REGULAR COUNCIL MEETING
April 16, 2018
The City Council of the city of Fayette, Iowa, met Monday, April 16, 2018 at 6pm in the Fayette City Hall pursuant to law and rules of said council, Mayor Wenthe presiding.
Roll call: Present - Council members Cowley, Larson, Nefzger, Tucker and Wulfekuhle.
Moved Larson, seconded Cowley, to approve the consent agenda consisting of the regular meeting minutes of 4/2/18, the claims list of 4/3/18 – 4/16/18 and the March 2018 Financial Reports. Roll call, all ayes, motion carried.
Treasurer's Balance for Fund Accounts as of March 31, 2018: Total March Receipts: $73,844.43 (General $28,294.18; Streets $11,915.91; Employee Benefits $1,595.64; Local Option Sales Tax $14,126; TIF $43.26; Bolger $2,576.51; Library Fund $171.22; Water $1,909.41; Sewer $3,573.80; Sewer Fund $9,575.50; Storm Water $63). Total March Disbursements: $112,380.79 (General $51,287.80; Employee Benefits $11,689.45; Bolger $11,120; Library Fund $426.88; Water $13,807.37; Sewer $24,049.29). Treasurer’s Balance: $2,945,890.20.
Matt Campbell with Upper Iowa University advised the council that they had to cancel their 5K Color Run/Walk that was scheduled for last Saturday, April 14th, due to the winter weather. He wanted to advise the council that they rescheduled the event for Saturday, April 28th and wanted to make sure the council was still in favor of the event. The police department and the council had no concerns with the date change.
Bill Dohrmann advised the council that a group will be starting to collect money soon for the flowers on Main Street. Dohrmann advised he will be donating $100 to get it started.
Moved Tucker, seconded Wulfekuhle, to approve the agenda as presented. All ayes, carried.
Upon Mayor Wenthe’s request and the Fayette Recreation Board’s recommendation, moved Nefzger, seconded Larson, to appoint Susan Scott to the Fayette Recreation Board.
Administrator/Clerk McGrane advised the council the Fayette Ambulance Service received $3,246 from the Community Foundation of Northeast Iowa to be used for EMT Training. They also had a great turnout at their Belgian Waffle Fundraiser last week. Jim Thompson with the Iowa Economic Development Authority will present to the Fayette City Council on Tuesday, May 8th at 6PM at Fayette City Hall. McGrane attended a Fayette County Tourism meeting on April 3rd, a Housing meeting with Mayor Wenthe on April 9th and a UIU Community Development Opportunities meeting on April 12th. McGrane asked the council to provide him with any ideas of a location in Fayette to place another cardboard recycling bin that the Transfer Station will be providing at no additional cost to the city. McGrane included his FY2018 Budget Amendment report to the council. An explanation of increases or decreases in revenue and expenditure estimates and appropriations include: repair damage from the July 22, 2017 flood, starting the sewer lining project, trainings, computer/software/website upgrades, FY17 audit expenses, adjustments for the new accounting software as well as transitioning to the Iowa chart of accounts. The amendment will have a new ending fund balance as of June 30th, 2018 of $2,446,042. Moved Wulfekuhle, seconded Cowley, to direct the City Administrator/Clerk to publish the budget estimate and set a public hearing for Monday, May 7th at 6PM at Fayette City Hall on the Amendment of FY2017-2018 City Budget. All ayes, carried.
Police Chief Pisanti presented the Fayette Police Department’s 2017 Annual Report to the council. The report stated residential burglaries have gone down 90% and thefts have gone down 21% from 2016 to 2017, among other statistics.
Moved Wulfekuhle, seconded Nefzger, to approve the Fayette Recreation Board meeting minutes from April 2, 2018. Fayette’s Music in the Park will be on the 2nd Monday’s of the month this summer (May 14th, June 11th, July 9th, August 13th and September 10th) from 6PM to 8PM at the Open Air Market Park on West Water Street. All ayes, carried.
Moved Nefzger, seconded Tucker, to approve the Fayette Community Library Board minutes from March 14, 2018. All ayes, carried.
Moved Wulfekuhle, seconded Cowley, to discuss and request a public hearing for the conveyance of an easement allowing the Fayette County Food Shelf to build upon city right of way. After a brief discussion, moved Larson, seconded Nefzger, to schedule a public hearing at the next council meeting, Monday, May 7th, 2018 at 6PM at Fayette City Hall for the conveyance at the cost of preparation of an easement allowing the Fayette County Food Shelf to build upon city right of way at the intersection of E. Water St. and Washington St. All ayes, carried.
Moved Larson, seconded Cowley, to discuss and take action reference a high water bill for Craig and Jeanie Kleitsch at 404 Wadena Road Lot #202. The Kleitsch’s were unable to attend the meeting, but provided a letter and copies of their previous water bills to the council. The Kleitsch’s mentioned their last bill was $470.25, when normally it is a minimum ($128.41). After contacting Fayette City Hall and looking over the trailer for leaks, they discovered a crack in the water shut-off valve underneath the trailer. The valve is located after the water meter and the water from the leak was soaking into the ground and not going through the sewer. They would like to request the council forgive some of the sewer fees. After discussion, the council would like the Kleitsch’s to provide any type of proof the shut-off valve was replaced or leaking (for example, any pictures or receipts of parts). Moved Larson, seconded Nefzger, to table the request.
Moved Cowley, seconded Larson, to discuss and take action on fixing the Main Street bridge over Volga River. Public Works Director Jerry Hildebrand advised the council that part of the sidewalk has collapsed, the bridge approaches are undermined and the expansion joints need to be repaired. Hildebrand had a quote of around $1,100 from a company that could come in with some equipment to help determine how much void is underneath the approaches to help us bid the project. Hildebrand advised that he spoke with Jon Biederman with Fehr Graham Engineering and Environmental and they are roughly estimating the total cost of the repair project would be somewhere around $50,000 to $60,000. Hildebrand believes the cause of the damages are a combination of the 1999 flood, failure of the expansion joints and the 2017 flood. Upon Hildebrand’s recommendation, moved Nefzger, seconded Wulfekuhle, to move forward and hire Fehr Graham Engineering and Environmental to start the process for the repair of the Main Street bridge over the Volga River. All ayes, motion carried.
Moved Cowley, seconded Tucker, to discuss and take action on 9 South Main Street. City Administrator/Clerk McGrane was notified on April 2, 2018 that the tenants at 9 S. Main St. will be terminating their lease effective April 30, 2018. Moved Wulfekuhle, seconded Cowley, to start advertising the empty space for rent online, including the website and Facebook. All ayes, carried.
Moved Larson, seconded Cowley, to discuss John and Sharon Orr’s request to start preparing the land at the Open Air Market for the Freedom Rock. The Orr’s had placed flags in the approximate place where the cement and rock would be located. John Orr advised the rock and cement may move approximately 2 feet around that area as it will depend on where the foundation that is buried in the lot is located. The council recommended waiting to remove any trees until after the rock was in place. The council would also like to look at possible locations on where to move the current rock that has the UIU appreciation plaque on it. Moved Larson, seconded Tucker, for the Orr’s to start preparing the land at the Open Air Market for the cement and the Freedom Rock, without removing any trees or moving the existing rock at this time. All ayes, carried.
Moved Larson, seconded Nefzger, to discuss and take action reference the high water bill for Diego Duran and Charles Miles at 520 Mechanic Street. Miles was present and advised the council his roommate and him have made some payments on their water bill and would like to request the water be turned back on at their residence. After discussion, moved Nefzger, seconded Cowley, to have the water turned back on at 520 Mechanic Street under the following conditions: Miles makes a payment of $300 this evening; the tenants make a $300 payment every Thursday until the outstanding bill is paid off; if a $300 Thursday payment is not paid, the water is immediately turned back off; and the landlord/property owner agrees with these conditions and provides approval to turn the water back on. All ayes, carried.
