April 18, 2005

                                                                                                              Wellman, Iowa 52356

 

 

     The Wellman City Council met in regular session in the Council Chambers of the Wellman Municipal Building at 7:00pm. Mayor Max Lewis presided with the City Attorney, City Clerk and following City Council Members: Robert Goodrich, Robert Swartzendruber, Richard Oldfield, George Kisner, and James Seward; absent: no one. Also present were Mary Coblentz and Katherine Anderson from the news media and twelve citizens.

     The agenda was approved upon motion by Oldfield, second by Kisner and all aye votes.

     Larry Thurman, representing WATV, presented a refurbished podium for the public to use when addressing the council.

     At 7:02pm the Mayor opened the Public Hearing to receive comments on the application to USDA Rural Development for a grant to use in the construction of the new childcare facility at North Park. Ryan Miller reported the project has been pre-approved by the USDA in the amount of $50,000 for this project. When asked, he stated plans are underway to add a recreation facility in the future. The hearing was closed at 7:04pm with no further comments.

     The Public Hearing to receive comments on the sale of City property was opened at 7:05pm. There were no written or oral comments, therefore the Public Hearing was promptly closed. Resolution No. 05-17 to sell shallow well site #1 to the Mid-Prairie School District was introduced and caused to be read. Goodrich moved to adopt Resolution No. 05-17, Seward seconded and upon roll call the vote was unanimous aye votes. [Clerks note: this resolution was incorrectly listed as 05-18 on the Agenda.]

     The minutes of the previous meeting was presented. With no additions or corrections the minutes stand approved as read.

     The list of bills was reviewed with Seward taking issue with the crane service bill of $800 for removing and replacing the fire siren at the wastewater plant being taken out of the city’s fire department budget. It was his contention the fire siren is not used by the fire department for alert purposes. After further discussion, Swartzendruber moved to pay the bill from the civil defense line item, Oldfield seconded, and all voted aye. Swartzendruber noted that the total on the water fund bills was incorrect and that amount was corrected by the clerk. Oldfield then moved, Swartzendruber seconded and all voted aye to pay the following:

GENERAL GOVERNMENT

FIRE PROTECTION:

Townsend Crane Service – crane to remove/replace fire siren                                         800.00

Wellman Volunteer Fire Dept – bal remaining/annual allotment                                     5,000.00

LIBRARY SERVICES:

Payroll expense                                                                                                          2,294.45

American Library Assn – membership                                                                            110.00

Baker & Taylor Books – library books                                                                            28.77

Demco – supplies                                                                                                          132.01

Upstart – Summer Reading Program materials                                                                157.95

Washington Evening Journal – 1 year subscription                                                            89.00

Wellmark – Aggson insurance                                                                                        595.89

PARKS & RECREATION:

Payroll expense                                                                                                             424.86

Action Services – portable restroom units                                                                       265.00

Farmers Supply/Farm Plan – mower parts                                                                      142.00

Menards – material for sign                                                                                            220.94

SENIOR DINING:

Payroll expense                                                                                                             448.15

Trio Gas & Hardware – supplies                                                                                      12.76

CITY HALL:

Payroll expense                                                                                                             117.37

Aramark – mats                                                                                                               15.07

LL Window Cleaning – building windows                                                                         25.00

Trio Gas & Hardware – fiberglass step ladder                                                                  79.99

FINANCIAL ADMINISTRATION:

Wellmark – Wade insurance                                                                                          481.22

OTHER ADMINISTRATIVE EXPENSES:

Computer Management Group – CMS software workshop/Wade                                    30.00

Quill Corporation – office supplies                                                                                   42.94

                                                                                        TOTAL                           11,274.37

CDBG HOUSING GRANT:

ECICOG – administration                                                                                           1,440.00

STREETS & SIDEWALKS TAX CREDIT FUND

Aramark – shirt service                                                                  6.64

Menards – shop supplies                                                                                                   8.94

Trio Gas & Hardware – supplies                                                                                      19.12

