REGULAR COUNCIL MEETING
June 17, 2019
The City Council of the City of Fayette, Iowa, met on Tuesday, June 11, 2019, at 7pm for a work session to discuss water rates, sewer rates, the water/sewer capital improvements fees and housing incentives. The work session adjourned at 8:22pm.
The City Council of the City of Fayette, Iowa, met Monday, June 17, 2019, at 6pm in 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 Nefzger, seconded Cowley, to approve the consent agenda items consisting of the regular meeting minutes of 6/3/19, the claims list of 6/4/19 – 6/17/19 and the financial reports for March, April and May of 2019. Roll call, all ayes, motion carried.
Treasurer’s Balance for Fund Accounts as of March 31, 2019: Total March Receipts: $91,788.91 (General $21,556.07; Streets $11,783.51; Employee Benefits $2,714.52; Local Option Sales Tax [LOST] $8,228.10; TIF $107.61; Revolving Loan $1,084.94; Bolger $4,066.46; Library Fund $4.81; Water $15,666.27; Water T&A $150; Sewer $25,352.11; Water/Sewer Capital $248.61; Storm Water $825.90). Total March Disbursements: $86,080.40 (General $33,338.58; Streets $5,309.03; Employee Benefits $10,054.77; Library Fund $20; Water $7,816.30; Water T&A $625; Sewer $9,315.37; Sewer Project $19,510.34; 9 S. Main St $91.01). Transfers in: Sewer Fund $9,575.50; Transfers out: Sewer $9,575.50. Treasurer’s Balance: $3,220,735.14.
Treasurer’s Balance for Fund Accounts as of April 30, 2019: Total April Receipts: $364,096.51 (General $135,264.25; Streets $7,281.98; Employee Benefits $37,700.63; Local Option Sales Tax [LOST] $8,228.10; TIF $27,811.35; Revolving Loan $1,084.76; Bolger $23,330.36; Library Fund $4.65; Water $45,032.72; Water T&A $600; Sewer $72,132.34; Water/Sewer Capital $4,165.38; Storm Water $1,459.99). Total April Disbursements: $102,494.41 (General $41,005.34; Streets $11,144.30; Employee Benefits $9,199.23; CDBG LMI Housing $297.65; Revolving Loan $123.24; Water $15,637.43; Water T&A $532.41; Sewer $17,026.42; Sewer Project $7,375.96; 9 S. Main St $152.43). Transfers in: Sewer Fund $9,575.50; Transfers out: Sewer $9,575.50. Treasurer’s Balance: $3,482,545.04.
Treasurer’s Balance for Fund Accounts as of May 31, 2019: Total May Receipts: $151,312.38 (General $55,469.21; Streets $16,130.56; Employee Benefits $15,064.29; Local Option Sales Tax [LOST] $8,378.53; TIF $582.87; CDBG LMI Housing $1,103; Revolving Loan $1,085.19; Bolger $561.55; Library Fund $4.81; Water $17,368.79; Water T&A $1,050; Sewer $29,207.06; Water/Sewer Capital $4,649.78; Storm Water $656.74). Total May Disbursements: $153,644.96 (General $40,452.09; Streets $8,677.79; Employee Benefits $9,224.01; CDBG LMI Housing $306.94; Water $9,221.51; Water T&A $3,687.76; Sewer $15,745.19; Sewer Project $66,244.42; 9 S. Main St $85.25). Transfers in: Sewer Fund $9,575.50; Transfers out: Sewer $9,575.50. Treasurer’s Balance: $3,479,793.02.
Moved Cowley, seconded Wulfekuhle, to approve the agenda as presented. All ayes, carried.
Mayor Wenthe explained that he had received Tim Wulfekuhle’s resignation from the Board of Adjustment because it was confirmed by our city attorney that the same person cannot serve on the Board of Adjustment and the Planning and Zoning Commission at the same time. Tim Wulfekuhle was present and informed the council that he would like to resign from the Planning and Zoning Commission and stay on the Board of Adjustment. Upon Mayor Wenthe’s recommendation, moved Nefzger, seconded Tucker, to appoint Brock Wissmiller to the Board of Adjustments. Cowley, Nefzger and Tucker – ayes, Larson and Wulfekuhle – nays. Motion carried.
Tim Wulfekuhle advised the council he would like to resign from the Planning and Zoning Commission effective immediately.
Administrator/Clerk McGrane informed the council that city hall has been extremely busy with monthly utility billing. McGrane has also started working with Access Systems preparing for the new server.
Fayette Police Chief Davis updated the council on the National Night Out event scheduled for August.
Moved Tucker, seconded Cowley, to approve the Fayette Community Library Board of Trustees meeting minutes from 5/8/19. All ayes, carried.
Moved Cowley, seconded Wulfekuhle, to discuss and request a public hearing for the conveyance of an easement allowing Jared Hildebrand, 409 Jones Street, to build a deck upon city right of way. Jared Hildebrand was present and explained he would like to take down the old deck (8’6”x16”) because it is old and falling apart and construct a new larger deck (12”x16”). After discussion, moved Wulfekuhle, seconded Cowley, to schedule a public hearing at the next council meeting, Monday, July 1, 2019 at 6PM at Fayette City Hall for the conveyance at the cost of preparation of an easement allowing Jared Hildebrand to build a deck at the dimensions as the old deck (8’6”x16”) upon city right of way at the intersection of E. Madison St. and Jones St. All ayes, carried.
Moved Tucker, seconded Nefzger, to discuss Resolution 2019-9. McGrane explained Chief Davis had requested adding a Patrol Sergeant during the FY2020 budget discussions and the council agreed at that time to move forward. Davis drafted the job description based on the Police Chief’s job description. Moved Nefzger, seconded Tucker, to adopt Resolution 2019-9: Adding the job description for the Police Patrol Sergeant. Roll call, all ayes, motion carried.