Moved Tucker, seconded Wulfekuhle, to discuss and take action reference the Fayette Revolving Loan Fund including committee members, interest rates and application fees. McGrane advised the council may make changes later, but need to agree on something now to complete the application process for a chance to get funds. Moved Nefzger, seconded Wulfekuhle, to have committee members include: an Upper Explorerland Regional Planning Commission representative (not a voting member), the Fayette Mayor, the Fayette City Administrator/Clerk, one Fayette City Council member, three business leaders/owners, the Fayette County Economic Development Director (not a voting member); an interest rate of 1% over prime not to exceed 5%; and an application fee of $50. All ayes, carried.
Moved Tucker, seconded Larson, to discuss new construction, rehab and business incentives. After discussion, the council would like to continue to take community members ideas and wait until after the May 8th presentation by Jim Thompson. Moved Cowley, seconded Wulfekuhle, to table.
There being no further business, moved Nefzger, unanimous, to adjourn at 7pm.
REGULAR COUNCIL MEETING
April 2, 2018
The City Council of the city of Fayette, Iowa, met Monday, April 2, 2018 at 6pm in the ICN Room at the Fayette Community Library pursuant to law and rules of said council, Mayor Wenthe presiding.
Roll call: Present - Council members Cowley, Larson, Nefzger, Tucker and Wulfekuhle.
Moved Larson, seconded Wulfekuhle, to approve the consent agenda consisting of the regular meeting minutes of 3/19/18 and the claims list of 3/20/18 – 4/2/18. Roll call, all ayes, motion carried.
Moved Larson, seconded Wulfekuhle, to approve the agenda as presented. All ayes, carried.
Mayor Wenthe informed the council that we are still taking community interest in the open positions for the Planning and Zoning Committee, the Board of Adjustments and the Recreation Board. If anyone is interested, contact City Hall. Wenthe put together a small housing task force based on one of the recommendations the city received from the creative placemaking plan. The group consisted of Dave Runyon, Jeff Bradley and Wenthe, with the hope of the group to grow. The group reached out to Lori Brockway with Upper Explorerland to find out if the group could partner with them to help with funds. Brockway is planning on attending a future meeting with the housing task force.
Administrator/Clerk McGrane advised the council that he has been finishing up the paperwork for Iowa Homeland Security and Emergency Management in reference to last summer’s flood. McGrane has also been gathering all the information needed for the CDBG Housing Rehab Grant and the USDA RBDG program to fund a revolving loan fund. McGrane reminded the council of some up-coming training opportunities they may attend.
Police Chief Pisanti told the council that he is finalizing the yearly report and it should be released soon. The biggest highlight in the report is that crime in Fayette was reduced by 40%.
Moved Tucker, seconded Larson, to discuss the Board of Adjustments meeting minutes. Moved Wulfekuhle, seconded Cowley, to approve the Board of Adjustments meeting minutes from March 15, 2018. All ayes, carried.
Moved Larson, seconded Nefzger, to discuss Lloyd Carnicle’s request to close off the 100-block of S. Main Street on the third Thursday of the month from May through September 2018. Carnicle advised this would be the 6th year of the Fayette Show and Shine Car Show. The council expressed their appreciation to Carnicle for organizing this event each year. Moved Larson, seconded Tucker, to approve Carnicle closing the 100-block of S. Main Street on the third Thursday of the month from May 2018 through September 2018 to host the Fayette Show and Shine Car Show. All ayes, carried.
Moved Cowley, seconded Wulfekuhle, to discuss John and Sharon Orr’s request to start preparing the land at the Open Air Market park (OAM) for the Freedom Rock. Sharon Orr updated the council on the progress of the Freedom Rock project. Orr advised they currently have the rock, the movement of the rock, the concrete, the fill and the dirt work all donated. Orr would like the city to remove the first tree to the east of the old drive-way in the city right-of-way at the OAM. The tree would be in the line of vision from the front view of the Freedom Rock to W. Water Street. Nefzger asked if the tree could be relocated. Orr advised the ground does need to be leveled out at the location. The slab of concrete would be 8 feet by 8 feet and the rock weighs between 6-7 tons. The goal is to pour the concrete this month (April) or in May. Wulfekuhle requested the Orr’s stake out where the cement would be poured for the rock at the OAM so the council may review the placement. Orr would like to request the rock with the UIU appreciation plaque on it be relocated to another location, such as near the beginning of the recreation trail at the OAM. They could possibly have their volunteers move the rock with the UIU plaque. Fayette is on the list to get the rock painted in the year 2020, but it could be painted in 2019. Orr advised she still needs to do fundraising to get the rock painted, which would cost around $6,000 to $7,000, but she believes it would be easier to do the fundraising when people can visually see the rock at the park. If they raise more money then what is needed, they would spend the money on landscaping around the rock. Moved Tucker, seconded Cowley, to table the request until after Orr stakes out the placement of the rock and the council can review it. All ayes, carried.
Moved Larson, seconded Wulfekuhle, to discuss community members starting a community garden on city property. Andrea Scott informed the council that the Women for Progress group, the Master Gardner’s and the Iowa State University (ISU) Extension Office have been working on the idea of creating a community garden in Fayette. They would like the community garden to be located on the city property at 6 S. Main Street, located between Full Circle Services and Poor’s Automotive. Scott said this location would be the most accessible for everybody in town and they would have access to water from Full Circle Services. Full Circle Services’ clients would be able to assist in helping with the garden. The group would also utilize rain barrels for water. The goal of the community garden is to help teach those interested on how to garden. The community garden would be free to anyone who participates and helps with the garden. They are still working on all the details, but Scott believes any produce that is grown would be given to those who help with the garden for free. If there are any left-over produce, then they may be able to sell it at a low price at the Fayette Farmer’s Market or provide it to our local Food Shelf. The ISU Extension office thought they may be able to offer some canning classes, as well. If the garden doesn’t go over well, they have people from the organizations who would help clean the property back up so the city employees would not be responsible. If the council approves the groups to use that property, they will have someone come down to do soil testing. Scott advised they currently have about 10 consistent volunteers to assist with the community garden. If anyone has any questions or would like to help, they can contact Andrea Scott at either Scott Pharmacy or Yoga Genesis or find the Women for Progress group on Facebook. Moved Larson, seconded Wulfekuhle, to approve the Women for Progress, the Master Gardner’s and the ISU Extension Office to start a community garden on the cities property at 6 S. Main Street. All ayes, carried.
Moved Larson, seconded Cowley, to discuss providing permission to the Northeast Iowa Community Action Corporation (NEICAC) to exchange the lot at 104 King Street with another lot in town. Pastor Andy Sayer with the Fayette Community Church (FCC) informed the council that the FCC is growing and have exceeded the space in their current building. They are currently looking at expanding their building to the north where they currently have a parking lot. The parking they currently provide is not large enough for all the vehicles they currently bring in. They would utilize the lot at 104 King Street for additional parking as they expand their building. Sayer advised the FCC has spoken to NEICAC and they are willing to exchange lots if the FCC could find another lot in town for them to build a house on and as long as the city council grants permission for NEICAC to exchange lots. Sayer advised the FCC would be willing to cover any fees that NEICAC would request from them to help reimburse for the expenses that have already went in to that property. After discussion, moved Nefzger, seconded Larson, to approve the land exchange of 104 King Street between NEICAC and the Fayette Community Church pending the purchase of the lot on Main Street. All ayes, carried.
