Council Meeting Minutes 3-4-19

REGULAR COUNCIL MEETING

March 4, 2019

     The City Council of the City of Fayette, Iowa, met Monday, March 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 Larson, Nefzger, Tucker and Wulfekuhle.  Absent – Cowley.

     Moved Larson, seconded Nefzger, to approve the consent agenda items consisting of the regular meeting minutes of 2/19/19, the claims list of 2/20/19 – 3/4/19, the January 2019 Financial Reports, and approve the renewal of a class B beer permit with the class C native wine permit and Sunday sales for Boarders Inn & Suites.  Roll call, all ayes, motion carried.

     Treasurer’s Balance for Fund Accounts as of January 31, 2019: Total January Receipts: $236,851.34 (General $68,851.29; Streets $14,598.52; Employee Benefits $316.27; Local Option Sales Tax [LOST] $8,762.43; Revolving Loan $1,049.12; Bolger $160.23; Library Fund $4.81; Water $54,677.51; Water T&A $1,125; Sewer $85,668.53; Storm Water $1,637.63). Total January Disbursements: $115,414.94 (General $47,588.14; Streets $8,235.68; Employee Benefits $11,165.24; CDBG LMI Housing $289.70; Revolving Loan $12,637.35; Water $16,605.03; Water T&A $417.42; Sewer $18,174.13; Sewer Project $238.32; 9 S. Main St $63.93).  Transfers in: Sewer Fund $9,575.50; Transfers out: Sewer $9,575.50. Treasurer’s Balance: $3,278,740.49.

     Moved Larson, seconded Wulfekuhle, to approve the agenda as presented. All ayes, carried.

     Upon Mayor Wenthe’s request and the Fayette Fire Department’s recommendation, moved Nefzger, seconded Wulfekuhle, to appoint Linnie Magnuson and Hunter Underwood, both from Fayette, to the Fayette Fire Department.  All ayes, carried.  Wenthe reminded the council that the Fayette Fire Department’s spaghetti supper is this Saturday, 3/9 from 5PM to 7:30PM.

     Administrator/Clerk McGrane advised the council that city hall sent out 428 notification letters informing people of monthly utility billing.  McGrane also posted information on the cities website and Facebook page and included it in his last community email.  McGrane advised the public works department and city hall personnel have been testing the radio meter reads and making sure everything is working properly.  McGrane also explained how the transition from quarterly to monthly bills will work.

     Police Chief Davis informed the council we were approved for a Dept. of Justice grant to cover 50% of the costs for new bulletproof vests.

     Moved Tucker, seconded Wulfekuhle, to discuss Resolution 2019-7.  McGrane explained this resolution updates some of the costs for city services including: lowering the cost of a city utility deposit from $225 to $150, increasing the fee for water meters and radio transmitters from $145 to $245, increasing the mileage to $0.58 per mile so it matches the IRS allowance, increasing the costs of street excavations from $7 to $8 per square foot, increasing two-sided photocopies from $0.20 to $0.25, increasing faxes to $2 and each additional page $1 (to match the same price the Fayette Community Library charges), to receive a fax will be $0.25 per page and to increase the amount to turn water on/off from $35 to $50 during business hours and from $50 to $75 for after-hours.  Moved Nefzger, seconded Wulfekuhle, to adopt Resolution 2019-7: Amending Resolution 2015-10 adopting and fixing fees for city services and permits.  Roll call, all ayes, motion carried.

     Moved Larson, seconded Nefzger, to discuss and consider changing city council terms from two-year terms to four-year staggering terms to begin January 1st, 2021.  McGrane advised he has been approached by a few council members suggesting we look into changing the terms of the council members.  This change would need to go on a ballot and voted by the citizens.  Lori Moellers, the Fayette County Auditor, believes we could place this on the November 2019 ballot.  It is unknown the deadline to get everything filed with Lori to get it on the ballot, but an estimate would be sometime in mid-September.  McGrane provided the ballot that St. Lucas used on 11/5/13 when they made the switch.  Discussion included the benefit in switching to staggering terms would be at least two council members stay in office if new members are voted in, however switching to longer terms may discourage people from running for council because of the 4-year commitment.  After further discussion, moved Larson, seconded Nefzger, to table the issue.  All ayes, carried.

     Moved Larson, seconded Tucker, to discuss the first reading of Ordinance 502.  Moved Tucker, seconded Wulfekuhle, to approve the first reading of Ordinance 502, an ordinance amending the code of ordinances of the city of Fayette, Iowa, by repealing and amending Chapter 27 by changing the number of Board of Adjustment members from 5 to 7.  Roll call, all ayes, motion carried.   

     Moved Nefzger to adjourn at 6:27pm.

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