Moved Cowley, seconded Nefzger, to discuss Resolution 2019-10. McGrane explained he added the Patrol Sergeant on the organizational chart, showing the proper chain of command. Moved Tucker, seconded Cowley, to adopt Resolution 2019-10: Amending the City of Fayette Personnel Policy changing section 1 Organization by adding the Police Sergeant. Roll call, all ayes, motion carried.
Moved Nefzger, seconded Tucker to discuss the appointment of Fayette Officer Brian Waid to Patrol Sergeant. Upon Chief Davis’ recommendation, moved Nefzger, seconded Cowley, to appoint Brian Waid as Patrol Sergeant. All ayes, motion carried.
Moved Nefzger, seconded Cowley, to discuss Ordinance 504. The ordinance amends a portion of section 92.02 of water rates and section 99.02 of sewer service charges under Chapters 92 and 99 to increase the rates and fees. In section 92.02, the monthly water rates will change from $12 (minimum bill) to $15 (minimum bill) for the first 150 cubic feet used per month and all over 151 cubic feet will change from $0.046 per cubic foot to $0.055 per cubic foot. In section 99.02, the monthly sewer service charges will change from $18.45 (minimum bill) to $23 (minimum bill) for the first 150 cubic feet used per month and all over 151 cubic feet will change from $0.086 per cubic foot to $0.092 per cubic foot. Moved Nefzger, seconded Cowley, to approve the first reading of Ordinance 504, an ordinance amending the code of ordinances of the city of Fayette, Iowa, by repealing and amending a portion of sections 92.02 of water rates and 99.02 of sewer service charges under chapters 92 and 99 to increase the rates and fees. Roll call, all ayes, motion carried.
Moved Cowley, seconded Larson, to discuss Ordinance 505. The ordinance amends a portion of section 92.02 of water rates and section 99.02 of sewer service charges to adjust the water and sewer infrastructure/administration fee. The council would like McGrane to provide more information if the fee was changed from a flat monthly fee to a percentage of usage, capping the total amount to 3500 cubic feet, 4500 cubic feet, 5000 cubic feet and a few other examples. Moved Wulfekuhle, second Cowley, to table the discussion on Ordinance 505. All ayes, motion carried.
Moved Cowley, seconded Nefzger, to discuss and consider adding a hotel and motel tax to the ballot at the next city election. McGrane provided information from the Iowa League of Cities and the Iowa Dept. of Revenue about the hotel and motel tax, the other cities and unincorporated areas in Iowa who currently have the hotel and motel tax, as well as their current rates and a history of the revenue they brought in. John Kelley, Doug McReynolds, Clarissa Videgar and Tim Wulfekuhle advised the council they were not in favor of adding the hotel and motel tax to the ballot. A few reasons they presented to the council included: it could deter people from staying at the hotel in Fayette which decreases the chances of the guests visiting other local businesses, there are only two or three places in town that would have to add the tax which is singling them out, and the city doesn’t have enough tourist attractions bringing people into town. Nefzger thought the hotel and motel tax could be another revenue for the city to help repair the streets or the storm water drainage issues we have in town. After discussion, no action was taken.
Moved Tucker, seconded Cowley, to discuss the Fayette County Economic Development. McGrane and Wenthe updated the council that the Fayette County Supervisors are planning on contracting with RC&D to handle Fayette County’s Economic Development and ending the contract with Upper Explorerland. No action was taken.
Moved Larson, seconded Nefzger, to discuss the American Tower Company’s contract renewal. McGrane had provided the council with the recent communication between an account manager with American Tower Corporation and himself. American Tower Corporation asked the council to provide a counter offer if the council didn’t like the proposal. The council would not like to discuss renewing the contract until there is 5 years left on the lease. No action was taken.
Moved Tucker, seconded Cowley, to discuss adjusting the new commercial and residential construction incentives. McGrane presented some of the incentives that were discussed at the last work session. The council provided additional suggestions for McGrane to put together to present at the next council meeting. No action was taken.
Moved Nefzger, unanimous, to adjourn at 7:35pm.
REGULAR COUNCIL MEETING
June 3, 2019
The City Council of the City of Fayette, Iowa, met Monday, June 3, 2019, at 6pm in 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 Wulfekuhle, to approve the consent agenda items consisting of the regular meeting minutes of 5/6/19, with the addition of “Nefzger abstained” on the vote reappointing Jeff Potratz to the Board of Adjustment for a 3-year term, and the claims list of 5/21/19 – 6/3/19. Roll call, all ayes, motion carried.
Moved Tucker, seconded Nefzger, to approve the agenda as presented. All ayes, carried.
Mayor Wenthe informed the council that Administrator/Clerk Kris McGrane and he worked on a press release promoting our new businesses in Fayette and the Revolving Loan Fund. The Fayette Leader printed the release and the Cedar Rapids Gazette is planning on running a story in an upcoming issue.
Administrator/Clerk McGrane told the council the S. Main St. bridge joint repair was completed over the weekend. McGrane attended the HWY 150 Coalition meeting on 5/29 at the Fayette Community Library.
Fayette Police Chief Davis updated the council on the National Night Out event scheduled for August.
Moved Larson, seconded Cowley, to approve the Fayette Recreation Board meeting minutes from 5/6/19. The council requested McGrane to promote Cardinal Park on Facebook more. All ayes, carried.
Moved Larson, seconded Wulfekuhle, to approve the Fayette Board of Adjustment meeting minutes from 5/23/19. All ayes, carried.
Moved Cowley, seconded Nefzger, to discuss and consider vacating part of the city right-of-way to Jared Hildebrand at 409 Jones Street. Hildebrand advised he would like to construct a 10’ x 12’ addition to the south side of his house where the current deck is located. Hildebrand had attended the last Board of Adjustment (BOA) meeting, where the BOA recommended the city council sell the minimum amount of city right-of-way to Hildebrand, so a variance would not be needed. The council discussed having Hildebrand get a survey of his property, so he would know exactly how much of the city right-of-way he would need to purchase from the city. The council recalled our city attorney does not recommend vacating or selling any city rights-of-way because the property may be needed for future utilities. After discussion, moved Nefzger, seconded Cowley, to not allow vacating the property but to grant an easement at Hildebrand’s expense, similar to what was recently done with the Fayette County Food Shelf expansion, and request the Board of Adjustment meet again to reconsider Hildebrand’s request. All ayes, carried.