Moved Larson, seconded Tucker, to discuss the Fayette County Fair Board’s (FCFB) request for a donation. At the previous council meeting, Andy Bilden had advised the council that the FCFB is hoping to offer a free carnival for fairgoers this year. To help cover the cost of the carnival, they are asking cities in Fayette County for donations. The city of West Union donated $5,000 and the city of Hawkeye donated $1,000. After discussion, moved Wulfekuhle, seconded Larson, to donate $1,200 from the Bolger Fund to the Fayette County Fair Board to help with carnival expenses. All ayes, carried.
Moved Cowley, seconded Larson, to discuss the 28E Agreement between the Fayette EMS and the Fayette County EMS Association. After discussion, moved Tucker, seconded Wulfekuhle, to approve the 28E Agreement between the Fayette EMS and the Fayette County EMS Association. All ayes, carried.
Moved Larson, seconded Cowley, to discuss Resolution 2018-09. After discussion, moved Tucker, seconded Wulfekuhle, to adopt Resolution 2018-09: agreeing to apply for financial assistance with the United States Department of Agriculture, Rural Development to finance a revolving loan fund project for the city through the USDA RBDG Program and commit $100,000 of local match funding towards this project pending the approval of the RBDG application. Roll call, all ayes, motion carried.
Moved Larson, seconded Cowley, to discuss Roland Vazquez request for financial assistance from the city to try and bring members of the Chicago Cuatro Orchestra to the Fayette Opera House for a performance and to give a presentation at the Fayette Community Library. Tucker advised the Recreation Board met and decided to not financially assist with this event because their finances are tight due to the events they already have planned. The Friends of the Library will be helping financially. After discussion, moved Cowley, seconded Nefzger, to decline financial support for this event, but the city will help with marketing the event through the cities website and social media. All ayes, carried.
Moved Wulfekuhle, seconded Cowley, to discuss new housing construction, rehab and business incentives. Nefzger suggested we try and get Jim Thompson to present to the council about tax abatement and other incentive ideas. After discussion, the council would like to reach out to Thompson to see if he can give a presentation and to put out the current incentive ideas to the community for feedback. Moved Larson, seconded Wulfekuhle, to table this until a future meeting.
There being no further business, moved Wulfekuhle, unanimous, to adjourn at 7:05pm.
Following this meeting, at 7:17pm, the mayor and council held a work session to discuss vacating part of a city right-of-way or possible easement of property in the 10-block of Washington Street. The work session adjourned at 7:44pm.
REGULAR COUNCIL MEETING
March 19, 2018
The City Council of the city of Fayette, Iowa, met Monday, March 19, 2018 at 6pm in the Fayette City Hall pursuant to law and rules of said council, Mayor Wenthe presiding.
Roll call: Present - Council members Larson, Tucker and Wulfekuhle. Nefzger arrived at 6:01pm. Absent - Cowley.
Moved Wulfekuhle, seconded Larson, to approve the consent agenda consisting of the regular meeting minutes of 3/5/18, the claims list of 3/6/18 – 3/19/18, the February 2018 Financial Reports and approve the renewal of a beer license and native wine permit for Boarders Inn & Suites. Roll call, all ayes, motion carried.
Treasurer's Balance for Fund Accounts as of February 28, 2018: Total February Receipts: $56,253.55 (General $13,747.04; Streets $18,810.26; Employee Benefits $1,511.71; TIF $26.42; Bolger $1,184.46; Library Fund $717.55; Water $4,731.08; Sewer $5,833.53; Sewer Fund $9,575.50; Storm Water $116). Total February Disbursements: $107,783.07 (General $27,651.85; Employee Benefits $7,882.46; Library Fund $758.49; FEMA $39,046.25; CDBG Downtown Project $753; Water $11,236.44; Sewer $20,454.58). Treasurer’s Balance: $2,987,148.05.
Andy Bilden with the Fayette County Fair Board advised the council that they have hired a carnival for the Fayette County Fair and are planning on offering it free for fairgoers. The carnival is the same one that Allamakee and Clayton Counties will have at their fairs. The total cost of the carnival would be about $15,000. The Fair Board members are asking cities in Fayette County if they would be willing to make a donation to help cover the cost of the carnival. Andy said the City of West Union has donated $5,000, Hawkeye has donated $1,000 and he believes Westgate donated $500. Mayor Wenthe advised we will put the item on a future council agenda to discuss it.
Moved Larson, seconded Nefzger, to approve the agenda as presented. All ayes, carried.
Upon Mayor Wenthe’s request and the Fayette Ambulance Services recommendation, moved Wulfekuhle, seconded Larson, to appoint Hunter Hoffman to the Fayette Ambulance Service, pending a background check. Hoffman is planning on taking the EMT class. All ayes to approve, carried.
Administrator/Clerk McGrane advised the council he had learned about services that NE Iowa Community Action offers community members at a recent meeting he attend and included a brochure to the council members. McGrane also advised that Roger Post with the Ambulance Crew presented him with a 28E Agreement today that will be on the next Council Agenda.
Police Chief Pisanti advised the council that he had many reports of missing trash cans recently. He discovered that Black Hawk Waste Disposal were cleaning up some of their accounts from the recent merge with Bunn Services.
Moved Tucker, seconded Nefzger, to approve the Fayette Community Library Director’s March 14, 2018 Report. Nefzger commented on the great reports the council is receiving from the Library. Tucker commended the new Library Director, Annette Butikofer, for the great activities she’s been organizing. All ayes, carried.
Moved Larson, seconded Nefzger, to discuss UIU students request for a color run in Fayette. Matt Campbell and Erik Zorilla from UIU advised the International Student Association (ISA) is hoping to host a fundraiser where all the proceeds will go to a tribal school in India. They would like to do a color run/walk on Saturday, April 14th at 10AM. The color run/walk would be a 5K, or a little over 3 miles. As the participants would run or walk the route, volunteers would throw a non-toxic, washable, powdered paint at them. The route would start on the UIU Campus and would utilize some roads and trails throughout Fayette and end at Klock’s Island Park. They may also look into having a few food vendors at the event. Moved Larson, seconded Nefzger, to approve the UIU students color run request. All ayes, carried.
Moved Nefzger, seconded Tucker to discuss Roland Vazquez’s request for financial assistance for an event. Roland Vazquez is seeking sponsors in hopes to raise enough funds to bring the Chicago Cuatro Orchestra (CCO) to Fayette to give a presentation on the Puerto Rican culture at the Fayette Library and to perform at the Opera House. The total estimated cost would be around $5,100 to bring nine members of the CCO to Fayette. After a brief discussion, the council decided that the city could help advertise the event and help get the word out that sponsors are needed. The council requested Roland to provide them an update in the future on how he is doing with raising funds.
Moved Nefzger, seconded Wulfekuhle, to discuss appointing Curtis Larson, Roger Post and Kris McGrane to the CDBG Housing Committee. Moved Nefzger, seconded Tucker, to approve the appointments. All ayes, carried.
Moved Tucker, seconded Larson, to discuss the water/utility bill at 520 Mechanic Street. Diego Duran and Charles Miles advised the council that their water had been turned off at their residence and they are still unable to come up with the amount due on their utility bill. After discussion, no action was taken.
