REGULAR COUNCIL MEETING

August 6, 2018

     The City Council of the city of Fayette, Iowa, met Monday, August 6, 2018 at 6pm in the Fayette City Hall pursuant to law and rules of said council, Mayor Wenthe presiding.

     Roll call: Present - Council members Cowley, Larson, Nefzger, Tucker and Wulfekuhle.

     Moved Tucker, seconded Larson, to discuss consent agenda items.  Moved Cowley, seconded Larson, to approve the consent agenda consisting of the regular meeting minutes of 7/16/18 and the claims list of 7/17/18 – 8/6/18.  Roll call, all ayes, motion carried.

     Moved Larson, seconded Cowley, to approve the agenda as presented. All ayes, carried.

     Mayor Wenthe advised the council that Jeremy Mueller had intended on attending the meeting about a new project development, but Mueller and Wenthe are still gathering more information and will hopefully present at the next meeting.

     Upon Mayor Wenthe’s request, moved Larson, seconded Wulfekuhle, to reappoint Rachel Schultz to the Fayette Community Library Board of Trustees.  All ayes, carried.  Upon the Fayette Ambulance Service Director Roger Post’s request, moved Tucker, seconded Wulfekuhle, to appoint Amber Kleinlein to the Fayette Ambulance Service pending the approval from the Fayette Ambulance Service.  All ayes, carried.  Upon the Fayette Ambulance Service Director Roger Post’s request, moved Wulfekuhle, seconded Cowley, to appoint Michael Mitchell to the Fayette Ambulance Service pending the approval from the Fayette Ambulance Service.  All ayes, carried.

     City Administrator/Clerk McGrane advised the council that Dollar General is going into the old Gavin’s Grocery store building and McGrane has been working with them on permits and code clarifications.  The Fayette Community Library, City Hall, Police and Ambulance Service are now switched over to the fiber network provided by Hawkeye Telephone for internet services.  McGrane had attended multiple meetings and trainings in the month of July including a FEMA Procurement Meeting, IMPI & IMPA Classes and the NEIA Regional League Meeting.  An IMWCA audit will take place at City Hall on 8/7.  McGrane also advised that Chad Ingles donated some fire rings to Klock’s Island Campground and Public Works has been working on getting the crosswalks painted around town before school starts.  A pre-construction meeting for the sewer repairs & lining project is scheduled for 8/16.  The repair on the Main Street Bridge sidewalk has already begun and should be completed within a week.

     Police Chief Davis informed the council that another GTSB traffic enforcement STEP wave will be from 8/17 to 9/3 and the Fayette PD will be out doing high visibility traffic enforcement. 

     Moved Tucker, seconded Nefzger, to approve the Fayette Community Library Board of Trustees meeting minutes from 6/13/18 and 7/11/18. 

     Moved Larson, seconded Cowley, to discuss Darwin Dean, 210 Union St., request to place stop signs along Union St. at the intersection of E. Clark St. and Union St.  Dean addressed the council stating cars speed through this intersection and children live in the area, creating a safety concern.  After discussion, moved Nefzger, seconded Larson, to research the steps, including any legal steps, the city needs to take for making the intersection of E. Clark St. and Union St. a four-way stop.  All ayes, carried. 

     Moved Larson, seconded Cowley, to discuss Resolution 2018-17.  Moved Nefzger, seconded Cowley, to approve Resolution 2018-17: Awarding the 2018 sanitary sewer spot repairs to Tschiggfrie Excavating and the cured-in-place pipe (CIPP) lining work to Visu-Sewer, Inc.  Roll call, all ayes, carried.

     Moved Larson, seconded Tucker, to discuss Resolution 2018-18.  McGrane explained the cities insurance company requires the city to have some of these policies.  McGrane recently attended a Human Resource training and he recommended updating these sections.  Moved Larson, seconded Nefzger, to approve Resolution 2018-18: Amending the City of Fayette Personnel Policy changing sections 3.5 Non-Discrimination, 3.6 Recruitment and Selection, 4.5 Family Leave, and adding sections 2.24 Equal Employment Opportunity, 3.10 Harassment, and 3.11 Sexual Harassment.  Roll call, all ayes, carried.