Moved Tucker, seconded Wulfekuhle, to discuss and consider approving Lyle and Valerie Buehler’s Demolition Incentive. The council reviewed the receipts provided and clarified that the incentive is only for the demolition costs and does not include costs of street excavation, grass seed, gravel, etc. McGrane will provide the demolition receipt/invoice at a future meeting. No action was taken.
Moved Cowley, seconded Nefzger, to discuss the approval of partial pay estimate number 7 to Tschiggfrie Excavating. Moved Nefzger, seconded Cowley, to approve partial pay estimate number 7 to Tschiggfrie Excavating for the Sanitary Sewer Repair and CIPP Lining Improvements project 16-137 Division 1 contingent upon receipt of all necessary Davis-Bacon wage documentation by UERPC. All ayes, carried.
Moved Nefzger, seconded Tucker, to discuss and consider employee pay increases for FY2020. After discussion, moved Larson, seconded Nefzger, to have all cost-of-living increases take effect on July 1st, 2019, and all the years-of-service step increases on the wage scale to take effect on the employee’s anniversary date. All ayes, carried.
Moved Larson, seconded Cowley, to discuss water and sewer rates and the capital fund fee. McGrane shared spreadsheets with the council showing the income for water and sewer over the last few months, since switching to monthly billing. The spreadsheets show the water and sewer funds have a slight decrease in revenue each month with the additional money going into the water and sewer capital improvements fund. McGrane also showed examples of what it would look like if we switched the capital improvements $10 flat fee per bill to a 1% or 2% fee per cubic foot, as the council had requested at a prior meeting. McGrane advised the council that we expected we would probably have to adjust the minimums and rates slightly once we had a few months to look at. Some users may not see much of a change to their bills because we would be distributing the costs differently which may not cause some total utility bill amounts to change. After discussion, the council decided to set-up a work session next week to continue to look at the rates. McGrane will reach out to the council and choose a date that works best for the majority. No action was taken.
Moved Larson, seconded Tucker, to discuss the water drainage in the 500 block of Mechanic Street. At a previous meeting, the council had requested McGrane to look if the city had any documentation of what was required for CJ Construction to do for the storm water drainage when constructing the condominiums. McGrane advised the Deputy Clerk had been looking but has been unable to find anything. Jerry Hildebrand, the Public Works Director, believes that CJ Construction had met all the requirements. Hildebrand does not think the storm water is running across Mechanic St. anymore since the street was re-blacktopped a couple years ago and a 2-inch crown was put in the middle of the road. Nefzger suggested the city continues to monitor the issue. Wulfekuhle thought the property owners on the east side of Mechanic Street could dig out a ditch to help retain the water since the driveways on the west side are already completed. Wulfekuhle also advised the city needs to consider storm water drainage issues for future developments to avoid this issue occurring again. Tucker mentioned if they continue to have issues in that area, she heard of other options during the flood mitigation meetings she attended that the city could consider, such as having a grassy area or more vegetation. After further discussion, no action was taken.
Moved Nefzger, unanimous, to adjourn at 8:00pm.
REGULAR COUNCIL MEETING
May 20, 2019
The City Council of the City of Fayette, Iowa, met Monday, May 20, 2019, at 6pm in 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 Larson, seconded Cowley, to approve the consent agenda items consisting of the regular meeting minutes of 5/6/19, the claims list of 5/7/19 – 5/20/19, the February 2019 financial reports, approve the renewal of a class C liquor license with catering privilege and Sunday sales for Upper Iowa University/Aramark, and approve the renewal of a class E liquor license with the Class B native wine permit, class C beer permit and Sunday sales for the Pumper. 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.
Treasurer’s Balance for Fund Accounts as of February 28, 2019: Total February Receipts: $56,739.29 (General $10,929.59; Streets $14,467.11; Employee Benefits $440.23; Local Option Sales Tax [LOST] $8,228.10; TIF $17.81; Revolving Loan $6,964.72; Bolger $125.24; Library Fund $4.35; FEMA $7,390.29; Water $3,570.48; Water T&A $225; Sewer $4,275.32; Storm Water $101.05). Total February Disbursements: $120,530.13 (General $34,935.68; Streets $8,634.01; Employee Benefits $9,395.93; CDBG LMI Housing $905.64; Revolving Loan $777.09; Bolger $113.29; Water $12,272.88; Water T&A $32.58; Sewer $15,272.16; Sewer Project $38,023.61; 9 S. Main St $167.26). Transfers in: Sewer Fund $9,575.50; Transfers out: Sewer $9,575.50. Treasurer’s Balance: $3,214,818.83.
Moved Larson, seconded Cowley, to approve the agenda as presented. All ayes, carried.
Mayor Wenthe was not in attendance, but in his written report Wenthe recommended reappointing Jeff Potratz to the Board of Adjustments for a 3-year term. Moved Wulfekuhle, seconded Larson, to reappoint Jeff Potratz to the Board of Adjustments for a 3-year term. All ayes, carried.
Administrator/Clerk McGrane informed the council the S. Main Street bridge joint repair is now tentatively scheduled for Friday, 5/24 and work will continue through the weekend. The bridge will be closed during that time. Since it is a holiday weekend, it may get pushed back another week. McGrane and Jerry Hildebrand met with the Tree Board for their first meeting on 5/8.
Fayette Police Chief Davis updated the council on the National Night Out event scheduled for August. Davis advised Officer Stone Allen finished the academy and advised of changes to the officer’s schedule for the summer.