Moved Wulfekuhle, seconded Tucker, to discuss new business incentives and a revolving loan fund (RLF). Tucker and McGrane met with Diana Johnson with Upperexplorerland on March 16th to discuss how a RLF works. Diana advised that there is an Iowa Rural Business Development Grant (RBDG) that is due on April 30, 2018, that could help with start-up funds for a RLF. Upperexplorerland believes they still may have time to get the grant written and submitted by the deadline at a cost of $1,500, if the city is interested. The city would apply for an amount under $100,000 to increase the chances of being rewarded the grant. The city would have to come up with a match to the grant funds. The cities match could come out of the Bolger Fund since that is what we’ve used in the past for incentives. An RLF is a loan with a low interest rate that business owners could apply for to provide financing for a new or expanding business for which credit is not otherwise available. Other counties, cities and organizations have RLF’s, including the City of Oelwein, West Union, Elgin, Decorah and Elkader. Wulfekuhle shared some ideas for incentives the city could offer for new residential homes and for people interested in fixing up houses. After further discussion, moved Tucker, seconded Wulfekuhle, to hire Upperexplorerland to write the grant and provide technical services for the RBDG Revolving Loan Fund Grant for the City of Fayette. All ayes, carried.
There being no further business, moved Nefzger, unanimous, to adjourn at 7:28pm.
REGULAR COUNCIL MEETING
March 5, 2018
The City Council of the city of Fayette, Iowa, met Monday, March 5, 2018 at 6pm in the Fayette City Hall pursuant to law and rules of said council, Mayor Wenthe presiding.
Roll call: Present - Council members Cowley, Larson, Nefzger, Tucker and Wulfekuhle.
Moved Cowley, seconded Larson, to approve the consent agenda consisting of the regular meeting minutes of 2/20/18, the claims list of 2/21/18 – 3/5/18 and approve the renewal of a native wine permit for Touch of Elegance. Roll call, all ayes, motion carried.
Moved Tucker, seconded Nefzger, to approve the agenda as presented. All ayes, carried.
Upon Mayor Wenthe’s request and the Fayette Ambulance Services recommendation, moved Tucker, seconded Wulfekuhle, to appoint Sammantha Larisch to the Fayette Ambulance Service. Larisch is currently an Iowa EMT and passed a background check. All ayes to approve, carried.
Moved Cowley, seconded Tucker to move forward in appointing Curtis Larson, Roger Post and Kris McGrane to the CDBG Housing Committee. All ayes, carried.
Mayor Wenthe informed the council he met with Alex Soderquist with Hawkeye Telephone Company on March 1 to get an update on the fiber project. They will be continuing to work on the project this spring and summer. Wenthe advised the council that on March 1st Public Works Director Jerry Hildebrand has worked 40 years for the City of Fayette and appreciated his dedication to Fayette.
Administrator/Clerk McGrane told the council that he attended the Fayette County Advisory Committee meeting on March 1 and they are still on schedule to build a new house at 104 King Street this spring or summer. McGrane also reminded the council of some up-coming training opportunities they may attend.
Police Chief Pisanti gave a brief report to the council.
Moved Wulfekuhle, seconded Larson, to approve the Fayette Community Library Board minutes from January 10, 2018. All ayes, carried.
Moved Wulfekuhle, seconded Larson, to approve the Fayette Community Library Board minutes from February 14, 2018. All ayes, carried.
There was no discussion on the water/utility bill for 5 S. Main Street #2 as the bill had been paid that day.
Moved Larson, seconded Tucker to discuss and approve to purchase a new swing set from All Inclusive Rec. McGrane informed the council they budgeted for this purchase next fiscal year, using money that was previously saved in the Parks budget. If we purchase the equipment now, we may be able to get volunteers from Upper Iowa University to help put the swing set up at Rainbowland Park near the sand volleyball courts in April during the UIU “Fayette Appreciation Day”. Moved Nefzger, seconded Wulfekuhle, to approve the purchase of a new swing set in the amount of $2,187.99. All ayes, carried.
Moved Larson, seconded Cowley, to discuss and approve to sell Fayette County Fair concert tickets at Fayette City Hall. McGrane advised the council that the Fayette County Fair Board contacted a few cities in Fayette County asking if they would be willing to sell Fayette County Fair concert tickets at their City Halls. Country singers Collin Raye and Sammy Kershaw will be headlining the concert on July 28, 2018. The cost of the tickets is $30 for a grandstand ticket or $40 for a track ticket. For each ticket that is sold at the Fayette City Hall, the Fair Board will donate $1 back to the city. Moved Cowley, seconded Larson, to approve to sell Fayette County Fair concert tickets for the up-coming concert at Fayette City Hall. All ayes, carried.
Moved Tucker, seconded Nefzger, to discuss the water/utility bill at 520 Mechanic Street. Diego Duran and Charles Miles were not able to attend the meeting, but provided a written letter to the council. After discussion, moved Nefzger, seconded Cowley, to have the water turned off at 520 Mechanic Street until the delinquent bill is paid in full. All ayes, carried.
Moved Larson, seconded Cowley, to discuss and appoint a contractor for technical services to assist with the housing rehabilitation program receiving CDBG funds through the Iowa Economic Development Authority (IEDA). The city only received one proposal and that was from Upper Explorerland Regional Planning Commission (UERPC). Moved Nefzger, seconded Wulfekuhle, to appoint UERPC as contractor for technical services to assist with the housing rehabilitation program receiving Community Development Block Grant funds through the IEDA. All ayes, carried.
Moved Larson, seconded Wulfekuhle, to discuss revising City Code Chapter 75 – All Terrain Vehicles and Snowmobiles. After looking at some other cities codes to compare, the council made some other suggested changes in wording. McGrane will make the revisions and have the city attorney review the code again.
Mayor Wenthe opened the public hearing on the proposed Community Development Block Grant (CDBG) for Owner Occupied Rehabilitation Funding for the City of Fayette. Notice of this hearing was published in the Fayette Leader on February 21, 2018. McGrane read through and covered 9 points. How the need for the proposed activity or projects were identified. The need for the Fayette Occupied program was identified through meetings held by public officials and the identified unmet need for housing rehabilitation through the Fayette County Local Housing Trust Fund Program. As the LMI population is at 52.76% there is a need of the CDBG funds to improve the homes for those citizens. The age of the housing stock was also an identifier with 42.1% of the housing being constructed in 1939 or earlier and 78.2% of the housing being built in 1979 or earlier. How the proposed activity or projects will be funded and the sources of funds. The proposed activity will be funded with $251,790 of Community Development Block Grant Funds for the owner-occupied program for six homes. The date the Housing Fund applications will be submitted. The Housing Fund Owner-Occupied applications will be submitted on or before May 4, 2018 to the Iowa Economic Development Authority (IEDA). Requested amount of federal funds (Housing Fund). The requested amount is $251,790 for the Owner-Occupied Housing Rehabilitation Program. Estimated portion of federal funds that will benefit persons of low and moderate income. The City has proposed assisting six (6) LMI households with rehabilitation of their homes. The intent is to target those living in homes considered to be in deteriorated condition. In looking at the 2006-2010 LMI of the community, 52.76% of Fayette’s residents are considered low to moderate income persons, it is expected that these funds will benefit six (6) homes of that 52.76% population. Where the proposed activity or project will be conducted. The projects will be conducted within the city limits of Fayette. Plans to minimize displacement of persons and businesses as a result of funded activities or projects. No businesses or persons will be displaced during this process. Plans to assist persons actually displaced. There are no plans to displace any persons. The nature of the proposed activity or project. The nature of the proposed projects within Fayette is to assist in the rehabilitation of 6 existing homes for low to moderate income families. The programs mission is to stimulate the City of Fayette’s economy one home at a time. No written or oral objections were filed or offered from the audience. Moved Nefzger, seconded Larson, to close the public hearing. All ayes, carried.
Moved Larson, seconded Nefzger, to discuss Resolution 2018-07. Moved Wulfekuhle, seconded Nefzger, to approve and adopt Resolution 2018-07: Authorizing the submission of a CDBG application to the Iowa Economic Development Authority (IEDA), the expenditure of funds be applied for a Housing Fund General Application for Owner-Occupied Rehabilitation and authorizes the administration of this grant to be performed by Upper Explorerland Regional Planning Commission. Roll call, all ayes, carried.