                                                                                         TOTAL                                 34.70

RECREATION CENTER FUND

Payroll expense                                                                                                             898.12

Bancard – supplies                                                                                                        320.14

Cox Sanitation & Recycling – 4 stops/March                                                                   48.00

Farner-Bocken Company – misc concession items                                                         792.34

Teresa Lampe – reimburse for CD/Wal Mart                                                                   14.57

Mahaska Bottling – pepsi products                                                                                192.40

Mautz Paint – cacl test kit                                                                                                30.00

Menards – supplies repairs                                                                                              46.78

Quill Corporation – 1st aid supplies                                                                                  66.65

                                                                                         TOTAL                            2,409.00

CABLE CHANNEL FUND:

ECS, Inc – encoder/decoder                                                                                         254.00

PAYROLL TAXES & DEDUCTIONS:

Federation Bank – fed wht & fica/medicare                                                                 3,051.44

 

 

 

ROAD USE TAX FUND

Payroll expense                                                                                                             103.73

LL Pelling Co – 5.84 TN premix                                                                                    248.78

                                                                                         TOTAL                               352.51

GAS SYSTEM FUND

Payroll expense                                                                                                          3,325.34

Clayton Energy – March natural gas purchase                                                          59,032.73

Farmers Supply/Farm Plan – cap for bas pipe trailer                                                           1.35

Iowa One Call – line locates                                                                                            30.60

Iowa Utilities Board – 3rd quarter assessment                                                                 113.00

Matt Parrott and Sons – 1/3 cost of laser utility bill statements                                        228.34

Metal Works – material,labor                                                                                        255.50

Municipal Supply – fittings, offset pipe wrenches,freight                                                  304.87

Trio Gas & Hardware – supplies                                                                                      55.93

Wellmark – Slaubaugh health insurance                                                                          781.75

                                                                                         TOTAL                         64,129.41

WATER SYSTEM FUND

Payroll expense                                                                                                          3,815.99

Bob Boyse & Sons – assist in water main repairs                                                           190.00

Bockenstedt Escavating – grading & seeding/Freeman water main                               3,000.00

Douds Stone Inc – clean stone                                                                                       583.36

Gambles – rental of cutoff saw,blade                                                                                65.79

Hawkins Water Treatment – chemicals                                                                           392.18

Hygienic Laboratory – water testing                                                                               107.00

Kalona Oil – diesel for water treatment plant,well #3                                                      209.88

Matt Parrott and Sons – 1/3 cost of laser utility bill statements                                        228.33

Municipal Supply Inc – cplgs,gaskets,clamps                                                                  795.88

Trio Gas & Hardware – supplies                                                                                    106.40

Washington Rental – 3/17 cement breaker/Bobcat rental                                                280.00

Wellmark – Farrier health insurance                                                                               227.51

                                                                                         TOTAL                            6,570.92

WATER/WASTEWATER CAPITAL PROJECTS

Bockenstedt Excavating – pay estimate/9th Avenue project                                        55,384.12

WASTEWATER SYSTEM FUND

Payroll expense                                                                                                          1,027.67

Eastern Iowa Light & Power – lift station                                                                         93.42

IWPCA Region 6 – region 6 meeting/Slaubaugh, Oldfield, Farrier                                  120.00

Kalona Oil – diesel for wastewater plant                                                                        297.00

Matt Parrott and Sons – 1/3 cost of laser utility bill statements                                        228.33

TestAmerica – wastewater testing                                                                                  313.20

Wellmark – Oldfield insurance                                                                                       251.18

                                                                                         TOTAL                            2,330.80

SOLID WASTE DISPOSAL FUND

Cox Sanitation & Recycling – trash bags                                                                      3912.50

SENIOR DINING HAA FUND

Payroll expense                                                                                                             837.48

SENIOR DINING COMMISSION FUND

Payroll expense                                                                                                               56.14

