ACKLEY CITY COUNCIL met in regular session, September 20, 2017, in the Ackley Civic Center with Mayor Erik Graham presiding. The meeting was called to order at 7:00 p.m. Council members present: Al Jones, Joe Wessels, Dale Brass, Robert Harms, and Sue Ibeling. Absent: None. Quorum present.
Harms moved, Jones seconded, to approve the September 20, 2017 Agenda as listed. Ayes-All. Motion carried.
Ibeling moved, Brass seconded, to approve the Consent Agenda by one motion: a) August 9, 2017 Regular Mtg Minutes as written b) Bills approval authorizing payment of bills and transfers as listed c) Place Reports on file: August 2017 Clerk Bank Reconciliation/Treasurer Report; August 2017 Clerk Budget Reports; August 2017 Deputy Clerk Utility Billing Reconciliation; August 2017 Ambulance End of Month Report. Ayes-All. Motion carried.
Jones moved, Wessels seconded, to adopt Resolution No. 17-39 Amending the Employee Handbook Regarding Pay Schedule. Roll call vote: Ayes-All. Motion carried.
Brass moved, Ibeling seconded, to adopt Resolution No. 17-40 Amending the Employee Handbook Regarding Vacation Received. Roll call vote: Ayes-All. Motion carried.
Jones moved, Wessels seconded, to adopt Resolution No. 17-41 Amending the Employee Handbook Regarding Overtime and Compensatory Time. Roll call vote: Ayes-All. Motion carried.
These three resolutions regarding amending the employee handbook did not change any procedures, but updated the handbook to match or clarify current procedures.
Brass moved, Ibeling seconded, to adopt Resolution No. 17-42 Authorizing the Write Off of Bad Debt for Property Address 320 10th Avenue. Roll call vote: Ayes-All. Motion carried. This resolution authorizes $126.71 to be written off of the City’s books.
Harms moved, Ibeling seconded, to adopt Resolution No. 17-43 Authorizing the Write Off of Bad Debt for Property Addresses 403 10th Avenue. Roll call vote: Ayes-All. Motion carried. This resolution authorizes $1.47 to be written off of the City’s books.
Harms moved, Wessels seconded, to adopt Resolution No. 17-44 Authorizing the Write Off of Bad Debt for Property Address 1014 4th Avenue. Roll call vote: Ayes-All. Motion carried. This resolution authorizes $200.91 to be written off of the City’s books.
Ibeling moved, Brass seconded, to adopt Resolution No. 17-45 Authorizing the Write Off of Bad Debt for Property Address 712 9th Avenue. Roll call vote: Ayes-All. Motion carried. This resolution authorizes $297.28 to be written off of the City’s books.
Ibeling moved, Jones seconded, to adopt Resolution No. 17-46 Authorizing the Write Off of Bad Debt for Property Address 402 Douglas Avenue. Roll call vote: Ayes-All. Motion carried. This resolution authorizes $527.09 to be written off of the City’s books.
Harms moved, Brass seconded, to adopt Resolution No. 17-47 Authorizing the Write Off of Bad Debt for Property Address 118 Franklin Street. Roll call vote: Ayes-All. Motion carried. This resolution authorizes $333.58 to be written off of the City’s books.
Wessels moved, Brass seconded, to adopt Resolution No. 17-48 Authorizing the Write Off of Bad Debt for Property Address 413 Franklin Street. Roll call vote: Ayes-All. Motion carried. This resolution authorizes $2.90 to be written off of the City’s books.
Wessels moved, Ibeling seconded, to adopt Resolution No. 17-49 Authorizing the Write Off of Bad Debt for Property Address 509 Logan Avenue. Roll call vote: Ayes-All. Motion carried. This resolution authorizes $115.40 to be written off of the City’s books.
Jones moved, Harms seconded, to adopt Resolution No. 17-50 Authorizing the Write Off of Bad Debt for Property Address 1017 Main Street. Roll call vote: Ayes-All. Motion carried. This resolution authorizes $99.36 to be written off of the City’s books.
Brass moved, Wessels seconded, to adopt Resolution No. 17-51 Authorizing the Write Off of Bad Debt for Property Address 410 Mitchell Street. Roll call vote: Ayes-All. Motion carried. This resolution authorizes $306.77 to be written off of the City’s books.
Ibeling moved, Harms seconded, to adopt Resolution No. 17-52 Authorizing the Write Off of Bad Debt for Property Address 507 Sherman Avenue. Roll call vote: Ayes-All. Motion carried. This resolution authorizes $258.44 to be written off of the City’s books.
Resolution 17-53 Establishing the Rules and Regulations on the Use of City Facilities was presented. Ann Schriever addressed the council with her concerns, one of which is the key check out. Wessels moved, Ibeling seconded, to table Resolution 17-53 to allow the Council time to discuss options regarding the key check out. Ayes-All. Motion carried. Wessels moved, Brass seconded, to allow senior groups (over the age of 55) to use the Civic Center under the current rules at no cost until a formal resolution is passed next month. Ayes-All. Motion carried.