Moved Cowley, seconded Larson, to discuss Resolution 2018-08. Moved Larson, seconded Nefzger, to approve and adopt Resolution 2018-08: Authorizing the approval of a CDBG administration plan to the IEDA for Owner-Occupied Rehabilitation. Roll call, all ayes, carried.
There being no further business, moved Nefzger, unanimous, to adjourn at 6:50pm.
REGULAR COUNCIL MEETING
February 20, 2018
The City Council of the city of Fayette, Iowa, met Tuesday, February 20, 2018 at 6pm in the Fayette City Hall pursuant to law and rules of said council, Mayor Wenthe presiding.
Roll call: Present - Council members Cowley, Larson, Nefzger and Tucker; Absent - Wulfekuhle.
Moved Tucker, seconded Cowley, to approve the consent agenda consisting of the regular meeting minutes of 2/5/18, the claims list of 2/6/18 – 2/20/18, and the January 2017 Financial Reports. Roll call, all ayes, motion carried.
Treasurer's Balance for Fund Accounts as of January 31, 2018: Total January Receipts: $258,496.88 (General $76,466.69; Streets $11,162.03; Employee Benefits $6,179.41; LOST $8,340.88; TIF $338.84; Bolger $417.07; Library Fund $250.04; Water $65,568.72; Sewer $78,748.37; Sewer Fund $9,575.50; Storm Water $1,449.33). Total January Disbursements: $120,881.68 (General $58,750.24; Employee Benefits $14,094.60; Library Fund $7,825.88; Water $14,395.33; Sewer $25,815.63). Treasurer’s Balance: $3,036,117.97.
Moved Cowley, seconded Nefzger, to approve the agenda as presented. All ayes, carried.
This being the time and place published for a public hearing on the Fiscal Year 2019 (FY19) Estimated Budget, Mayor Wenthe opened the hearing and asked for any comments. The tax asking for FY19 will be $14.28785 per $1,000 of taxable valuation. There being no comments, Mayor Wenthe closed the hearing. Moved Nefzger, seconded Cowley, to approve Resolution 2018-06: Adopting the budget and certification of city taxes for Fiscal Year 2019. Roll call, all ayes, carried.
Mayor Wenthe wanted to thank everyone who attended WinterFest, the Fayette Opera House and Lions Club Fundraiser, on February 10th.
Administrator/Clerk McGrane informed the council that he had met with Lori Brockway with Upper Explorerland on February 6th to discuss the process and get an update of the CDBG Housing Grant – Owner Occupied Rehabilitation. Brockway has received 4 applications from residents who qualify and we need at least 6. McGrane has taken some steps to continue to promote residents to apply. McGrane attended a Highway 150 Coalition meeting on February 16th. The coalition is gathering information and support to hopefully present to the Iowa DOT to encourage them to perform a study on HWY 150 in NE Iowa. The goal is to make HWY 150 safer and better to encourage more people and industries to travel on HWY 150. McGrane advised he received a letter today from Poor’s Automotive indicating they will stop selling fuel on April 1, 2018. McGrane also passed out a brochure for a “Introduction to Planning & Zoning for Local Officials” workshop in the Spring of 2018.
Police Chief Pisanti advised last summer the police department took part in a “Rescue Task Force” training at Upper Iowa University (UIU). The Fayette County Emergency Management is working on sponsoring a full-scale exercise training this year at UIU which will include area Fire Departments, Emergency Medical Services and Law Enforcement agencies.
Moved Tucker, seconded Nefzger, to discuss and approve of requesting proposals for technical services to assist with a housing rehabilitation program and receiving Community Development Block Grant (CDBG) funds through the Iowa Economic Development Authority (IEDA). After discussion, moved Nefzger, seconded Cowley, to approve and take the next steps in requesting proposals for technical services to assist with a housing rehabilitation program and receiving CDBG funds through the IEDA. All ayes, carried.
Moved Larson, seconded Nefzger, to discuss and approve of the Community Development and Housing Needs Assessment. After discussion, moved Nefzger, seconded Tucker, to approve the Community Development and Housing Needs Assessment. All ayes, carried.
Moved Cowley, seconded Tucker, to discuss and review the CDBG Administration Plan, Relocation Policy, Reuse Plan and Elderly Waiver. After discussion, moved Nefzger, seconded Cowley, to adopt the CDBG Administration Plan, Relocation Policy, Reuse Plan and Elderly Waiver. All ayes, carried.
Moved Nefzger, seconded Tucker, to discuss and approve of setting a public hearing regarding submittal of an application for a CDBG provided by IEDA for owner occupied rehabilitation funding for the city of Fayette. After discussion, moved Tucker, seconded Nefzger, to set a public hearing for Monday, March 5th, 2018 at 6PM in the Fayette City Council Chambers at City Hall regarding submittal of an application for a Community Development Block Grant provided by Iowa Economic Development Authority for owner occupied rehabilitation funding for the city of Fayette. All ayes, carried.
Moved Nefzger, seconded Larson, to discuss revising City Code Chapter 75 – All-Terrain Vehicles and Snowmobiles. After discussion, moved Tucker, seconded Larson, to send the revisions to Chapter 75 of the City Code to the City Attorney to review. All ayes, carried.
There being no further business, moved Nefzger, unanimous, to adjourn at 6:28pm.
REGULAR COUNCIL MEETING
February 5, 2018
The City Council of the city of Fayette, Iowa, met Monday, February 5, 2018 at 5:30pm in the Fayette City Hall pursuant to law and rules of said council, Mayor Wenthe presiding.
Roll call: Present - Council members Cowley, Larson, Nefzger, Tucker and Wulfekuhle.
Moved Cowley, seconded Nefzger, to approve the consent agenda consisting of the regular meeting minutes of 1/15/18 and the claims list of 1/16/18 – 2/5/18. Roll call, all ayes, motion carried.
Moved Cowley, seconded Wulfekuhle, to approve the agenda as presented. All ayes, carried.
A rough draft of a revised ATV and UTV Ordinance was presented to the council. Mayor Wenthe requested the council to look it over for any other changes to consider before we present it to the City Attorney to review.
Administrator/Clerk McGrane included his FY 2019 Estimated Budget Report reflecting the recommendations from the Personnel and Finance Committees in the agenda packet. Mayor Wenthe and McGrane highlighted a few things from the report, including: 100% city valuation increased $4,612,123; regular taxable value is $26,047,322 which is up $2,081,344; the rollback on residential property is decreasing 1.3182% to 55.6209%; the rollback on multi-residential properties is going down 3.75% to 78.75%; township valuations increased so we will receive $1,935.65 more for the Ambulance and Fire Department; the FY 2019 tax levy will go down $0.84829. The Finance committee recommended a 2% cost of living allowance (COLA) for city employees starting July 1, 2018. Health insurance is decreasing 25.09% March 1, 2018. The city budgeted for an increase of 4 hours a week for the Library Assistant, 3 hours a week for the Library Aid, and 12 hours a week for the Deputy Clerk. To continue with the plan implemented a few years ago, the city budgeted another $60,000 to purchase new water meters to replace the older meters and to continue to purchase remote transmitters, software and equipment to start remote water meter reading. The goal is to purchase enough new meters and remote transmitters in FY19 so the city can move to monthly utility billing. The budget includes resurfacing the tennis and basketball courts at Rainbowland Park, changing the tennis courts into two pickleball courts and adding a small swing-set. Also budgeted is replacing the tower south of Fayette that houses the equipment to page out the Fayette Ambulance and Fire Department crews. Tax levy $14.28785 (down from $15.13614). The budget report is available at Fayette City Hall and the Fayette Community Library. Moved Cowley, seconded Nefzger, to adopt the proposed FY 2019 Budget Estimate. On roll call, Cowley and Nefzger ayes, Tucker, Wulfekuhle and Larson nays. Moved Larson, seconded Wulfekuhle, to discuss the FY 2019 Budget Estimate. Four voted aye, Nefzger nay, motion carried. Larson and Wulfekuhle recommended providing all the city employees a 2.5% wage increase instead of the wage scale increases for the employees that are on the wage scale and the COLA for all the employees. After further discussion, moved Nefzger, seconded Cowley, to adopt the proposed FY2019 Budget Estimate as presented. On roll call, Nefzger, Cowley and Tucker ayes, Larson and Wulfekuhle nays. Moved Nefzger, seconded Tucker, to direct the City Administrator/Clerk to publish the budget estimate and set a public hearing for Tuesday, February 20th at 6PM at Fayette City Hall on the FY2019 Budget Estimate. All ayes, motion carried.
