REGULAR COUNCIL MEETING
February 4, 2019
The City Council of the City of Fayette, Iowa, met Monday, February 4, 2019, at 6:00pm in Fayette City Hall pursuant to law and rules of said council, Mayor Wenthe presiding.
Roll call: Present - Council members Cowley (arrived at 6:04 pm), Larson, Nefzger and Tucker. Absent – Wulfekuhle.
Moved Larson, seconded Nefzger, to approve the consent agenda items consisting of the regular meeting minutes of 1/21/19, the claims list of 1/22/19 – 2/4/19 and the December 2018 Financial Reports. Roll call, all ayes, motion carried.
Treasurer’s Balance for Fund Accounts as of December 31, 2018: Total December Receipts: $241,997.76 (General $45,301.36; Streets $15,187.62; Employee Benefits $7,822.64; Local Option Sales Tax [LOST] $8,762.43; TIF $253.15; Revolving Loan $22,570.79; Bolger $225.10; Library Fund $4.81; Water $461.18; Water T&A $900; Sewer $1,431.38; Sewer Project $139,034.30; Storm Water $43). Total December Disbursements: $424,081.23 (General $46,989.20; Streets $23,466.43; Employee Benefits $10,162.36; CDBG LMI Housing $117.25; Revolving Loan $45,010; Water $13,267.45; Water T&A $66.91; Sewer $12,386.95; Sewer Project $261,462.48; Sewer Fund $11,094.90; 9 S. Main St $57.30). Transfers in: Sewer Fund $9,575.50; Transfers out: Sewer $9,575.50. Treasurer’s Balance: $3,156,614.04.
Moved Tucker, seconded Larson, to approve the agenda as presented. All ayes, carried.
Mayor Wenthe thanked everyone who helped with the budget estimate for FY2020.
Police Chief Davis advised the council the Dubuque Police Dept is going to donate two Toughbook car computers to the Fayette Police Dept.
Moved Nefzger, seconded Larson, to discuss the Fayette Personnel Committee meeting minutes from 1/21/19. Moved Nefzger, seconded Tucker, to approve the Fayette Personnel Committee meeting minutes from 1/21/19. All ayes, carried.
Moved Nefzger, seconded Tucker, to discuss the Fayette Finance Committee meeting minutes from 1/23/19. Moved Larson, seconded Tucker, to approve the Fayette Finance Committee meeting minutes from 1/23/19. All ayes, carried.
Moved Larson, seconded Nefzger, to discuss the Fayette Finance Committee meeting minutes from 1/28/19. Moved Tucker, seconded Nefzger, to approve the Fayette Finance Committee meeting minutes from 1/28/19. All ayes, carried.
Moved Nefzger, seconded Larson, to approve the Fayette Finance Committee meeting minutes from 1/30/19. All ayes, carried.
Moved Nefzger, seconded Tucker, to discuss and consider signing a letter of support to the Fayette County Zoning Board for the construction of a trap shooting range at the property south of Fayette on Kornhill Road, owned by the Fayette County Solid Waste Commission. Blake Gamm, the Echo Valley Trap Team Head Coach, presented the information about the proposed construction of the trap shooting range. Gamm advised he is hoping the range would have 3 trap houses facing to the south. The range would be called the Kornhill Shooting Range and would be its own 501c3 entity with its own board that would have representatives from the Fayette County Solid Waste Commission, Fayette County Conservation, City of Fayette, Team(s) Coaches and possibly a member at-large. The Echo Valley Trap Team is a club with local high school athletes, is currently recruiting for its 4th season, has grown from 6 athletes to over 20 in the last 3 years and are considering adding 7th and 8th grade students. The team currently practices at the Volga Valley Conservation Club but needs to expand and the Volga Valley Conservation Club does not want to expand its range at this time. Gamm has been in contact with Upper Iowa University (UIU) and they are interested in starting a trap shooting team for the 2020 season which could draw as many as 50 athletes. The range will offer a permanent and safe environment for hunter education classes, 4H shooting sports events, a practice range for the Echo Valley Trap Team and UIU Trap Team, a place to host local competitions and possibly training for law enforcement. The range would not be open for general public use, so notifications can be made each and every time the range would be used. The proposed trap shooting range has support from the Fayette County Solid Waste Commission, Fayette County Conservation and UIU. There would be no cost to the city or the county for the range. John Frey (13894 Klock Road) was present at the meeting because his property is near the location of the proposed range. Frey advised he is working with Gamm to schedule a time where they can test the noise level and McGrane advised he would like to be notified so he can try and attend as well. The Fayette County Zoning Board will hold a Board of Adjustment public meeting on Tuesday, 2/12/19 at 1:30PM in the Fayette County Courthouse in West Union for anyone who would like to submit a letter or voice their views about the proposed shooting range. Moved Cowley, seconded Larson, to support the proposed construction of the shooting range, pending additional feedback from anyone concerned of the noise after listening during the test shoot at a future date. All ayes, carried. Gamm will contact McGrane when the test shoot will take place and McGrane will notify the council.