     Moved Cowley, seconded Larson, to discuss purchasing Tasers from Axon Enterprise for the Fayette PD.  Chief Davis advised the Police Dept. currently has one operational and one semi-operational Taser.  The other Tasers no longer work, and all are outdated.  Davis explained some of the purchasing options and importance of the Tasers.  Chief Davis also applied for some grant money through Alliant Energy to hopefully help with some of the funds.  Moved Nefzger, seconded Wulfekuhle, to move forward in purchasing four Tasers with the “Taser 60 Plan” which would cost a total of $6,636 but would be broken down to one $1,340 and four $1,324 payments over the next 5 years.  All ayes, carried.

     Moved Tucker, seconded Cowley, to discuss signing a 28E Agreement for Mutual Assistance for NEIA Area Law Enforcement Services.  The agreement states that area departments may assist each other with personnel and equipment, especially in times of emergencies.  Moved Nefzger, seconded Wulfekuhle, to approve and sign the 28E Agreement for Mutual Assistance for NEIA Area Law Enforcement Services.  All ayes, carried.

     Moved Larson, seconded Cowley, to discuss moving the Veterans Memorial from the front of City Hall to the Open Air Market.  Moved Tucker, seconded Cowley, to continue to research if any grant money was used to pay for the stone and to reach out to the citizens by community email to get their thoughts and concerns about moving the memorial.  All ayes, carried.

     Moved Cowley, seconded Larson, to discuss placing a donation container at City Hall for the Fayette County Food Shelf “Good Seed Award”.  Moved Nefzger, seconded Cowley, to not put any donation containers at City Hall.  All ayes, carried.

     Moved Larson, seconded Nefzger, to discuss hiring another Deputy Clerk for City Hall.  McGrane advised the council it is budgeted for a Deputy Clerk to work 20 hours per week this year as the city prepares to move to monthly utility billing.  McGrane would like to recommend having two Deputy Clerks work 10 hours per week instead of one work all 20 hours.  Deputy Clerk Sellers is considering retiring in the near future and this would be a good time to start training another Clerk.  McGrane would also like to try the flexibility of having two Clerks where one may work a few hours in the morning and another work a few hours in the afternoon.  Moved Nefzger, seconded Tucker, to move forward in hiring another part-time Deputy City Clerk with the current job description that exists.  All ayes, carried.

     Moved Tucker, seconded Cowley, to discuss transferring $5,000 to the Revolving Loan Fund account to pay for any administration and contract fees.  This money would help with start-up costs and paying for the Upper Explorerland contracted services to help administer the Revolving Loan Fund.  Moved Cowley, seconded Wulfekuhle, to transfer $5,000 from the Bolger Fund to the Revolving Loan Fund to pay for administration and contract fees.  All ayes, carried.

     Moved Larson, seconded Tucker, to discuss the storm water drainage system violation by Chris Matt at 105 W. Madison St. along King St.  Chris Matt, owner of 105 W. Madison St., and Dave and Connie Collins, owners of 408 King St., were at the meeting to voice their concerns and answer questions.  Wenthe advised Matt may have received guidance from the city that caused confusion as to if the city gave approval to Matt to place a culvert and intakes in when they built the house.  Matt’s concern was the consistency of the city making him dig out the ditch at his property, but not making any other property owners experiencing similar storm water drainage issues dig out their ditches.  Moved Cowley, seconded Larson, to have the city dig out the ditch at 105 W. Madison St. and not have the costs assessed to Chris Matt.  All ayes, carried. 

     Moved Cowley, seconded Larson, to discuss the rental complaint form.  Cowley drafted the form by researching other cities forms.  Suggested changes to the form include: adding Apartment number, adding landlord contact phone number, adding tenants may attach any additional pages/information/pictures, changing complainants name to tenant’s name, and rotating the response from the landlord section with the summary of problems section on the form. 

     There being no further business, moved Nefzger, unanimous, to adjourn at 7:27pm.

REGULAR COUNCIL MEETING

July 16, 2018

     The City Council of the city of Fayette, Iowa, met Monday, July 16, 2018 at 6pm in the Fayette City Hall pursuant to law and rules of said council, Mayor Wenthe presiding.

