August Minutes
August 4, 2020
Those Present: DeLoy Kunz, Greg Kunz, Marty Nate, Mayor Steve Waechtler, Maintenance Supervisor Shane Clark, City Clerk Lynette Smith, Kevin Martin of Sunrise Engineering, City Attorney Adam McKenzie
Meeting called to order: 7:00 pm Invocation: Council President Greg Kunz
The Council entertained a motion from councilmember Marty Nate to approve added agenda items of the Dog Ordinance Summary to be published in the paper. Councilmember Greg Kunz seconded the motion. All were in favor and the motion carried the council.
The Council entertained a motion from councilmember Greg Kunz to approve the published agenda and was seconded by councilmember DeLoy Kunz. All were in favor and the motion carried the council.
The minutes from July 7, 2020 were read aloud by Clerk Smith. There was a correction for the meeting to be changed to the July meeting and not the June meeting. Councilmember DeLoy Kunz made the motion to accept the minutes as read with the correction. Councilmember Greg Kunz seconded the motion. All were in favor and the motion carried the council.
Kevin Martin of Sunrise Engineering came to the Council to give a final report on the water project. He consulted with RSJ about their plans for the strip of asphalt that needs to be replaced in front of the City Hall and it was just going to be them using a skid steer attachment to do the work. Kevin felt it would need to be done more professionally. If the City gets a bid for it we can still use the water funds since it was related to why it got torn up in the first place. Other than the asphalt, the project is complete. He has brought the final pay app to be signed and will be submitting. He figures we are ahead on budget around $30-35,000. One year after the completion of the project the first payment will be due. Warranty on the project started on July 23, 2020. Around the 1st of July next year, Kevin will come back and check on the project and the settling, etc and see how things are holding up before the warranty ends. The water tanks were cleaned as a part of the project around the first part of June. Councilmember Greg Kunz commented that since we are ahead on budget that he would still like to see some kind of backup alarm system to be added to the system. Kevin will look into and get back to the Council.
City Attorney Adam McKenzie was there to present the Dog Ordinance Summary to be put into the paper vs the entire Ordinance. Councilmember Tee Steadman made the motion to approve the summary and be published in the News Examiner. Councilmember Greg Kunz seconded the motion. All were in favor and the motion carried the Council.
Lynette asked Adam about if we would be able to charge Matt and Nikki Petersen for water and sewer hookups even though she had compiled a letter previously to them saying that there was a previous agreement with the City and previous owner Corey Hayes that there would be no fees to hookup to the City’s services. Although, at the time the letter was sent, the City didn’t realize that only an actual water hookup was there but they had to go down the road and around the corner to find a sewer hookup on that side of the road for them. Adam advised that we would not be able to charge now for the hookups even after the fact, but that we could still charge for monthly services. Lynette will call the County to get an address for them to send a monthly bill to as this is a second home for them and not their primary residence.
Councilmember Tee Steadman commented that the City Hall looks nice with the new siding and he liked the Movie Nights in the Park and they were fun for the family. He will bring a check down to the City for his donation.
Councilmember Greg Kunz commented that the State has a new gravel pit outside of town and he’s worried about it tearing up our new roads with that much weight on it. DeLoy will talk to a couple of people about it at the State Department and see what can be done.
Councilmember Marty Nate reported about the flashing speed signs and that Vaughn said the County could probably help with 1 or 2 of them. She is looking for option for a new sign on the City Hall because the other one was looking pretty old and didn’t want it to deter from the new look of the building. The next Movie Night will be on the 14th and will be Dennis the Menace. She also reported that she had looked into what other City’s fees are for their building permits. She looked at Grace, Preston and Bloomington. The Council suggested changing fees to $25.00 for basic things such as porches and decks, etc. and $100.00 for remodels and additions and $150.00 for new construction of new homes. Lynette will get a new Resolution ready, to be passed at the next meeting and notices out for the Public Hearing. Adam suggested there be a Public Hearing since we are increasing the fees more than 3% and it will be held with the Budget Public Hearing next month.
The Council engaged in the budget workshop with City Auditor and CPA Gary H. Teuscher and Mauria Teuscher. Councilmember Greg Kunz made the motion to increase the Council pay to $150.00 per month and the Mayor to $250.00 per month. Councilmember Marty Nate seconded the motion. All were in favor and the motion carried the council. Lynette reminded them that an Ordinance would have to be passed and wouldn’t take effect until January 1, 2021. Councilmember Marty Nate made the motion to give employee’s a 5% raise this year and 3% raise next year. Councilmember Tee Steadman seconded the motion. All were in favor and the motion carried the council. The raise will take effect October 1, 2020.
Police Report: There were 29 contacts for the month of July.
Maintenance Report: Shane gave his report for the month of July and stated that he and Alan did a water repair at Jerry Morrell’s, been mowing and contacted Chuck Sims about doing more weed spraying. They have been working on moving the generator to the shop so that bay can be used to store the fire brush truck. They have hauled gravel up to the new chlorinator building and shutoff delinquent accounts.
Office Business: There are 19 delinquent water and sewer accounts for the month of July.
The chair entertained a motion from Councilmember Marty Nate for the council to approve checks and vouchers for the month of July 2020 in the amount of $32,230.78 in the general fund, $13,586.68 in the water fund, and $69,506.92 in the sewer fund, with all funds totaling $115,324.38. Councilmember DeLoy Kunz seconded the motion. All were in favor and motion carried.
The chair entertained a motion from Councilmember Marty Nate that council adjourns from the August 2020 council meeting at 10:15 pm. Councilmember DeLoy Kunz seconded the motion. All were in favor and the motion carried the council.
Respectfully submitted,
Lynette Smith
City Clerk-Treasurer