Waukon City Council Regular Session meeting Monday, March 7

The Waukon City Council met in regular session Monday, March 7. The meeting began with three public hearings, one concerning the proposed city budget for the next fiscal year beginning July 1, another concerning vacation of a portion of the Fifth Street SE cul-de-sac and storm sewer easement, and the third hearing concerning the proposed disposition in the portion of the Fifth Street SE cul-de-sac.

No one was present for any of the hearings, nor were there any written comments. The public hearings are necessary before the council can take action to adopt the items via resolution.

Veterans Memorial Hospital Administrator Michael Myers was present to update the council on the Gundersen Clinic Project. Myers stated that the roof would go on next week along with temporary heating so the contractors could complete pouring the cement floor. He stated that work on the project was progressing as scheduled.

The council also approved, by a 3-2 vote, escrow payments for Cargill Plumbing and Heating. The plumbing contractor is scheduled to begin work this Friday. Myers expressed concern that the contractor would not fulfill its bid requirements due to a lack of communication between the construction manager and Cargill.

The project could be delayed at least six weeks if the contractor does not begin work as scheduled. In the event Cargill is unable to begin work, the city can either award the plumbing and heating contract to the next lowest bidder, Modern Piping, or re-let the project. The council voted to continue with Cargill at this point in the project. Allen Lyon and Duane DeWalle were the dissenting council members in the vote.

YARD WASTE DISPOSAL

Discussion then turned to the city’s burn pile located at the northeast corner of the Allamakee County Fairgrounds. After much discussion and review of surrounding communities’ disposal sites, the council agreed to an interim policy regarding Waukon’s site.

No burning will be allowed. The city will chip the wood into mulch and have larger tree limbs removed. Authorized waste disposal will consist only of yard clippings, leaves, garden and fruit tree waste, shrubs, tree limbs and trunks. Yard and garden waste must be emptied in designated areas and removed from any containers. No plastic bags, buckets or boxes can remain. There is a $500 fine in place for illegal dumping.

In cooperation with Waste Management, the council also set Saturday, April 2 as “Spring Clean-up Day”.

SOLID WASTE

The first of three readings was held concerning an ordinance amending provisions pertaining to residential solid waste collection charges and billing practices with Waste Management, Inc. Effective May 1, the monthly charge for each household unit will increase to $11.71. The monthly charge for each senior citizen household unit, those age 62 and greater, will increase to $10.21. This cost of living increase was presented by Waste Management to the City at the February 22 council meeting.

The council then took action by adopting the ordinance vacating as a public right of way part of Fifth Street SE and the storm sewer easement in Hidden Creek Estates. This was done in order to extend Fifth Street SE into the new Straate/Goltz Subdivision.

The final point of business was to adopt two resolutions, one approving the City Budget for fiscal year 2006 and the other approving the Veterans Memorial Hospital Budget for fiscal year 2006.