Moved Tucker, seconded Cowley, to discuss and consider amending the Board of Adjustment (BOA) code to assist with a better quorum for meetings. BOA Chairman, Steve Post, and BOA member, Sue Runyon, both submitted letters to the council expressing concerns about scheduling BOA meetings and getting a quorum. BOA member Jeff Potratz was also at the council meeting. BOA meetings have been on the rise over the last few years and can be difficult to schedule because they must be published in the Fayette Leader a minimum of 15 days before the meeting. All 5 BOA members must be in attendance, as well as the resident requesting the variance and Kris McGrane. At least one BOA member had to call in via phone at the last few BOA meetings, so we had a quorum. Last summer a resident turned in a variance request and it took 3 months to hold the BOA meeting because of conflicting schedules, which delayed the project. After discussion, the council would like to consider adding two more members to the BOA and only requiring 5 to be in attendance at the BOA meetings. Council members may direct any questions they may have to McGrane and he will forward them to the City Attorney to review to make sure we understand how that would change the meetings and if a super majority is still required. Moved Cowley, seconded Tucker, to table the discussion until the next council meeting. All ayes, carried.
Moved Larson, seconded Cowley, to discuss Resolution 2019-5. After discussion, moved Tucker, seconded Cowley, to approve Resolution 2019-5: Amending Resolution 2018-14 Authorizing the formation of the Fayette Community Library Memorial Expendable Trust Fund. Roll call, all ayes, carried.
Moved Cowley, seconded Nefzger, to discuss compensating Jerry Hildebrand for vacation time lost and extra hours worked while short staffed in 2018. The extra hours Hildebrand worked were because of an employee off on workers compensation, the sewer spot repair and lining project and the excessive water levels we received in the fall of 2018. After discussion, moved Nefzger, seconded Tucker, upon the Personnel Committees request, to approve compensating Jerry Hildebrand in the amount of $3,995.68, which is for 136 hours at the hourly rate of $29.38, for the extra hours he worked between 8/11/18 and 12/1/18. All ayes, carried.
Moved Cowley, seconded Tucker, to discuss adopting the final proposed FY2020 budget estimate. Administrator/Clerk McGrane included his FY 2020 Estimated Budget report reflecting the recommendations from the Personnel and Finance Committees in the agenda packet. A few highlights from the report include: 100% city valuation increased $1,094,117; regular taxable value is $26,328,019 which is up $280,697; the rollback on residential property is increasing 1.2971% to 56.918%; the rollback on multi-residential properties is going down 3.75% to 75%; township valuations increased so we will receive $607.76 more for the Ambulance and Fire Departments; the FY 2020 tax levy will go down $0.55381. The Finance committee did not recommend a cost of living allowance (COLA) for city employees for FY2020. Health insurance is decreasing 1.57% March 1, 2019. The city budgeted for an increase of 9 hours a week for the Library Assistant, a decrease of 6 hours a week for the Library Aid, an increase of 5 hours a week for the Deputy Clerk and an increase of $1,000 in the Police part-time budget. The budget includes entering into a contract to purchase a server, firewall, network switch, wireless access points and IT support for the Police department and City Hall. Also budgeted is $10,000 to go to the UIU Rec Center for maintenance costs in exchange for Fayette residents to receive a 75% discount on memberships. The budget estimate includes replacing the tower south of Fayette that houses the equipment to page out the Fayette Ambulance and Fire Department crews. Tax levy will be $13.73404 (down from $14.28785). The budget report is available at Fayette City Hall, the Fayette Community Library and on the city of Fayette’s website. Moved Nefzger, seconded Cowley, to adopt the proposed FY 2020 Budget Estimate. All ayes, motion carried.
Moved Cowley, seconded Larson, to discuss publishing the budget estimate and setting a public hearing. Moved Cowley, seconded Larson, to direct the City Administrator/Clerk to publish the budget estimate and set a public hearing for Tuesday, February 19th at 6PM at Fayette City Hall on the FY2020 Budget Estimate. All ayes, motion carried.
Moved Larson, seconded Cowley, to discuss approving and authorizing the City Administrator/Clerk to sign any documents for health insurance coverage with Wellmark Blue Cross Blue Shield (BCBS). Moved Larson, seconded Cowley, to authorize the City Administrator/Clerk to sign the necessary documents to continue the employee health insurance coverage with Wellmark BCBS at the proposed rates. All ayes, carried.
Moved Cowley, seconded Nefzger, to discuss authorizing full-time employees to participate in dental and vision insurance plans through the city at the employees’ expense. After discussion, moved Tucker, seconded Nefzger, to authorize full-time employees to participate in dental and/or vision insurance plans at the employees’ expense, offered by the Iowa Municipal Benefits Plan Association and allow the City to deduct the entire premium costs from the employee’s paychecks. All ayes, carried.
Moved Cowley, seconded Nefzger, to discuss the second reading of Ordinance 501. McGrane mentioned that a Fayette resident who has the city’s water service but not the sewer service (because the city doesn’t service his area) had inquired if they would be required to pay the $10 capital infrastructure/administration monthly fee. The council agreed that the extra money this fee generates would be used for sewer and water projects that would benefit all citizens and everyone using the city’s water or sewer would be required to pay it. Moved Cowley, seconded Nefzger, to approve the second reading of Ordinance 501, an ordinance amending the code of ordinances of the city of Fayette, Iowa, by repealing and amending specific sections in Chapters 88, 92, 99, 106 and 107 to adjust or add rates, fees, deposits, payment plans, and other changes including billing monthly for water, sewer, landfill, recycling and storm water. Roll call, all ayes, motion carried.
Moved Nefzger to adjourn at 6:54pm.