Police Chief Pisanti did not have anything to report to the council at this time.
Moved Cowley, seconded Nefzger, to approve the Finance Committee meeting minutes from January 16, 2018. All ayes, carried.
Moved Nefzger, seconded Wulfekuhle, to approve the Personnel Committee meeting minutes from January 17, 2018. All ayes, carried.
Moved Cowley, seconded Nefzger, to approve the Finance Committee meeting minutes from January 25, 2018. All ayes, carried.
Moved Cowley, seconded Nefzger, to approve the Finance Committee meeting minutes from February 1, 2018. All ayes, carried.
Moved Cowley, seconded Nefzger, to discuss and approve Jerry Hildebrand’s vacation and personal time. The Personnel Committee recommended providing an additional 40 hours of vacation time to use before the end of this Fiscal Year (June 30, 2018) and to pay out an additional 42 hours of vacation time to Jerry Hildebrand since he has lost these vacation hours and was extremely limited on when he could take time off due to the July 2017 flood, an employee in his department off work due to an injury and another employee resigning. Moved Nefzger, seconded Wulfekuhle, to approve Jerry Hildebrand receiving an additional 40 hours of vacation time to use before June 30, 2018 and to pay him 42 hours of vacation time. All ayes, carried.
Moved Nefzger, seconded Cowley, to discuss Resolution 2018-05, recommended by the Personnel Committee. Moved Nefzger, seconded Wulfekuhle, to approve and adopt Resolution 2018-05: Amending the City Personnel Policy by increasing the clothing allowance reimbursement for Public Works employees from $300 to $500 annually. Roll call, all ayes, carried.
There being no further business, moved Nefzger, unanimous, to adjourn at 6:29pm.
REGULAR COUNCIL MEETING
January 15, 2018
The City Council of the city of Fayette, Iowa, met Monday, January 15, 2018 at 6pm in the Fayette City Hall pursuant to law and rules of said council, Mayor Pro-Tem Nefzger presiding.
Roll call: Present - Council members Cowley, Larson, Nefzger, Tucker and Wulfekuhle.
Moved Tucker, seconded Wulfekuhle, to approve the consent agenda consisting of the regular meeting minutes of 1/2/18, the claims list of 1/3/18 – 1/15/18, and the December 2017 Financial Reports. Roll call, all ayes, motion carried.
Treasurer's Balance for Fund Accounts as of December 31, 2017: Total December Receipts: $152,989.21 (General $67,392.80; Streets $13,401.11; Employee Benefits $8,678.88; LOST $8,340.87; TIF $259.14; Bolger $1,116.95; Library Fund $4,767.63; Debt Services $4,234.03; Water $5,953.59; Sewer $29,036.71; Sewer Fund $9,575.50; Storm Water $232). Total December Disbursements: $142,165.17 (General $58,719.82; Employee Benefits $12,347.37; Library Fund $1,328.66; Water $10,815.04; Sewer $47,644.28; Sewer Fund $11,310). Treasurer’s Balance: $2,897,149.47.
Moved Larson, seconded Cowley, to approve the agenda as presented. All ayes to approve, carried.
Administrator/Clerk McGrane informed the council that the city started paying 8 employees by direct deposit as of the first pay period of 2018. All the 2017 tax forms have been completed and distributed/mailed. McGrane also provided the busy meeting schedule over the next few weeks as the city prepares the budget for FY2019.
Police Chief Pisanti advised the department is working on a case involving a cat shot with an arrow.
Moved Larson, seconded Cowley, to approve the Fayette Community Library Board Minutes from December 13, 2017 and the Library Director’s January 10, 2018 report. All ayes, carried.
Moved Cowley, seconded Larson, to discuss Diego Duran and Charles Miles water/utility bill from 520 Mechanic Street. Duran and Miles advised the council that they had a broken toilet that was running during the last quarter. City Administrator McGrane contacted Duran the beginning of December to advise them their bill was $3,873.24 and they must have a water leak. They were unaware that they would be charged for the water and sewer for the broken toilet. The manager of the dwelling was contacted and the water for the broken toilet was turned off. Tucker advised she had spoken with Duran and Miles and informed them about an Emergency Funding Grant through UIU they would be eligible for that could help them cover about $1,000 of the cost. They were also advised about Helping Services of NE Iowa that may be able to assist with some of the costs. Moved Tucker, seconded Wulfekuhle, to waive the late fees for the high water/utility bill for Diego Duran and Charles Miles at 520 Mechanic Street. All ayes, carried.
Moved Larson, seconded Cowley, to introduce Bryce Bentley with Ridihalgh, Fuelling, Snitker, Weber & Co. to discuss the Fiscal Year 2017 City Examination. Bentley gave a presentation and discussion of findings and recommendations of the FY2017 audit.
Moved Larson, seconded Tucker, to consider and approve contracts, code of conducts, policies, procurement standards, affirmative action plans and other paperwork for the CDBG Grant for the Downtown Project. McGrane explained he received an updated project cost estimate from WHKS Engineering, making the total cost estimate $3,404,470. He presented this number to Speer Financial to update their spreadsheets and breakdown of costs for the project. Speer Financial suggested the following recommendation if the council decided to move forward with the project: $350,000 – CDBG Grant, $336,000 in Water Revenue SRF, $466,000 in Sewer Revenue SRF, $590,000 – Bolger Fund. Then, the city would be able to get a General Obligation (GO) Bond for $1,665,000. For the city to pay back the GO Bond in 15 years, the taxes would need to increase to approximately $251.46 per property assessed at $100,000. The city would also have to increase water and sewer rates to be able to pay back the Water and Sewer Revenue SRF portion. The city would need to spend a minimum of $590,000 of the Bolger money to be able to get the city down to their debt capacity to be able to take out the GO Bond. McGrane explained the council could not decrease any of the storm water drainage expenses from the project or they would lose the CDBG Grant money, but they could decrease the cost by removing the water and sewer replacement. Public Works Director Jerry Hildebrand recommended the council focus on fixing other water and sewer issues around town that need attention before the downtown area. McGrane explained if the council wanted to accept the grant and continue with the project, the council needed to continue to move forward with the paperwork, contracts and studies or we risk the chance of not getting the project completed in time to receive the grant money. After discussion, moved Larson, seconded Wulfekuhle, to decline the CDBG Grant. All ayes, carried.
Moved Tucker, seconded Cowley, to discuss Resolution 2018-01. Moved Larson, seconded Tucker, to decline Resolution 2018-01: Adopting Policies Compliant to the 2017 CDBG Grant for Storm-water Improvements. All ayes, carried.
