Waukon City Council approves replacement windows for City Hall, Capital Improvement Fund for airport and first reading of electric utility franchise fee rebate ordinance
by Joe Moses
The Waukon City Council met Tuesday, January 3 in the first regular session of 2017, delayed a day due to observance of the New Year holiday. Among the agenda items discussed were appointments of various City positions and employees, establishing an Airport Capital Improvements Fund and discussion and review of estimates for new City Hall windows.
No comments were made during the Public Comments portion of the meeting. Under Departmental Reports, Water and Sewer Superintendent Bob Campbell discussed the increase in seepage and water flow during rainfalls due to older manhole covers installed in the 1980s. Campbell indicated that there are six to eight manhole covers that may need to be addressed or included with other projects in the future.
Street Department Superintendent Keith Burrett discussed that maintenance work is ongoing to keep equipment running well during the winter season. Recreation and Wellness Director Jeremy Strub indicated that things are picking up with usage of the Wellness Center after the start of the new year, and that with Parks and Recreation, fourth, fifth and sixth grade boys and girls basketball teams will be playing throughout northeast Iowa for six weekends in a row and Biddy Basketball, for Kindergarten through third grade, will be starting the first weekend of February.
Under Regular Business, Mayor Duane DeWalle designated appointments for 2017 including Mayor Pro-Tem Dwight Jones, Police Chief Phil Young, Assistant Police Chief Paul Wagner, as well as Police Officers and Council Committees. The Council approved appointments for various positions and responsibilities including City Employees, City Attorney, Assistant City Attorney and City Health Officer.
The Council also approved the continuation of the meeting time and place, 7 p.m. the first and third Mondays each month, and again designated The Standard as the City's official newspaper. Waukon State Bank and Farmers & Merchants Bank were designated as Official Depositories of the City.
The Council reviewed and discussed estimates provided for the materials and installation of new windows in City Hall, approving the windows and installation quote provided by Ashbacher Building Supplies.
City Attorney Jim Garrett discussed the ordinance establishing an Electric Utility franchise fee maximum and the rebate to customers above that maximum. Garrett advised that some minor updates have been made to the language of the ordinance and that the rebate would be handled quarterly and businesses with multiple meters would have bills added together in determining their rebate. The first reading of the ordinance was approved.
The Council discussed establishing an Airport Capital Improvement Fund for maintenance costs including resurfacing of the runway. The motion to establish an Airport Capital Improvement Fund was approved.
As routine accounting measures, the transfer of $17,000 from the General Fund (property taxes) to the Library Fund and the transfer of $6,986.08 in total from the General Fund to the Hotel/Motel (Park Improvements) Fund (75%, $5,239.56) and to the Hotel/Motel (Tourism/Economic Development) Fund (25%, $1,746.52) were approved.
The Herman property on Sixth Street SW, the proposed site for a future Waukon Police Station, was discussed by City Clerk Al Lyon and the Council. Lyon advised that he has been informed that samples need to be taken and testing needs to conducted on the building's siding to determine if asbestos is present and to determine the type of disposal process that will need to be used. Lyon indicated that $600 to $1,000 is needed to conduct the necessary testing. The Council approved the testing of the siding.
The Council then went into closed session before the final agenda item, listed as Park Pond Project, for discussion of strategy with counsel concerning a matter where litigation is imminent.