     Roll call: Present - Council members Cowley, Larson, Nefzger, Tucker and Wulfekuhle.

     Mayor Wenthe recommended the council divide out the consent agenda items.  Moved Nefzger, seconded Wulfekuhle, to discuss the consent agenda items that included the approval of the regular meeting minutes of 7/2/18 and the claims list from 7/3/18 to 7/16/18.  Motion Cowley, second Larson, to approve the 7/2/18 regular meeting minutes and the claims list from 7/3/18 to 7/16/18.  Roll call, all ayes. Motion carried.

     Motion by Tucker, second Larson, to approve the consent agenda item approving the Class B outdoor license for Downtown Lounge from 7/21/81 – 7/25/18, pending dramshop insurance endorsement.  Tucker, Larson, Nefzger and Cowle - Ayes, Wulfekuhle abstained. Motion carried.

     Moved Larson, seconded Cowley, to approve the agenda as presented. Roll call, all ayes, motion carried.

     Mayor Wenthe informed the council that the city received the CDBG Housing Sustainability Grant of $251,790.  Rainbowland Park now has a pickle ball court & the basketball courts have been painted. The Rec Board is looking into providing equipment to use for this sport if patrons do not have their own.

     Upon Mayor Wenthe’s request, moved Wulfekuhle, seconded Larson, to appoint Amy Tucker, Bill Dohrmann, David Scott, Kevin Converse and Tim Wulfekuhle to the Revolving Loan Review Committee, as well as the Mayor & City Administrator. All ayes, motion carried.

     City Administrator/Clerk McGrane was not present at the meeting but provided a written report.  The report stated Fehr Graham took bids to finish the Main Street bridge repairs.  Only one bid came in and it was for $30,348 from Taylor Construction, Inc.  The bid was approximately $20,000 over the engineers estimate, so the bid was refused.  Fehr Graham believes we can get better bids if we aim for an early spring construction time.  Fehr Graham will try and get someone here this summer to just repair the sidewalk portion of the project.  The Fayette Ambulance Service provided the following stats to the Council:  From 1/1/17 through 12/31/17 258 run reports were entered; from 1/1/18 through 6/1/18 104 run reports were entered and 9 trainings were held from 1/1/18 through 6/30/18.

     Police Chief Davis gave a brief update to the council. He thanked the council for the body cams as they have already utilized them and it helped immensely with a case they had. Officer Stone Allen started today. He was sworn in before the meeting.

     Moved Larson, seconded Cowley, to discuss and consider waiving the requirement that non-profit organizations not be eligible for the Downtown & Neighborhood Revitalization Program for Fayette Community Church.  The Church provided a letter from Head Trustee, Kristopher Blanchard, and an application for the Downtown & Neighborhood Revitalization Program to the council.  The Church is planning on demolishing the house at 300 W. State Street and primarily utilizing the property for additional parking.  Blanchard’s letter stated, “Additional parking at this location would benefit the entire community given its close proximity to the volleyball courts and the school.”  The Church will not remove the property from the property tax listing for another year.  Blanchard’s letter also stated, “the cost of rehabilitating the property is significantly more than its current economic value of $6,000.”  The council had waived this requirement for Upper Iowa University back in 2010 when UIU demolished the buildings at 124, 128 and 132 S. Main Street.  After discussion, moved Larson, seconded Cowley, to waive the requirement that non-profit organizations not be eligible for the Downtown & Neighborhood Revitalization Program for the Fayette Community Church, not to exceed $5,000 or ½ of the bid. All ayes, motion carried.

     Moved Cowley, seconded Larson, to consider accepting the terms of Hogan & Hansen’s engagement to perform the City’s annual examination.  After discussion, moved Nefzger, seconded Larson, to accept the terms of Hogan & Hansen’s engagement to perform the City’s annual examination for the year ending June 30, 2018.  All ayes, carried.

     Moved Tucker seconded Cowley, to discuss new construction/rehab and business incentives.  After discussion, moved Cowley, seconded Nefzger, to extend the current Incentive Program to 2019.  All ayes, motion carried. 

     There being no further business, moved Nefzger, unanimous, to adjourn at 6:30 pm.

