane informed the council that one of the Fayette ambulances hit a deer this past weekend on the way to a call. No one was injured and the insurance company has been contacted. The crew will primarily be using the second ambulance for calls. The city of Fayette received a check from Black Hills Energy in the amount of $2,000 to show their support and help fund the cities portion of hiring Zachary Mannheimer for the Community Placemaking Economic Assessment. McGrane received a $330 scholarship to help pay for some of the classes that he will be taking at the Iowa Municipal Professionals Institute & Academy in Ames this July as he works towards the City Clerk and City Finance certifications.

     Police Chief Pisanti advised the council the department assisted with the North Fayette Valley (NFV) prom this past weekend that was held at UIU. The department is preparing for UIU graduation this weekend and are working with some of the students as the students organize an off-campus party to help keep them under control.

     Moved Kragnes, seconded Larson, to introduce NFV student Lance Butikofer and his math teacher, Brooke Lodge, as they inquire about constructing and placing a Little Library in a Fayette Park. Butikofer advised the council that NFV students and himself are building Little Library’s in shop class and would like to place them throughout the school district. A Little Library is a place where people may exchange books for free. Anyone may take a book or bring a book to share in the Little Library. Butikofer would like to place a Little Library at Cardinal Park in Fayette. After further discussion, the council recommended he place the Little Library at the Open Air Market because it may get utilized more. The goal is to have the Little Library finished and in place before the end of the current school year. The NFV school has one community service day a year, so they will not be able to manage or monitor the Little Library on a regular basis, that will be up to the community. Moved Larson, seconded Kragnes, to let Lance Butikofer construct and place a Little Library at the Open Air Market. All ayes, carried.

     Moved Kragnes, seconded Tucker, to discuss approving a Freedom Rock be placed in the City of Fayette. Moved Kragnes, seconded Nefzger, to approve placing a Freedom Rock in the City of Fayette. All ayes, carried.

     Moved Kragnes, seconded Tucker, to discuss American Tower Corporation’s three different conditional offers on the land they lease from the City of Fayette. After a brief discussion, moved Kragnes, seconded Larson, to table until the next meeting when more information can be provided and the council can review the current lease.

     Moved Kragnes, seconded Larson, to discuss repairing the wooden bridge on the recreation trail. Mayer Wenthe advised the bridge was washed out on the east end and is getting worse. Wenthe called West Union Trenching and they referred it to Superlandscapes. Superlandscapes provided a bid. After a brief discussion, the council would like to see more than one bid for the project. Wenthe would like the bridge repaired by June 30, 2017 because the DOT will be coming out to look at the entire trail this summer. The council requested McGrane to seek additional bids, including placing a post on Facebook, and present them at the next council meeting.

     Moved Kragnes, seconded Larson, to discuss Resolution 2017-10. After a brief discussion, moved Kragnes, seconded Wulfekuhle, to approve Resolution 2017-10: A resolution of support for Fayette County to affiliate with the Northeast Iowa Regional Housing Trust Fund Program as a participating county. Roll call, all ayes, carried.

     Moved Kragnes, seconded Tucker, to introduce the third and final reading of Ordinance 492 – Amending Fayette City Code Chapters 62.12 General Traffic Regulations, Penalties, and 63.12 Speed Regulations, Penalties, by increasing the penalties and fines. The ordinance increases the $75 and $50 fees in Chapter 62.12 to $100. These fines would include stop sign violations, expired insurance, not wearing a seat belt and other violations in Chapter 62. In Chapter 63, Speeding Regulations, the fees would increase from $75 to $100 for 1-10 miles per hour (mph) over the posted speed limit; $85 to $110 for 11-15 mph over the posted speed limit; and $95 to $125 for 16-20 mph over the posted speed limit. Moved Kragnes, seconded Wulfekuhle, to adopt and approve the third and final reading of Ordinance 492. On roll call, all ayes, carried.

     Moved Kragnes, seconded Larson, to discuss the city attorney proposals. The city received proposals from Hofmeyer and Hanson, PC of Fayette, Dillon Law, PC of Sumner, Brick Gentry, PC of West Des Moines, and Meyer Law Firm of Mason City. Larson advised he felt Dillon Law was one of the least expensive, close to Fayette and experienced as he represents other area cities. Tucker advised she was impressed with the proposal Dillon provided and how it outlined what he has done for communities that are similar to Fayette. Kragnes advised that it looked like Dillon had a good plan in place if there are any conflicts, is experienced to handle ordinance violations, and that his fees were reasonable. After further discussion, moved Kragnes, seconded Larson, to move forward in hiring Dillon Law, PC as the new city attorney. Four voted aye, Nefzger nay, motion carried.

     There being no further business, moved Nefzger, unanimous, to adjourn at 8:11pm.

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