Moved Larson, seconded Cowley, to approve the Fayette Tree Board meeting minutes from 5/8/19. All ayes, carried.
Moved Larson, seconded Wulfekuhle, to discuss and consider awarding a CPA firm to perform the City’s required annual exam. Three bids were received: Hogan & Hansen, PC (Waterloo) $4,725; O’Connor, Brooks & Co, PC $4800 and T.P. Anderson & Co, PC (Humboldt) $4900. After a brief discussion, moved Tucker, seconded Wulfekuhle, to award Hogan & Hansen, PC to perform the City’s required annual exam for the year ending 6/30/19. All ayes, carried.
Moved Larson, seconded Cowley, to discuss and consider pledging money to the NEIA Regional Housing Trust Fund. After discussion, moved Wulfekuhle, seconded Larson, to pledge $2,000 out of the Bolger fund to the NEIA Regional Housing Trust Fund to be used as matching funds for the Iowa Finance Authority funding application to be used in the City of Fayette only. All ayes, carried.
Moved Larson, seconded Cowley, to discuss and consider accepting the agreement for services for occupational and employee medical care with Community Memorial Hospital out of Sumner. After discussion, moved Larson, seconded Wulfekuhle, to approve the agreement for services for occupational and employee medical care with Community Memorial Hospital out of Sumner after clarifying that we may utilize other hospitals and clinics in the area as well and are not required to only use them. All ayes, carried.
Moved Wulfekuhle, unanimous, to adjourn at 6:26pm.
REGULAR COUNCIL MEETING
May 6, 2019
The City Council of the City of Fayette, Iowa, met Monday, May 6, 2019, at 6:01pm in 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 items consisting of the regular meeting minutes of 4/15/19 and the claims list of 4/16/19 – 5/6/19. Roll call, all ayes, motion carried.
Moved Tucker, seconded Cowley, to approve the agenda as presented. All ayes, carried.
Mayor Wenthe advised the council the Fayette County Supervisors have made the decision to not provide funding to the Fayette County Economic Development Commission (FCEDC) and he doesn’t see how it will be able to move forward in the future without their funding. Wenthe is currently the city of Fayette’s representative on the FCEDC. Wenthe advised they will be meeting and doing a final audit and conducting an inventory of all the assets. They will also be working with the Fayette County Supervisors on what their plan is for county-wide economic development. Whatever funds that will be left over will go towards a severance pay for the employees and cities may receive some funds back.
Mayor Wenthe recommended appointing Brock Wissmiller to the Board of Adjustments. Wulfekuhle recommended appointing Tim Wulfekuhle because he serves on the planning and zoning board and helped with the City Code making him more knowledgeable for this board. Moved Larson, seconded Cowley, to appoint Tim Wulfekuhle to the Board of Adjustments for a five-year term. Cowley, Larson, Tucker – ayes, Nefzger nay, Wulfekuhle abstained. Motion carried.
Upon Mayor Wenthe’s recommendation, moved Cowley, seconded Wulfekuhle, to appoint Darwin Dean to the Board of Adjustments for a five-year term. All ayes, carried. Upon the Fayette EMS/Ambulance Service recommendation, moved Wulfekuhle, seconded Cowley, to appoint Kyara Dahlstrom to the Fayette EMS/Ambulance Service. All ayes, carried. Upon the Fayette EMS/Ambulance Service recommendation, moved Cowley, seconded Larson, to appoint Johnathan Garcia to the Fayette EMS/Ambulance Service. All ayes, carried.
Administrator/Clerk McGrane informed the council the S. Main Street bridge joint repair is tentatively scheduled for Friday, 5/17 and work will continue through the weekend. The bridge will be closed during that time. McGrane also provided information on the legislation updates including the property tax bill that relates to local government budgets and the taxation of property by modifying how city and county budgets are established and approved. The next Highway 150 Coalition meeting will be held on 5/29 at the Fayette Community Library. The IA Dept of Management will hold four, free workshops covering urban renewal areas and tax increment financing around Iowa. McGrane shared the dates and locations to council members if they are interested in attending.
Fayette Police Chief Davis updated the council on the National Night Out event scheduled for August. Davis said they have Gundersen Health System’s helicopter, a Fire Safety Trailer and music scheduled for the event, so far.
Moved Larson, seconded Tucker, to discuss and consider drafting a contract for a temporary business at 9 S. Main Street. Jake Dale and Clayton Lieb, UIU students, were present and advised they had started a business last fall called Driftless Area Guide Co. They offer outdoor apparel and a guide service for the Driftless region to promote the bluffs, cold-water trout streams and other tourist information. They would like to have a downtown store front for the month of September through November to sell their apparel and offer their guide services. Wenthe and McGrane had met with Dale and Lieb earlier and had suggest they come to the council to inquire about the vacant building at 9 S. Main Street. Wenthe and McGrane explained they could use this as an experiment to try an incubator or pop-up store. The idea is to have a month-by-month contract where the renter is responsible to pay for all the utilities plus a small percentage of profits. The idea is to give a low-cost place for people to experiment and try-out their business and determine if its something they would want to pursue in the future. Moved Nefzger, seconded Wulfekuhle, to move forward with gathering information and drafting a contract to host a temporary renter in the 9 S. Main Street building. All ayes, carried.
Moved Larson, seconded Cowley, to discuss the contract change order number 4 for the Sanitary Sewer Repair and CIPP Lining Improvements project, division 1. Moved Tucker, seconded Nefzger, to approve the contract change order number 4 for the Sanitary Sewer Repair and CIPP Lining Improvements project 16-137 division 1. All ayes, carried.
Moved Cowley, seconded Larson, to discuss the approval of partial pay estimate number 6 to Tschiggfrie Excavating. Moved Nefzger, seconded Wulfekuhle, to approve partial pay estimate number 6 to Tschiggfrie Excavating for the Sanitary Sewer Repair and CIPP Lining Improvements project 16-137 division 1 contingent upon receipt of all necessary Davis-Bacon wage documentation by UERPC. All ayes, carried.