REGULAR COUNCIL MEETING

July 2, 2018

     The City Council of the city of Fayette, Iowa, met Monday, July 2, 2018 at 6pm in the Fayette City Hall pursuant to law and rules of said council, Mayor Wenthe presiding.

     Roll call: Present - Council members Cowley, Larson, Nefzger, Tucker and Wulfekuhle.

     Moved Larson, seconded Nefzger, to approve the consent agenda consisting of the regular meeting minutes of 6/18/18 and the claims list of 6/19/18 – 7/2/18.  Roll call, all ayes, motion carried.

     Moved Cowley, seconded Larson, to approve the agenda as presented. All ayes, carried.

     This being the time and place published for a public hearing on the proposed authorization of a loan and disbursement agreement and the issuance of notes to evidence the obligation of the city thereunder not to exceed $415,000 sewer revenue capital loan notes, and the public hearing on the authorization and issuance thereof, Mayor Wenthe opened the hearing and asked for comments.  There being no comments, Mayor Wenthe closed the hearing.  Moved Larson, seconded Cowley, to approve Resolution 2018-15: Instituting proceedings to take additional action for the Authorization of a Loan and Disbursement Agreement and the Issuance of Not to Exceed $415,000 Sewer Revenue Capital Loan Notes.  Roll call, all ayes, carried.

     Mayor Wenthe wanted to thank the police and all emergency services that responded to the recent accident that occurred just outside of town last week.  Nefzger, Tucker and Wenthe attended a small city workshop in West Union on June 21.  Wenthe will be sharing the City’s current comprehensive/strategic plan with the council and will have the council discuss it at one of the next couple council meetings.   

     City Administrator/Clerk McGrane advised the council that the quarterly water/utility bills were mailed out last week and reminded council that Fayette City Hall and the Fayette Community Library would be closed on Wednesday, July 4^th for the holiday.  The Fayette Fire Department provided the number of Fire Responses from December 2017 through the beginning of June 2018: 0-Building Fires, 2-Brush/Grass Fires, 2-Vehicle Accidents, 3-Alarms, 5-Dept. Meetings, 7-Practices, 2-County Meetings, 2-Hazardous Cond., 2-Misc.  The council would like to request the Fayette Ambulance to provide a report of responses a couple times a year.

     Police Chief Davis gave a brief update to the council on a recent accident that occurred just outside of town.

     Moved Tucker, seconded Cowley, to discuss Resolution 2018-16.  The resolution is a necessity to receive federal funding, including the USDA RBDG funding for the Revolving Loan Fund Program.  Moved Wulfekuhle, seconded Tucker, to approve Resolution 2018-16: Adopting the Upper Explorerland Limited English Proficiency Analysis for use as the City of Fayette’s.  Roll call, all ayes, carried.

     Moved Tucker, seconded Cowley, to discuss hiring Stone K. Allen as a Fayette Police Officer and a starting salary.  Chief Davis advised they received a total of 16 applications and interviewed 3 applicants.  Allen has a college degree so he would be able to attend the shorter police academy, which would cost approximately $4,200.  The city would pay for the tuition.  Allen’s contract will state he must stay employed with the City of Fayette for four years after he graduates the academy, otherwise he must pay the cost of the tuition back to the city (pro-rated 25% each year).  After discussion, moved Tucker, seconded Wulfekuhle, to conditionally offer Stone K. Allen a full-time police officer job at a salary of $36,465 (Wage Scale #10) per year, based on Allen successfully completing the medical/physical exams and passing the fingerprint/background investigation.  All ayes, carried.

     Moved Larson, seconded Cowley, to discuss selling the 2007 Ford Police Explorer.  Chief Davis advised he has had all the decals removed and the police equipment taken out.  After discussion, moved Nefzger, seconded Tucker, to sell the 2007 Ford Police Explorer to the top bidder with a minimum bid of $3,000.  All ayes, carried.

     Moved Larson, seconded Cowley, to consider awarding a CPA firm to perform the City’s required annual examination for the year ending June 30, 2018.  The city had received two bids, one from Hogan & Hansen, P.C. out of Waterloo, Iowa for $4,500 and one from O’Connor, Brooks & Co., P.C. out of Dubuque, Iowa for $4,900.  After a brief discussion, moved Cowley, seconded Larson, to award Hogan & Hansen, P.C. to perform the City’s annual examination for the year ending June 30, 2018.  All ayes, carried.