Moved Larson, seconded Cowley, to discuss Resolution 2018-02. This states all regular meetings of the council shall be called to order on the first and third Mondays of each month at 6:00PM. If a holiday falls on the same date as a regularly scheduled meeting, the council meeting will take place the following evening at the same time. Notice of any change of time convening a regular meeting shall be given to the news media in ample time for them to inform the public of the change. The time of starting a special or adjourned meeting shall be sent in the motion to adjourn, in the call by the Mayor, or in the request by the necessary number of council members. Moved Wulfekuhle, seconded Larson, to approve and adopt Resolution 2018-02: Changing the Time of Regular Meetings of the Council to 6PM. Roll call, all ayes, carried.
Moved Larson, seconded Cowley, to discuss Resolution 2018-03. This adds the following sentence to Section 3.2, Holidays, in the City of Fayette Personnel Policy: Part-time employees shall not be entitled to any holiday pay. Moved Cowley, seconded Larson, to approve and adopt Resolution 2018-03: Adding No Holiday Pay for Part Time Employees to the Personnel Policy. Roll call, all ayes, carried.
Moved Cowley, seconded Wulfekuhle, to discuss Resolution 2018-04. Moved Wulfekuhle, seconded Larson, to approve and adopt Resolution 2018-04: Reappointing and compensation schedule to Patrick B. Dillon of Dillon Law, PC, for City Attorney of Fayette, Iowa. Roll call, all ayes, carried.
There being no further business, moved Wulfekuhle, unanimous, to adjourn at 7:25pm.
REGULAR COUNCIL MEETING
January 2, 2018
The City Council of the city of Fayette, Iowa, met Tuesday, January 2, 2018 at 7:31pm in the Fayette City Hall pursuant to law and rules of said council, Mayor Wenthe presiding.
Roll call: Present - Council members Cowley, Larson, Nefzger, Tucker and Wulfekuhle.
Moved Wulfekuhle, seconded Nefzger, to approve the consent agenda consisting of the regular meeting minutes of 12/18/17, the claims list of 12/19/17 – 1/2/18, and the approval of a liquor license for the Fayette Opera House, if approved from the State of Iowa Alcoholic Beverages Division. Roll call, all ayes, motion carried.
Moved Wulfekuhle, seconded Tucker, to approve the agenda as presented. All ayes to approve, carried.
Mayor Wenthe presented the council committees, boards and representatives. The council committee appointments are: Finance – Cowley (Chair), Nefzger, Larson; Personnel – Nefzger (Chair), Tucker, Wulfekuhle; Safety – Larson (Chair), Cowley, Wulfekuhle; Streets & Sidewalks – Wulfekuhle (Chair), Larson, Tucker; Police – Mayor Wenthe (Chair), Nefzger, Tucker; Mayor Pro-Tem – Nefzger.
Administrator/Clerk McGrane gave a brief update on the Flood of 2017 status.
Police Chief Pisanti gave a brief report to the council.
Moved Nefzger, seconded Cowley, to discuss a request from Wanda Sargent at 401 W. Water Street to make payments on her past-due water bill. Sargent was not present at the meeting, but had stopped at Fayette City Hall earlier today and paid half of the past due bill. Sargent advised she is working with Northeast Iowa Community Action (NEICA) to pay the other half. The representative that Sargent is working with at NEICA was not in the office today so McGrane could not reach out to verify any information. After a brief discussion, moved Nefzger, seconded Cowley, to give another 24 hours or until Thursday, January 4th morning before turning the water off for Sargent to pay the other half of the bill and to find out if Sargent is working with NEICA and a status of when the payment would be received by the city. All ayes, carried.
Moved Tucker, seconded Nefzger, to table discussion with representatives from RFSW on the FY17 City Examination.
Moved Larson, seconded Nefzger, to consider and approve hosting a City Finance 101 Workshop. After discussion, moved Tucker, seconded Nefzger, to host a City Finance 101 Workshop in Fayette on Monday, January 22nd, with back-up dates of January 30th or 31st at 6PM or 6:30PM, depending on the availability of the speaker. All ayes, carried.
Moved Larson, seconded Cowley, to consider changing the time of regular city council meetings. After discussion, moved Larson, seconded Wulfekuhle, to start the process of changing all regular city council meetings in the future to be held at 6PM and to change the next city council meeting on January 15th to 6PM. All ayes, carried.
Moved Larson, seconded Nefzger, to clarify Holiday Pay for Full Time and Part Time employees. After discussion, moved Tucker, seconded Cowley, to start the process of changing Section 3.2 Holidays in the Personnel Policy by adding “Part-time employees shall not be entitled to any holiday pay”. All ayes, carried.
Moved Larson, seconded Cowley, to discuss and consider the conditional offer from American Tower Corporation on the land they lease from the City of Fayette. After discussion, moved Larson, seconded Cowley, to take no action on the offers at this time. All ayes, carried.
Moved Tucker, seconded Larson, to discuss and consider accepting the CDBG grant money for the downtown project. After discussion, moved Nefzger, seconded Wulfekuhle, to accept the grant and continue to move forward with the project. Four voted aye, Larson nay, motion carried.
Moved Larson, seconded Cowley, to discuss and take action on the storm water drainage system violation by Chris Matt and Matt Properties, LLC at 105 W. Madison Street along King Street. After discussion, moved Larson, seconded Wulfekuhle, to have the city wait until spring to fix the ditch due to the frozen ground, but Matt will still be liable for the costs. All ayes, motion carried.
There being no further business, moved Nefzger, unanimous, to adjourn at 8:27pm.
REGULAR COUNCIL MEETING
December 18, 2017
The City Council of the city of Fayette, Iowa, met Monday, December 18, 2017 at 5:30pm in the 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 – Kragnes.
Moved Wulfekuhle, seconded Nefzger, to approve the consent agenda consisting of the regular meeting minutes of 12/4/17, the claims list of 12/5/17 – 12/18/17, and the November 2017 Financial Reports. Roll call, all ayes, motion carried.
Treasurer's Balance for Fund Accounts as of November 30, 2017: Total November Receipts: $125,747.92 (General $40,488.75; Streets $15,454.50; Employee Benefits $21,071.09; LOST $15,013.40; TIF $13,134.66; Bolger $112.88; Library Fund $1,493.48; Water $4,526.75; Sewer $4,734.91; Sewer Fund $9,575.50; Storm Water $142). Total November Disbursements: $89,869.65 (General $36,865.54; Employee Benefits $11,440.57, Bolger $46.25; Library Fund $669.16; Debt $4,010.56; Water $9,018.12; Sewer $27,819.45). Treasurer’s Balance: $2,886,325.43.
Moved Larson, seconded Tucker, to approve the agenda as presented. All ayes to approve, carried.
Mayor Wenthe informed the council he had included some information on the last Fayette Community email asking for volunteers for different work groups in reference to the Creative Placemaking recommendations. He has the first agendas ready for each work group and is hoping the first set of meetings will be held in January. Upon Mayor Wenthe’s request and the Fayette Fire Departments recommendation, moved Larson, seconded Wulfekuhle, to reappoint Jason Rohde as Fayette Fire Chief for 2018. All ayes, carried.
Administrator/Clerk McGrane would like the council to consider hosting a City Finance 101 training in Fayette for city of Fayette board members, department supervisors, crew chiefs, council members, etc. The Iowa League of Cities would put on the training, which will give the participants tools to understand government financial information to assist with purchases, budgeting, projects and safeguarding the assets of our community. The cost of the training is $500. The council recommended choosing some dates to host the training and place it on the next council agenda to discuss.
Police Chief Pisanti advised that there is nothing new to report.
Moved Tucker, seconded Nefzger, to approve the Fayette Community Library Board Minutes from November 8, 2017. All ayes, carried.