                                                                          GRAND TOTAL                         51,537.38

     The financial statement was reviewed and discussed. Swartzendruber moved, Oldfield seconded and all voted aye to accept the March financial statement with the following revenues listed:

     MARCH REVENUE

General Fund                                                                                                              8,215.90

Employee Benefit Tax Fund                                                                                           705.50

Support Public Library Fund                                                                                          200.48

Community Development Block Grant                                                                      37,478.00

Liability/Property Insurance                                                                                            834.50

Local Option Sales Tax                                                                                             6,599.99

Road Use Tax Fund                                                                                                 11,425.66

Tax Credit Reimbursement Fund                                                                                      15.62

Tax Increment Financing Fund                                                                                       979.33

Debt Service Fund                                                                                                         149.80

Library Services Fund                                                                                                 1,054.08

Recreation Center                                                                                                        6486.62

Trust & Agency Funds                                                                                                2,027.05

Capital Reserve Fund                                                                                               20,008.06

Municipal Gas System Fund                                                                                    104,469.36

Municipal Gas System CD                                                                                             842.64

Municipal Water System Fund                                                                                  27,588.11

Municipal Water Sinking Fund                                                                                  13,303.49

Water Utility Capital Project                                                                                              0.00

Municipal Sewer System Fund                                                                                  10,831.92

Sewer Sinking Fund                                                                                                        23.91

Solid Waste Disposal Fund                                                                                         5,324.13

Senior Dining HAA Fund                                                                                            3,210.40

Senior Center Donation Fund                                                                                         698.16

Senior Center CD                                                                                                     10,000.00

                                                   TOTAL MARCH REVENUES                       272,472.71

     Mayor Lewis presented his veto to Resolution No. 05-13 to approve the Plans, Specifications Form of Contract for the 2005 Maintenance Building Project. He read a letter from Frances Magrabi as attached to these minutes. Attorney Kitchen and the Clerk responded to some of the budget questions. Goodrich read two previous resolutions for the maintenance shed project noting the Mayor had signed both the resolutions. Lewis voiced his concern of spending all the gas reserve and being unable to pay it back. After further discussion Resolution No. 05-13 was re-introduced for consideration. Swartzendruber moved to adopt Resolution No. 05-13, Oldfield seconded and upon roll call the vote was: Swartzendruber, aye; Oldfield, aye; Seward, aye; Kisner, no; Goodrich, aye. The Mayoral veto was overridden.

     The Mayor presented his veto to Resolution No. 05-14 to award the contract following Engineer Review for 2005 Maintenance Building Project. Resolution No. 05-14 was re-introduced for consideration. Seward moved to adopt Resolution No. 05-14, Goodrich seconded and upon roll call the vote was: Kisner, no; Seward, aye; Goodrich, aye; Swartzendruber, aye; Oldfield, aye. The Mayoral veto was overridden.

     Recommendations from the Parks and Recreation Board from the last meeting was presented for approval. These included funding for a sound system platform at the skate rink; a Frisbee Golf Course being built by Mid-Prairie High School shop students to be placed in North Park; Sunrise Child Care to operate the Summer Recreation Program; and weed spraying at the parks. As it is getting late in the season it was decided the weed spraying should wait until fall. Kisner moved to approve these recommendations, Oldfield seconded and all voted aye.

     Oldfield moved to set the Public Hearing to receive comments on amending the Wellman Zoning Ordinance, R3 District for May 2, 2005, 7:00pm. Goodrich seconded the motion and all voted aye.

     Several bids and options were presented for a new backhoe, cement breaker, skid loader etc. After a lengthy discussion on options and what might be needed by city workers, Mayor Lewis appointed Richard Oldfield and Robert Swartzendruber as a committee to meet with city workers, review the bids and determine the needs.

     A bid from Wellman Farm Center to apply dust control to Fur Avenue was discussed. An eight-hundred foot application will take it to the new city limits. The longer, fourteen-hundred foot application to the Wellman Farm Center drive would include a section of county-owned road. Concerns were expressed if city funds should be used for this. After further discussion, Kisner moved to apply dust control on the 1400 foot option. Swartzendruber seconded and all voted aye.