     There being no further business, moved Nefzger, unanimous, to adjourn at 6:36pm. 

REGULAR COUNCIL MEETING

June 18, 2018

     The City Council of the city of Fayette, Iowa, met Monday, June 18, 2018 at 6pm in the Fayette City Hall pursuant to law and rules of said council, Mayor Wenthe presiding.

     Roll call: Present - Council members Cowley, Larson, Nefzger, Tucker and Wulfekuhle (arrived @ 6:10)

     Moved Nefzger, seconded Larson, to approve the consent agenda consisting of the regular meeting minutes of 6/4/18, the claims list of 6/5/18 – 6/18/18 and the May 2018 Financial Reports.  Roll call, all ayes, motion carried.

     Treasurer's Balance for Fund Accounts as of May 31, 2018:  Total May Receipts: $90,787.61 (General $28,115.76; Streets $16,071.37; Employee Benefits $10,310; Local Option Sales Tax $8,252.82; TIF $353.84; Bolger $1,947.88; Library Fund $126.69; Water $7,863.95; Sewer $7,996.80; Sewer Fund $9,575.50; Storm Water $173).  Total May Disbursements: $145,609.13 (General $51,427.71; Employee Benefits $7,274.12; Bolger $5,000; Library Fund $299.82; Water $49,188.82; Sewer $30,898.66; Sewer Lining $1,520).  Treasurer’s Balance: $3,183,771.78.

     Moved Cowley, seconded Larson, to approve the agenda as presented. Mayor Wenthe requested that 8J be moved to the top of the agenda. Nefzger made a motion to accept the amendment Cowley seconded. All Ayes, motion carried.

     This being the time and place published for a public hearing on the proposed contract documents (plans, specifications and form of contract) and estimated costs for sanitary sewer repair and CIPP lining improvements contingent on Iowa DNR wastewater construction permit and securing CWSRF financing, Mayor Wenthe opened the hearing and asked for comments.  There being no comments, Mayor Wenthe closed the hearing.

     Moved Cowley, seconded Nefzger, to discuss the Change of Scope Authorization for Fehr Graham Engineering & Environmental due to additional services.  After discussion, moved Cowley, seconded Larson, to approve the Change of Scope Authorization for Fehr Graham Engineering & Environmental due to additional services for the 2018 Sanitary Sewer Repair and CIPP Lining Project.  All ayes, carried.

     Upon Mayor Wenthe’s request, moved Tucker, seconded Nefzger, to appoint Gale Bishop to the Fayette Community Library Board of Trustees.  All ayes, approved.  Wenthe advised

     Administrator/Clerk McGrane was not present at the meeting but provided a written report that informed the council of the dates and times that City Hall would be open for the rest of June.  McGrane had also renegotiated the City’s contract with Neopost (that provides the postage machine at City Hall) and was able to lower the costs.

     Police Chief Davis told the council: Will be holding interviews beginning Thursday 16 total applicants, 1 certified, 5 passed.

     Moved Wulfekuhle, seconded Cowley, to discuss Resolution 2018-13.  After a brief discussion, moved Cowley, seconded Wulfekuhle, to approve and accept Resolution 2018-13: Fixing the date for a meeting on the proposition to authorize a loan and disbursement agreement and the issuance of notes to evidence the obligations of the City thereunder not to exceed $415,000 sewer revenue capital loan notes.  Roll call, all ayes, carried.

     Moved Tucker, seconded Nefzger, to consider the approval of an addendum which includes an updated wage determination for the 2018 Sewer Repair and CIPP Lining Project.  After a brief discussion, moved Larson, seconded Cowley, to approve the addendum which includes an updated wage determination for the 2018 Sewer Repair and CIPP Lining Improvements Project.  All ayes, carried.

     Moved Tucker, seconded Nefzger, to discuss the bids for the 2018 Sewer Repair and CIPP Lining Improvements Project.  After discussion, moved Larson, seconded Cowley, to tentatively award Division 1 of the 2018 Sewer Repair and CIPP Lining Improvements Project to Tschiggfrie Excavating for $252,816.90 and Division 2 of the project to Visu-Sewer, Inc. for $124,461.95 subject to receipt of the Iowa DNR Construction Permit and approval of issuance after the hearing on July 2, 2018.  All ayes, carried.