Moved Wulfekuhle, seconded Larson, to have Maggie Burger with Speer Financial, Inc., the city’s Financial Advisor, give a presentation on Fayette’s finances. Maggie explained that the State Revolving Fund (SRF) now requires the use of a Financial Advisor. The SRF is acting as an underwriter, meaning they are the ones buying bonds, and they can no longer provide financial advice. Instead, we must depend on someone else such as a Financial Advisor. Since the SRF is forcing the use of a Financial Advisor, they will pay the Financial Advisor fee, up to $4,000. As of July 1, 2018, Fayette’s actual value for debt limit calculation is $46,641,962 (total assessed value, no rollback is figured into this). The state code says cities can borrow up to 5% of this amount, which means Fayette’s legal debt limit for FY18 is $2,332,098. As of this month, the city does not have any General Obligation debt outstanding. The city currently has revenue debts (which do not count against the debt capacity), which would include water, sewer and storm water. The city does have outstanding rebate agreements, which would be TIF rebate agreements. This amount does count against the debt capacity, which is $198,354. That leaves the remaining legal debt margin of $2,133,744. Speer Financial recommends cities to never borrow more than 80% of what the total debt capacity is. That leaves 20% available for emergencies, which is $466,420, leaving a legal debt margin of $1,667,324. Maggie put together an analysis of Fayette’s water and sewer utility systems. The council has a 2% rate increase each year for water and sewer which is good as Maggie recommends assuming a 2% increase in expenses each year as prices for everything goes up. The water utility fund system is currently not bringing in enough money to cover all the expenses and the water tower loan, so we are drawing down on cash balances. Since the water tower loan will be paid off this fiscal year, the water system fund will start getting caught back up. Overall, the sewer system fund seems to be keeping up, but the water system fund is not, but will hopefully start next fiscal year. If we have any future water projects within the next ten years or so, our water rates will probably not be enough to cover the costs of a revenue loan. Maggie also provided some financial examples for a few different projects, including the Downtown/Main St. project and the Water St. project. The examples included some estimates on how much the tax rates would need to increase to cover the project.
There being no further business, moved Nefzger, unanimous, to adjourn at 6:23pm.
REGULAR COUNCIL MEETING
December 4, 2017
The City Council of the city of Fayette, Iowa, met Monday, December 4, 2017 at 7:33pm in the ICN Room at the Fayette Community Library pursuant to law and rules of said council, Mayor Wenthe presiding.
Roll call: Present - Council members Larson, Kragnes, Nefzger, Tucker and Wulfekuhle.
Prior to this meeting, at 6:30PM, the mayor and council held a work session to discuss rezoning the property at 503 W. Water Street from residential to commercial, B-2 Restricted Business District.
Moved Kragnes, seconded Larson, to approve the consent agenda consisting of the regular meeting minutes of 11/20/17, the claims list of 11/21/17 – 12/4/17, and the October 2017 Financial Reports. Roll call, all ayes, motion carried.
Treasurer's Balance for Fund Accounts as of October 31, 2017: Total October Receipts: $325,331.44 (General $160,029.20; Streets $11,500.99; LOST $8,117.82; TIF $15,324.55; Bolger $66.61; Library Fund $349.36; Water $62,669.70; Sewer $56,223.04; Sewer Fund $9,575.50; Storm Water $1,474.67). Total October Disbursements: $132,391.14 (General $92,079.38; Bolger $2,500; Library Fund $430.99; Water $15,135.84; Sewer $21,674.93; Sewer Lining $570). Treasurer’s Balance: $2,850,497.16.
Moved Kragnes, seconded Wulfekuhle, to approve the agenda as presented. All ayes to approve, carried.
Administrator/Clerk McGrane reported that he attended a Budget Workshop in Independence on Nov. 28th to prepare for the up-coming budget. He also met with Library Director, Annette Butikofer, to work through Library finances and reports.
Police Chief Pisanti advised that a recent burglary occurred in town but it was an isolated incident.
Moved Kragnes, seconded Nefzger, to discuss the Fayette Personnel Committee minutes. All ayes. Moved Kragnes, seconded Wulfekuhle, to approve and adopt the Fayette Personnel Committee minutes from November 6, 2017. All ayes, carried.
Moved Wulfekuhle, seconded Larson, to discuss the Fayette Planning & Zoning Commission minutes. All ayes. Moved Kragnes, seconded Wulfekuhle, to approve and adopt the Fayette Planning & Zoning Commission minutes from November 9, 2017. All ayes, carried.
Moved Kragnes, seconded Nefzger, to discuss rezoning 503 W. Water Street from residential to commercial, B-2 Restricted Business District. All ayes. After discussion, no motion was made to rezone.
Moved Kragnes, seconded Larson, to consider and approve hiring a City Maintenance Worker. All ayes. Nefzger advised the search committee met, conducted interviews and unanimously agreed to offer Tyler Spece, from Fayette, the position. Tyler is experienced with heavy equipment, maintenance of equipment, welding and is close to getting his CDL. Nefzger advised it is the search committee’s recommendation to offer the City Maintenance Worker position to Tyler Spece at a wage of $38,350/year (wage scale #8, $18.4375/hour). Moved Kragnes, seconded Larson, to hire Tyler Spece as the City Maintenance Worker. All ayes, motion carried. Moved Kragnes, seconded Tucker, to amend the last motion and hire Tyler Spece as the City Maintenance Worker at $38,350/year ($18.4375/hour). All ayes, motion carried.
Moved Kragnes, seconded Tucker, to introduce Resolution 2017-18. This makes the following changes to the job description for the City Maintenance Worker: 1) the worker reports to the Public Works Director or Designee; 2) takes out “road grader” from the Equipment Used to Perform Job section; c) adds the following to the Minimum Experience/Training required: Air Break Endorsement within thirty (30) days of hiring [for the CDL], Grade 1 Water Distribution, Grade 1 Water Treatment and Grade 1 Wastewater Treatment within eighteen (18) months of hiring. Moved Kragnes, seconded Wulfekuhle, to approve and adopt Resolution 2017-18: Revising and updating the job description for the City Maintenance Worker. Roll call, all ayes, motion carried.
Moved Kragnes, seconded Wulfekuhle, to introduce Resolution 2017-19. This addresses changes to the City Personnel Policy, Section 3.9 Reimbursable Expenses. The change takes out “the allowance for lodging and all meals shall not exceed $115.00 per day” and replacing it with “the allowance for lodging shall not exceed $115.00 per day, unless previous approval from a Supervisor or Mayor. Actual cost of meals not to exceed $8.00 morning, $15.00 lunch, $25.00 evening, or $48.00 per day, (alcohol excluded) except meals when part of the registration package. Miscellaneous gratuities up to 15% on meals only will also be reimbursed.” Moved Kragnes, seconded Tucker, to approve and adopt Resolution 2017-19: amending Resolution 2017-14, City Personnel Policy, by changing part of Section 3.9 Reimbursable Expenses. Roll call, all ayes, carried.
Moved Larson, seconded Kragnes, to discuss and take action on the Storm Water Drainage System violation by Chris Matt and Matt Properties, LLC at 105 W. Madison Street. McGrane advised Matt has not returned the ditch as the Council requested. McGrane spoke with an attorney and had a Notice of Violation drawn up. The Council needs to determine the penalty if the violation continues and have the notice served to Chris Matt. Moved Larson, seconded Kragnes, to serve the Notice of Violation to Chris Matt stating if the ditch is not returned to its previous condition after ten (10) days of service, the City will take the necessary action to cure the violation; assess the expense, loss, and damage against Matt and his real estate; and assess a civil penalty in the amount of $500.00 and $750.00 for each day that the violation continues. All ayes, motion carried.
There being no further business, moved Nefzger, unanimous, to adjourn at 8:08pm.