Moved Nefzger, seconded Larson, to discuss Resolution 2019-8. Moved Wulfekuhle, seconded Larson, to approve Resolution 2019-8: Accepting the project and approving payment of partial payment number 4 (final) to Visu-Sewer for the Sanitary Sewer Repair and CIPP Lining Improvements project 16-137B, division 2. Roll call, all ayes, carried.
Moved Cowley, seconded Tucker, to discuss purchasing a mower at the cost of $5,922 using finances from the Parks savings account. Public Works Director Jerry Hildebrand advised he had planned to purchase this next year, but we need the mower sooner. Hildebrand received a quote from P&K Midwest in Sumner for $5,922 (includes trade-in) and a quote from Bodensteiner Implement in Oelwein for $6,396.95 (includes trade-in). Moved Larson, seconded Wulfekuhle, to purchase a new mower from P&K Midwest in the amount $5,922 out of the Parks savings account. All ayes, carried.
Moved Tucker, seconded Cowley, to discuss options to spend donations from Floyd Alber. A few options to use the money for included the Community Garden and the Freedom Rock. Wulfekuhle also suggested using the money to purchase a digital sign for the city. Wulfekuhle shared that the Community Garden and Main Street Matters are joining together, and the city had budgeted $1,000 that they plan on using but would like an additional $500. After discussion, moved Wulfekuhle, seconded Cowley, to use $500 of the Floyd Alber donation to the Community Garden and Main Street Matters committee. All ayes, carried.
Moved Larson, seconded Cowley, to discuss adjusting the monthly water/sewer capital fund fee. McGrane had provided some information from surrounding communities that currently charge water and/or sewer capital fund/infrastructure fees and the majority charge the fee per meter/bill. Hildebrand suggested charging a percentage of usage per meter/bill that would go toward the capital fund fee to make it fair. McGrane advised he can work on some figures to show the council how a percentage system would work at a future meeting. No action was taken.
Moved Cowley, seconded Tucker, to go into closed/executive session per Iowa Code 21.5(1)(j) to discuss the purchase or sale of particular real estate only where premature disclosure could be reasonably expected to increase the price the City would have to pay for that property or reduce the price the City would receive for that property. All ayes, carried.
Moved Nefzger, seconded Wulfekuhle, to go out of closed session. All ayes, carried.
Moved Nefzger, unanimous, to adjourn at 7:30pm.
REGULAR COUNCIL MEETING
April 15, 2019
The City Council of the City of Fayette, Iowa, met Monday, April 15, 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, Larson (6:08pm), Nefzger, Tucker and Wulfekuhle.
Moved Cowley, seconded Tucker, to approve the consent agenda items consisting of the regular meeting minutes of 4/1/19 and the claims list of 4/2/19 – 4/15/19. Roll call, all ayes, motion carried.
Moved Tucker, seconded Cowley, to approve the agenda as presented. All ayes, carried.
Upon Mayor Wenthe’s recommendation, moved Cowley, seconded Nefzger, to appoint Susan Scott to the Upper Explorerland Regional Housing Authority Board for a three-year term, until 1/1/22. All ayes, carried.
Mayor Wenthe advised the council we need two citizens to serve on the Board of Adjustments.
Moved Tucker, seconded Nefzger, to approve the Fayette Community Library Board of Trustees meeting minutes from 3/13/19. All ayes, carried.
Moved Cowley, seconded Wulfekuhle, to approve the Fayette Board of Adjustment meeting minutes from 3/28/19. All ayes, carried.
Moved Cowley, seconded Tucker, to discuss and consider closing off the 100 block of S. Main Street for the Fayette Show and Shine Car Shows on the 3rd Thursday of the month. Lloyd Carnicle advised he started this in 2013 and would like to continue to organize the car show again this year between May and September. Moved Nefzger, seconded Wulfekuhle, to approve closing the 100 block of S. Main Street from 5:30PM to 9PM on the 3rd Thursday of the month starting in May until September of 2019 for the Fayette Show and Shine Car Shows. All ayes, carried.
Moved Nefzger, seconded Cowley, to discuss and consider Hawkeye Telephone to continue to expand the fiber network around Fayette. Craig Schmidt with Hawkeye Telephone advised this summer they would like to expand the fiber network in Fayette and build up the main line which would cover S. Main Street. Once they get the main line down, they will contact the businesses to find out if they are interested in hooking up to the fiber network for internet and phone. In the future, they would choose sections of town to expand the network into. The work this summer would include underground boring. Schmidt estimates the work would start in about two or two and half months. Moved Nefzger, seconded Larson, to approve Hawkeye Telephone to continue to expand the fiber network project this summer. All ayes, carried.
Moved Larson, seconded Cowley, to discuss and consider forgiving some water and sewer charges for 502 E. Madison Street. Kevin Lehs (owner of 502 E. Madison St.) explained this is a rental home and he stops down monthly to perform regular maintenance for the house. He also walks through to make sure there is nothing leaking, or any problems and he hasn’t seen anything leaking over the last year. The water usage was almost 4 times higher for the December through February quarter. Lehs did replace a dishwasher during this time but he said it wasn’t because it was leaking. The monthly March usage seemed accurate. The Public Works ran a report for Lehs and the council that showed the daily usage for that residence from 2/27/19 through 4/1/19 and it appeared to show normal usage. The report only went back to 2/27, so the city couldn’t determine when the previous high usage occurred during that quarter. After further discussion, no action was taken.