     Moved Tucker, seconded Larson to discuss opening a new bank account for the Revolving Loan Fund Program.  After discussion, moved Tucker, seconded Wulfekuhle, to approve opening a new bank account for the Revolving Loan Fund Program, transferring $100,000 from the Bolger Fund into the account and giving City Administrator, Deputy Clerk, Mayor and Mayor Pro-Tem authorization to the account.  All ayes, motion carried.

     Moved Larson, seconded Cowley, to discuss an Engagement Agreement with Ahlers and Cooney, P.C. as the City of Fayette’s Bond Counsel in connection with the issuance of the Sewer Revenue Capital Loan Notes/Bonds.  After discussion, moved Tucker, seconded Wulfekuhle, to approve the Engagement Agreement with Ahlers and Cooney, P.C. as the City of Fayette’s Bond Counsel in connection with the issuance of the Sewer Revenue Capital Loan Notes/Bonds.  All ayes, motion carried.

     Moved Larson, seconded Cowley to discuss Resolution 2018-14.  The resolution would close the separate Library checking account and transfer the money into the City’s primary bank account.  The City would create a separate account line that would be called the “Fayette Community Library Memorial Expandable Trust Fund” in the City’s current accounting software to track the money including income from donations or interest and expenses for the Library.  After a brief discussion, moved Wulfekuhle, seconded Cowley, to approve and accept Resolution 2018-14: Authorizing the formation of the Fayette Community Library Memorial Expendable Trust Fund.  Roll call, all ayes, carried.

     Moved, Larson seconded Cowley, to discuss the City of Fayette being a co-applicant with Upper Iowa University (UIU) in applying for a CAT Grant for improvements to the UIU Rec Center and Swimming Pool.  After further discussion, moved Nefzger, seconded Tucker, to approve the City of Fayette being a co-applicant with UIU in applying for a CAT Grant for improvements to the UIU Rec Center and Swimming Pool.  All ayes, motion carried.

     Moved Cowley, seconded Larson, to discuss purchasing body-worn cameras for the police officers. After discussion, moved Tucker, seconded Wulfekuhle, to approve the police department to purchase body-worn cameras for the police officers.  All ayes, motion carried. 

     Moved Larson, seconded Cowley, to discuss the business property lease with Hawkeye Telephone Company at the Fayette Community Library.  After discussion, moved Wulfekuhle, seconded Nefzger, to approve the business property lease with Hawkeye Telephone Company at the Fayette Community Library.  All ayes, carried. 

     Moved Tucker, seconded Larson, to discuss the updates to the Fayette Revolving Loan Fund application.  The minor updates reflect the requirements that must be met per the USDA and Rural Development program including civil rights compliance and conflict of interest clarification.  After discussion, moved Tucker, seconded Wulfekuhle, to approve the updated Fayette Revolving Loan Fund application.  All ayes, carried. 

     There being no further business, moved Nefzger, unanimous, to adjourn at 6:46pm.

REGULAR COUNCIL MEETING

June 4, 2018

     The City Council of the city of Fayette, Iowa, met Monday, June 4, 2018 at 6:07pm in the Fayette City Hall pursuant to law and rules of said council, Council member Wulfekuhle presiding until Mayor Pro-Tem Nefzger arrived at 6:12pm.

     Roll call: Present - Council members Cowley, Larson, Tucker and Wulfekuhle.  Nefzger arrived at 6:12pm.

     Moved Larson, seconded Cowley, to approve the consent agenda consisting of the regular meeting minutes of 5/21/18 and the claims list of 5/22/18 – 6/4/18.  Roll call, all ayes, motion carried.

     Moved Larson, seconded Cowley, to approve the agenda as presented. All ayes, carried.