Ibeling moved, Wessels seconded, to adopt Resolution No. 17-54 Authorizing and Directing Publication of Request for Bids on 702 State Street. Roll call vote: Ayes-All. Motion carried. This resolution set the public hearing on the disposal of said property for October 11, 2017 at 7:00 p.m. at City Hall.
Lee Gallentine, Ryken Engineering, presented the Council with Change Order No. 2 for a $2,000 decrease on the water tower contract due to the contractor failing to video the tower prior to the start of their work. Ibeling moved, Brass seconded, to approve Change Order No. 2 in the amount of -$2,000. Ayes-All. Motion carried. Gallentine informed the Council that the work on the sidewalk at the library has begun and is on track. He also provided the Council with the final plat of the Industrial Park. Gallentine presented to the Council a loan application and an Intended Use Plan application both for the Sanitary Sewer Continuing Improvement Plan. Jones moved, Brass seconded to approve the SRF Planning & Design Loan Application in the amount of $155,000. Ayes-All. Motion carried. This is a 0% loan for two years which will then be rolled into the contract loan. Brass moved, Jones seconded, to approve the Clean Water SRF Intended Use Plan Application in the amount of $3,047,000. Ayes-Jones, Wessels, Brass, and Harms. Nays-Ibeling. Motion carried. The loan proceeds will be used to repair/replace and line all sanitary sewer lines to reduce the inflow as much as possible so that the size and cost of the required new treatment system will be reduced. An engineering contract for the pool splash pad was also presented by Gallentine. Ibeling moved, Harms seconded, to approve the engineering contract with Ryken Engineering in the amount of $50,000. Ayes-All. Motion carried. This project will be funded by the Pool Betterment Committee
Harms moved, Wessels seconded, to not approve Change Order No. 2 on the South Butler Street Project in the amount of $6,680. Ayes-All. Motion carried. This change order was to change the type of guardrail. While the guardrail in the current plans is no longer recommended, it is not required by the DOT to make the change.
Wessels shared with the Council that the insurance requirements on the demolition of the elevator by a controlled fire has been resolved. He will now contact someone to get information regarding the asbestos.
Harms moved, Ibeling seconded, to give the $1,200 that the City receives from their 28E Agreement with Eldora regarding the use of Ackley’s K-9 unit to Lexar. Ayes-All. Motion carried.
Ibeling moved, Brass seconded, to adopt Resolution No. 17-55 Approving the Annual City Street Financial Report for the Fiscal year Ending June 30, 2017. Roll call vote: Ayes-All. Motion carried.
Discussion was held regarding the City’s finances. With the checking account balance dipping to almost $300,000 after the bills approved this meeting are paid, and remaining capital project payments estimated at over $550,000, options to increase the cash balance were discussed. The City will be receiving approximately $375,000 in reimbursements and aid for capital projects, but the timing of when those funds will be received versus when the remaining payments will be due is a concern. One option that was considered, if it became necessary, was to cash in early a CD the City owns in the amount of $475,000. This would mean forfeiting $5,073. While the various funds for these projects have money in them, there are other funds that are in the negative that offset these positive funds bringing the cash balance down. Council chose to do nothing at this time, directed Clerk Kelly DeBerg to keep them informed, and will call a special meeting if needed to take action.
DeBerg informed the Council that she was informed by Attorney Mike Smith that the language passed at the previous meeting for the public measure on the allocation of Local Option Sales Tax is not permitted. After some discussion, Brass moved, Wessels seconded, to place a public measure on the upcoming city election ballot to change the allocation of the Local Option Sales Tax received to 50% for Property Tax Relief, 25% for Capital Improvements, and 25% for Debt Service. Ayes-All. Motion carried.
Mayor Graham updated the Council on the City Hall improvements. Additional bids on the heating and cooling will be sought. There is no change on the sidewalk.
DeBerg gave updates on other old business. The City has received the deed for the Habitat for Humanity lot and Smith is having it recorded today. Smith also discussed the new right of way ordinance with DeBerg today and will be working on it.
Council briefly discussed the status of various properties in town.
Public Comments: Paul Williams addressed the Council with concerns of his invoices not being paid timely. DeBerg explained that his invoices were received after the last regular council meeting and Mayor Graham informed Williams that Council only meets once per month to approve bills. Williams also presented his concerns regarding a customer’s water line and questioned why the Council, per an ordinance passed in February 2017, requires customers to use Type K copper for their water service pipes from the main to the meter setting considering it is five times more expensive and plastic lasts as long if not longer. He feels the property owner who is responsible for the repair should be allowed to choose the product they use. Mayor Graham directed the Water/Sanitation committee to make a decision regarding the direction the City would like Williams to take with this customer and to discuss the plastic versus copper ordinance.
With no further discussion, Harms moved, Jones seconded, to adjourn at 9:11 p.m. Ayes-All. Motion carried.
To view financials, click to download the complete minutes as a PDF.