Moved Cowley, seconded Larson, to discuss the building permit for 509 Franklin Street. Kevin Lehs (owner of 512 W. Water St.) and Jeff Potratz (owner of 509 Franklin St.) were both in attendance. Lehs advised he believes the garage that was built at 509 Franklin St. is out of compliance with the building permit because the permit states a 15 foot rear yard set-back and it appears to only be about a 13 foot rear yard set-back. Lehs advised the Board of Adjustment approved a 13 foot rear yard set-back but they could not do that because the variance request was for a 15 foot rear yard set-back. McGrane advised Lehs pointed that out a few days after the Board of Adjustment meeting last summer and McGrane checked with the City Attorney and Lehs was correct, Potratz could only have a 15 foot rear yard set-back. McGrane notified Potratz to advise him of this before he started building the garage. Potratz advised he built the garage with a 16 foot rear yard set-back, but with a one foot roof overhang so he is in compliance with the 15 foot rear yard set-back. Lehs believes the city ordinance may be deficient because if someone builds a huge building on the top of a hill, it contributes to the water at the bottom of the hill because it takes away a lot of green space. Lehs suggested having a certain amount of green space per yard for watershed. Potratz advised he has one of the ease spouts for the new garage that runs to the front of the garage that will drain down the driveway into the street. Potratz is still working on some landscaping around the garage to also help with slowing the water down. Wenthe advised he recommends passing this information on to the Board of Adjustments, so they consider these suggestions when approving future permits and if they have any recommendations on changing the city code to let the council know. No action was taken.
Moved Tucker, seconded Larson, to discuss and consider accepting the written RFP to engage a CPA firm to perform the City’s required annual examination for the year ending June 30, 2019. After discussion, moved Larson, seconded Wulfekuhle, to approve and accept the written RFP as presented.
Moved Cowley, seconded Nefzger, to discuss donations from the late Floyd Alber. The city has currently received $17,376.41 from United Life Insurance Company (one lump sum), $4,559.24 from Farm Bureau Life Insurance (first payment of five over the next five years) and $33.49 from the Lutheran Church-Missouri Synod Foundation (first quarterly payment that the city will receive over the next twenty years designated specifically for the Fayette Community Library). Mayor Wenthe advised the council to think of suggestions on how to spend the money. Wulfekuhle mentioned about possibly using some of the money for the Fayette Community Garden. No action was taken.
Moved Wulfekuhle, seconded Cowley, to discuss and consider planning a National Night Out event in Fayette. Police Chief Davis has received support from the Fayette Fire Department and Fayette Ambulance Service and is still waiting to hear back from other area law enforcement agencies. Davis would like approval from the council to move forward so he can form a planning committee. The event would be held on Tuesday, August 6th. Moved Nefzger, seconded Tucker, to move forward with the National Night Out event and start a planning committee. All ayes, carried.
Moved Cowley, seconded Larson, to discuss Ordinance 503, amending chapters 92 and 99. The changes include changing the word “quarterly” to “monthly” in Chapter 99 and making the utility bills be due by 8AM on the 16th of the month, instead of the 15th. Moved Tucker, seconded Wulfekuhle, to waive the second reading of Ordinance 503. Roll call, all ayes, carried. Moved Nefzger, seconded Wulfekuhle, to approve the third and final reading of Ordinance 503, amending the code of ordinances of the city of Fayette, Iowa, by repealing and amending specific sections in chapters 92 and 99 to adjust or add rates, fees, and other changes including billing monthly for water and sewer. Roll call, all ayes, motion carried.
Moved Nefzger to adjourn at 7:04pm.
REGULAR COUNCIL MEETING
April 1, 2019
The City Council of the City of Fayette, Iowa, met Monday, April 1, 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, Larson, Nefzger, Tucker and Wulfekuhle.
Moved Nefzger, seconded Wulfekuhle, to approve the consent agenda items consisting of the regular meeting minutes of 3/18/19 and the claims list of 3/19/19 – 4/1/19. Roll call, all ayes, motion carried.
Moved Cowley, seconded Larson, to approve the agenda as presented. All ayes, carried.
Mayor Wenthe advised the council we need a citizen to serve on the Upper Explorerland Regional Housing Authority Board. The individual should not be a landlord because it may be a conflict of interest. Two citizens are needed for the Board of Adjustments if the ordinance passes the final reading tonight.
Administrator/Clerk McGrane informed the council that the first monthly utility bills were mailed on 3/29/19. The bills are a little confusing because they printed some of the quarterly rates on them since they were both billed in the same month.
Police Chief Davis advised the council he attended a PTSD training and is working with Fayette County Sheriff Marty Fisher and West Union Police Chief Paul Becthold on a peer support group for law enforcement officers in Fayette County. Davis is also gathering more information and interest in the National Night Out.
Moved Larson, seconded Tucker, to approve the Fayette Community Library Board of Trustees meeting minutes from 3/6/19. All ayes, carried.
Moved Larson, seconded Wulfekuhle, to approve the River Scenic Byway report on 3/21/19 from Wulfekuhle. All ayes, carried.
Moved Larson, seconded Cowley, to discuss and consider donating $1,200 to the 2019 Fayette County Fair. Andy Bilden and Shawn Alber from the Fayette County Fair Board were present to answer questions. Bilden advised they are once again receiving donations from area cities to offer free admission to the 2019 Fair and free carnival rides. McGrane reminded the council did budget for this expenditure. Moved Larson, seconded Wulfekuhle, to approve a $1,200 donation out of the Bolger Fund after 7/1/19 to the Fayette County Fair Board for the 2019 Fayette County Fair carnival expenses. All ayes, carried.
Moved Larson, seconded Tucker, to discuss and consider spending $765 for wood chips for Rainbowland Park. The Recreation board budgeted next year for wood chips but would like to get new chips out this spring. Moved Larson, seconded Cowley, to approve purchasing wood chips for Rainbowland Park in the amount of $765 out of the Recreation Board budget. All ayes, carried.
Moved Cowley, seconded Larson, to discuss and consider approving the Fayette Ambulance to spend the $5,000 donation from the Dohrmann’s on a new power cot. Moved Wulfekuhle, seconded Larson, to approve spending the $5,000 donated by the Dohrmann’s that was placed in the Ambulance savings account for the purchase of a new power cot. All ayes, carried.