     City Administrator/Clerk McGrane advised the council that Iowa Wall Sawing had started repairing the S. Main Street bridge over the Volga River on 5/31 until some of their equipment broke.  As soon as they have their equipment fixed, they will be back to continue the project.  McGrane advised Deputy Clerk Sellers will be at the next council meeting to take minutes.  McGrane told the council a few months ago he researched telephone/internet service for City Hall, Ambulance, Fire, Police and the Library.  He was able to negotiate better pricing with Windstream with additional phone services and faster internet.  McGrane and Fayette Community Library Director Butikofer had met with Hawkeye Telephone Company on negotiating terms for Hawkeye Telephone Co. to utilize the old ICN room to house equipment for their fiber optic network.  Hawkeye Telephone Co. would like to house their equipment there in hopes of possibly expanding fiber optic service throughout Fayette.  The old ICN equipment had been removed from the room.  McGrane advised there would be an official contract in the future for the council to approve.  McGrane also advised that he was advised this afternoon that the City of Fayette was rewarded the Rural Business Development Grant that we had applied for a few months ago to start a Revolving Loan Fund.  McGrane advised there will be more information in the future after the Mayor meets with the grant representatives.

     Police Chief Davis informed the council he had received a total of 15 applications for the full-time police officer position.  Davis will be holding physical fitness tests for all the applicants this Saturday.  The police dept. had 110 contacts during the holiday Special Traffic Enforcement Program (STEP) which is a statewide traffic enforcement effort through the Iowa Dept. of Public Safety Governor’s Traffic Safety Bureau.  They have also started monitoring nuisance abatement and mowing issues around town. 

     Moved Larson, seconded Cowley, to discuss the Fayette Community Library Board minutes from 5/9/18.  Moved Tucker, seconded Wulfekuhle, to approve the Fayette Community Library Board minutes from 5/9/18.  All ayes, carried.

     Moved Larson, seconded Cowley, to discuss the Fayette Streets and Sidewalks Committee minutes from 5/29/18.  Moved Cowley, seconded Wulfekuhle, to approve the Fayette Streets and Sidewalks Committee minutes from 5/29/18.  All ayes, carried.

     Moved Tucker, seconded Wulfekuhle, to discuss the Social Media Policy.  McGrane had mentioned that many cities are adopting social media policies now to better manage their social media sites.  The policy includes procedures, employee conduct on social media, guidelines for employees’ personal social media pages, elected officials and officials appointed to boards/commissions/committees, among other things.  McGrane and Chief Davis had researched multiple different cities and agencies policies to draft the policy.  After a brief discussion, moved Wulfekuhle, seconded Cowley, to approve the City of Fayette Social Media Policy.  All ayes, carried.

     Moved Larson, seconded Cowley, to consider accepting a written RFP to engage a CPA firm to perform the City’s required annual examination for the year ending June 30, 2018.  After a brief discussion, moved Tucker, seconded Larson, to accept the written RFP to engage a CPA firm to perform the City’s required annual examination for the year ending June 30, 2018.  All ayes, carried.

     Moved Tucker, seconded Wulfekuhle, to discuss the contract for Upper Explorerland for administration of the Revolving Loan Fund program.  After a brief discussion, moved Wulfekuhle, seconded Cowley, to approve the contract for services between the City of Fayette and Upper Explorerland Regional Planning Commission to assist in administering the City of Fayette’s Revolving Loan Fund.  All ayes, carried.

     Moved Cowley, seconded Larson, to discuss the contract for Upper Explorerland for administration of the Davis Bacon Compliance monitoring for the 2018 Sanitary Sewer Repair and CIPP Lining Improvements Project.  After a brief discussion, moved Wulfekuhle, seconded Larson, to approve the contract between the City of Fayette and Upper Explorerland Regional Planning Commission to carry out the terms required for administration of the Davis Bacon Compliance monitoring for the 2018 Sanitary Sewer Repair and CIPP Lining Improvements Project.  All ayes, carried.

     Moved Cowley, seconded Tucker, to discuss the storm water drainage and ditch issues in the 500 block of Mechanic Street, the 200 block of Washington Street, the 400 block of King Street and the corner of Madison and King Streets.  After discussion, moved Wulfekuhle, seconded Cowley, to have Public Works Director Jerry Hildebrand draw up directions/specifications of the depth, width and other measurements of how the ditch should be along King Street at 105 W. Madison Street, have the concerned neighbors review the directions/specifications, present the directions/specifications to Chris Matt/Matt Construction with the requirement to have the ditch dug out at 105 W. Madison Street by July 27, 2018; to obtain cost estimates to fix the storm water drainage cement areas, including the sidewalk, and to make them more safe in the 400 block of King Street; to reach out to the Thompson’s and advise them of some options they may try at their location; and to obtain more information and follow-up at a future council meeting about the drainage issues in the 500 block of Mechanic Street.  All ayes, carried. 