     The Clerk reported contacting Iowa Codification about recodifying the City’s Code of Ordinances. All new ordinances will have to be sent to them for printing and inclusion in the code book. Additionally, the council, city attorney, and city staff will need to review all existing ordinances to determine any updates and changes that need to be made. Oldfield moved to go forward with the project, Kisner seconded and all voted aye.

     Bids have been received from LL Pelling for chip and seal work. An estimate to do the skating rink parking lot at $3,758.47 was discussed. It was decided the Parks & Recreation Board should review the needs of the rink and bring a recommendation to the Council. Seward moved to approve Pelling’s street bid to include 8th Avenue south of 13th Street, 6th Avenue south of 13th Street and Spring Court, for a cost of $6,972.82 and adding the east mainstreet alleyway and the alleyway north of Highway 22 to 7th Street west of DJ’s Cafι. Oldfield seconded the motion and all voted aye.

     In the matter of the electric municipalization project, communication has been received from the Iowa Association of Municipal Utilities that they are removing themselves from assisting the group of communities working on this process. This is as a result of pressure put on IAMU from investor-owned utilities who indicated they would introduce and get passed legislation that would heavily impact municipal owned utilities of all types. Comments were made in voicing the inappropriate actions of the large companies in dealing with legislation in this manner and the resolve to move forward with this municipalization. A meeting of the group will be scheduled soon.

     In General Administrative discussion Mayor Lewis read a letter from Rolland Smith for the Council of Mid-Prairie Churches in regard to the city council’s support of the proposed casino at Riverside. The letter noted that Wellman voters had not approved the casino and therefore the city council should report this to the Gaming Commission. Goodrich stated that in his opinion, the County had passed the referendum and whether he was for or against the casino, it was passed and in doing so would provide funds for Wellman that he would not want to lose out on. Mayor Lewis further stated that the Wellman vote included the rural residents and it was unclear if the citizens within the City, that the council represents, would or would not have passed the referendum.

     Ryan Miller addressed the council with concern of precedence-setting in regard to the Mayor reading a citizen’s letter when the maintenance shed issue was being addressed. He noted potential problems if several letters were received and questioned whether the public forum is a better place to present these letters.

     Oldfield thanked Bob Freeman for the excellent benefit held last Saturday for Dale Schroeder. Freeman reported, with the Lutheran match, $6,388 was raised for Dale with the benefit serving over 400 people. Oldfield also asked the clerk if, now that Bontrager is working on the payroll, it is getting done in a timely manner and was told it has been.

    Swartzendruber asked if there were any more water leaks and the urgent need to getting new water valves installed.

     Seward addressed his concerns of the many holes around town as a result of the recent water main breaks, especially the one in front of Chat & Chew on mainstreet. Mayor Lewis indicated cement workers and electricians had been contacted to start the work. Seward also asked about the oil tank laying at the maintenance shed. He requested an update on the County 1st Avenue project and voiced his concerns of the street being torn up during the July 4th celebration. Lewis stated he had talked to the County Engineer and was informed they did not plan to start on work here until mid-July.

     Kisner reported the Pickle Run/Walk at North Park on Saturday was a great success. He announced he has just written and published a book which is on sale at Slagle Pharmacy with all proceeds of the sale to go to the new child care facility project.

      Larry Thurman, in the Public Forum, offered his services if anyone wanted to high-light issues before the City Council. He also expressed his opinion of recent letters/editorials from a local citizen, asking that the citizen come to the council meetings to voice concerns and comments. He also took issue with the Mayor’s stance on the maintenance shed project.

     With no further business the meeting was adjourned at 8:45pm. The next regular City Council meeting will be Monday, May 2, 2005, 7:00pm in the Council Chambers of the Wellman Municipal Building.

 

 

Minutes of the City Council meeting transcribed by the City Clerk from written notes and/or audio tape subject to Council approval.