Moved Tucker, seconded Wulfekuhle, to discuss and consider removing the no parking sign from the yard at 506 W. Clark Street. Roy and Jean Karlson, 506 W. Clark Street, provided a letter to the council requesting the sign be removed because there is no longer a parking issue in that block. Karlson’s mentioned there was a lot of activity at the ball diamond at the elementary school in the 1970’s when the signs were first put up. After discussion, moved Cowley, seconded Wulfekuhle, to start the process in amending the ordinance and removing the sign at 506 W. Clark Street. All ayes, carried.
Moved Cowley, seconded Larson, to discuss Ordinance 503, amending chapters 92 and 99. The changes include changing the word “quarterly” to “monthly” in Chapter 99 and making the utility bills be due by 8AM on the 16th of the month, instead of the 15th. There was discussion on changing the $10 monthly water and sewer infrastructure/administration fee, so it would be charged per dwelling instead of per bill. This means that structures that have one water meter, but multiple dwellings inside would be charged the $10 monthly fee per dwelling instead of per water meter. McGrane will gather more information and provide that at the next meeting. Moved Larson, seconded Cowley, to approve the first reading of Ordinance 503, amending the code of ordinances of the city of Fayette, Iowa, by repealing and amending specific sections in chapters 92 and 99 to adjust or add rates, fees, and other changes including billing monthly for water and sewer. Roll call, all ayes, motion carried.
Moved Larson, seconded Cowley, to discuss Ordinance 502. Moved Larson, seconded Tucker, to approve the third and final reading of Ordinance 502, 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 6:49pm.
REGULAR COUNCIL MEETING
March 18, 2019
The City Council of the City of Fayette, Iowa, met Monday, March 18, 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, Tucker and Wulfekuhle. Absent – Cowley and Nefzger.
Moved Larson, seconded Wulfekuhle, to approve the consent agenda items consisting of the regular meeting minutes of 3/4/19 and the claims list of 3/5/19 – 3/18/19. Roll call, all ayes, motion carried.
Moved Larson, seconded Tucker, to approve the agenda as presented. All ayes, carried.
Administrator/Clerk McGrane advised the council that the last quarterly utility bills have been sent out. On 3/12 & 3/14 McGrane worked with the software company to prepare for and start the conversion to monthly billing. McGrane is hoping they can get all the accounts converted by 3/22 and do the March meter readings on 3/25. The Public Works, Police and Fire all monitored the high river levels on 3/12 – 3/15, but nothing flooded to cause damage.
Police Chief Davis informed the council a few Fayette Officers helped with the 4H Omelet breakfast fundraiser on 3/17. Sgt. Brian Waid was notified that he will receive the Commissioner’s Special Award for Traffic Safety on 4/24 during the Governor’s Highway Traffic Safety Conference in Coralville.
Moved Tucker, seconded Larson, to discuss the Fayette Community Library Board of Trustees meeting minutes from 2/13/19. Moved Wulfekuhle, seconded Tucker, to approve the Fayette Community Library Board of Trustees meeting minutes from 2/13/19. All ayes, carried.
Moved Larson, seconded Wulfekuhle, to approve the Fayette Recreation Board meeting minutes from 3/4/19. All ayes, carried.
Moved Wulfekuhle, seconded Larson, to discuss and consider forgiving a portion of the sewer charges for 310 Mechanic Street, due to a water leak that did not go through the city sewer. Kane and Linnie Magnuson, 308 Volga Street, own the property and were present. The Magnuson’s provided photos of the basement of 308 Volga Street that showed the dirt floor and a small portion of a cement floor. McGrane explained that Linnie had contacted him on 2/11/19 to advise they had a water pipe freeze and about 2 feet of water in the basement at 310 Mechanic Street. She had also emailed McGrane a video showing all the water in the basement. The Public Works employees also did witness the dirt floor in the basement. There was 1,890 cubic feet (cf) of water used in the last quarter (December – February) and the previous quarterly bill only had 660 cf used. McGrane recommended forgiving $105.71 of the sewer charges, which is 1,230 cf at the rate of $0.08595, because in past similar situations, the council took the average of their last bill and forgave the extra sewer charges that did not go through the city sewer system. Moved Wulfekuhle, seconded Tucker, to forgive $105.71 of the sewer charges for the Magnuson’s property at 310 Mechanic Street. All ayes, carried.
Moved Larson, seconded Tucker, to discuss and consider granting the Fayette Watermelon Days committee permission to use city right-of-way in the 100 block of E. Water Street to have a bottle and can drive fundraiser. Linda Tenney, a member of the Watermelon Days committee, was present and explained the idea. After discussion, moved Larson, seconded Tucker to approve the request of the Watermelon Days committee to use the city right-of-way in the 100 block of E. Water Street on Saturday, 3/30 from 10AM to Noon to have a bottle and can drive fundraiser. All ayes, carried.
Moved Larson, seconded Wulfekuhle, to discuss having a National Night Out event in Fayette and ask for sponsorships. Police Chief Davis explained the what the annual community-building campaign that promotes strong police-community partnerships is about. It would be held on 8/6/19 and Davis has reached out to the West Union PD, Fayette Co Sheriff’s Office and Oelwein PD to see if they would be interested in partnering for the event. After discussion, no action was taken so the council could review the information.
Moved Wulfekuhle, seconded Larson, to discuss the Iowa DNR Fayette Water Supply Sanitary Survey. The survey is completed by the Iowa DNR every three years. After reviewing, moved Wulfekuhle, seconded Tucker to accept the Iowa DNR Fayette Water Supply Sanitary Survey report.
Moved Larson, seconded Wulfekuhle, to approve the second 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 Wulfekuhle to adjourn at 6:22pm.
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.
REGULAR COUNCIL MEETING
February 19, 2019
The City Council of the City of Fayette, Iowa, met Tuesday, February 19, 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, Larson, Nefzger, Tucker and Wulfekuhle.
Moved Larson, seconded Cowley, to approve the consent agenda items consisting of the regular meeting minutes of 2/4/19, the claims list of 2/5/19 – 2/19/19 and the December 2018 Financial Fund Report. Roll call, all ayes, motion carried.
Moved Cowley, seconded Larson, to approve the agenda as presented. All ayes, carried.
This being the time and place published for a public hearing on the Fiscal Year 2020 (FY20) Estimated Budget, Mayor Wenthe opened the hearing and asked for any comments. The tax asking for FY20 will be $13.73404 per $1,000 of taxable valuation. There being no comments, Mayor Wenthe closed the hearing. Moved Cowley, seconded Nefzger, to approve Resolution 2019-06: Adopting the budget and certification of city taxes for FY20. Roll call, all ayes, carried.
Mayor Wenthe informed the council that Fayette Sweets Café is now open. This is one of the businesses that applied for and received financial help with Fayette’s Revolving Loan Fund.
Administrator/Clerk McGrane advised the council that he believes all the FEMA reports for the Flood of 2017 have been completed and submitted. There was a water main break on Union Street and it was repaired on 2/14. McGrane attended the Fayette County Housing Advisory Committee meeting on 2/14 and they are planning on building 3 or 4 more houses in their next phase. If we are interested in having them build another house in Fayette, we need to let them know the location before August 2019 to be considered.
Police Chief Davis advised the council he has received the two donated Toughbook car computers from the Dubuque Police Dept. Davis is working with the Fayette County Sheriff’s Office to see if they have any extra hardware they may provide to the city for the new computers. If anyone knows a veteran in need of a service dog, contact the Fayette Police Department. A dog breeder has one they would like to donate.
Moved Tucker, seconded Larson, to approve the Fayette Community Library Board of Trustees meeting minutes from 1/9/19. All ayes, carried.
Moved Larson, seconded Cowley, to approve the Fayette Recreation Board meeting minutes from 2/4/19. All ayes, carried.
Moved Cowley, seconded Larson, to discuss and consider granting more time for Kalvin Wiley,404 S. Main Street, to pay on his utility bill without turning his water off. Wiley was present and advised the council that he had a roommate that was not keeping up with his share of the bills since last September. He thought he would have enough money to pay off the utility bill in January, but he had other bills he had to pay on. Wiley has talked to his mother and they are hoping to have the utility bill, which has a current balance of $857.48, paid off by the end of February, but he would like to have a little more time, if possible. McGrane reached out to the property owner, Shawn Kleppe, and Kleppe would agree to give Wiley until 3/15/19 to get the balance paid off or the water should be shut-off. Moved Nefzger, seconded Cowley, to give Kalvin Wiley until 3/15/19 to pay his past-due balance of $857.48 before turning his water off. All ayes, carried.
Moved Larson, seconded Cowley, to discuss the approval of partial pay estimate number 5 to Tschiggfrie Excavating. Moved Wulfekuhle, seconded Cowley, to approve partial pay estimate number 5 to Tschiggfrie Excavating for the Sanitary Sewer Repair and CIPP Lining Improvements project 16-137 Division 1 contingent upon receipt of all necessary Davis-Bacon wage documentation by UERPC. All ayes, carried.
Moved Cowley, seconded Tucker, to discuss the approval of partial pay estimate number 3 to Visu Sewer. Moved Nefzger, seconded Cowley, to approve partial pay estimate number 3 to Visu Sewer for the Sanitary Sewer Repair and CIPP Lining Improvements project 16-137 Division 2. All ayes, carried.
Moved Larson, seconded Cowley, to discuss the project acceptance of Division 2 of the Sanitary Sewer Repair and CIPP Lining Improvements project 16-137 Division 2 completed by Visu Sewer. Moved Nefzger, seconded Tucker, to accept the project of Division 2 of the Sanitary Sewer Repair and CIPP Lining Improvements project 16-137 Division 2 completed by Visu Sewer. All ayes, carried.
Moved Wulfekuhle, seconded Larson, to discuss the approval the final partial pay estimate number 4 to Visu Sewer. Moved Tucker, seconded Cowley, to approve the final partial pay estimate number 4 to Visu Sewer for the Sanitary Sewer Repair and CIPP Lining Improvements project 16-137 Division 2. All ayes, carried.
Moved Cowley, seconded Larson, to discuss the Fiscal Year 2018 City Examination. Hogan and Hansen provided a booklet to each council member that provided their independent accountant’s report on applying agreed-upon procedures for the period of July 1, 2017 through June 30, 2018. McGrane presented further explanations for the detailed recommendations. Moved Nefzger, seconded Wulfekuhle, to accept the Fiscal Year 2018 City Examination from Hogan and Hansen. All ayes, carried.
Moved Larson, seconded Cowley, to discuss signing a letter of support or sending a representative to the Fayette County Zoning Board of Adjustment meeting on 2/21/19 at 1:30PM. Wenthe advised there was a test shoot and he had heard Jack Frey did not have any concerns. McGrane advised he could hear the shots during the test near the trailer park in Fayette, but they were faint. Anywhere else in town, McGrane was unable to hear anything. Moved Nefzger, seconded Larson, to approve signing a letter of support or send a representative to the Fayette County Zoning Board of Adjustment meeting on 2/21/19 at 1:30PM 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. All ayes, carried.
Moved Larson, seconded Cowley, to discuss amending the Board of Adjustment code as far as quorum for meetings. After discussion, moved Tucker, seconded Wulfekuhle, to have McGrane revise the city code appointing 7 people to the Board of Adjustment, at least 5 members must be present at a meeting, appointing a chair and vice-chair and one must be present at all meetings and keep the requirement of 4 votes to pass. All ayes, carried.
Moved Cowley, seconded Larson, to discuss the third and final reading of Ordinance 501. Moved Nefzger, seconded Cowley, to approve the third and final 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 6:42pm.
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.