     Moved Larson, seconded Cowley, to discuss the Facility Plan Amendment for the 2018 Sanitary Sewer Repair and CIPP Lining Improvements Project.  After a brief discussion, moved Tucker, seconded Wulfekuhle, to approve the Facility Plan Amendment for the 2018 Sanitary Sewer Repair and CIPP Lining Improvements Project.  All ayes, carried.

     Moved Larson, seconded Cowley, to discuss Ordinance 498 – Amending Fayette city code Chapter 75 All-Terrain Vehicles and Snowmobiles, seconded reading.  Moved Larson, seconded Cowley to waive the third reading of Ordinance 498.  All ayes, carried.  Moved Larson, seconded Cowley to approve the second and final reading and adopt Ordinance 498.  On roll call, all ayes, carried.

     Moved Cowley, seconded Wulfekuhle, to discuss the City of Fayette’s Revolving Loan Fund application.  After discussion, moved Wulfekuhle, seconded Cowley, to approve the City of Fayette’s Revolving Loan Fund application with a $5,000 minimum loan amount and a maximum of $50,000 and adding in “collateral needs to be in addition to/separate than what was used for other loans unless remaining funds remain unused.” All ayes, carried.

     Moved Cowley, seconded Wulfekuhle, to discuss Ordinance 484 – Amending Fayette city code by adding Regulations Providing a Rental Housing Code, first reading.  After discussion, moved Larson, seconded Cowley to add more clarification in the code about the complaint-driven process and to provide a draft of the complaint form at a future council meeting.  All ayes, carried.

     There being no further business, moved Wulfekuhle, unanimous, to adjourn at 7:44pm.

REGULAR COUNCIL MEETING

May 21, 2018

     The City Council of the city of Fayette, Iowa, met Monday, May 21, 2018 at 6pm in the Fayette City Hall pursuant to law and rules of said council, Mayor Wenthe presiding.

     Roll call: Present - Council members Cowley, Larson, Nefzger, Tucker and Wulfekuhle.

     Moved Larson, seconded Cowley, to approve the consent agenda consisting of the regular meeting minutes of 5/7/18, the claims list of 5/8/18 – 5/21/18 and the April 2018 Financial Reports.  Roll call, all ayes, motion carried.

     Treasurer's Balance for Fund Accounts as of April 30, 2018:  Total April Receipts: $387,589.06 (General $123,256.70; Streets $6,507.15; Employee Benefits $47,750.29; Local Option Sales Tax $7,063; TIF $27,874.56; Bolger $229.65; Library Fund $185.71; FEMA $51,745.02; Water $42,672.12; Sewer $69,157.36; Sewer Fund $9,575.50; Storm Water $1,572).  Total April Disbursements: $92,911.49 (General $48,962.78; Employee Benefits $9,917.36; Library Fund $584.89; Water $11,611.66; Sewer $21,834.80).  Treasurer’s Balance: $3,240,458.23.

     Moved Wulfekuhle, seconded Nefzger, to approve the agenda as presented. All ayes, carried.

     Upon Mayor Wenthe’s request, moved Larson, seconded Cowley, to appoint Dan Boberg to the Fayette Board of Adjustment.  Wenthe advised he attended the HWY 150 Meeting on May 10 and they are still having conversations and gathering information to present to the Iowa DOT on looking at the possibility of expanding HWY 150.

     Administrator/Clerk McGrane informed the council that Fayette City Hall will be closed on Memorial Day, May 28.  McGrane also shared a list of all the cities and states where campers at Klock’s Island Park in 2017 had come from.  He was only able to gather the information from the checks the city had received and advised the council most of the campers pay by cash.  The information listed 27 cities in Iowa, one city in Illinois and 5 cities in Wisconsin.  Last weekend the city received a thank-you note from campers from Whitefish, Montana that said, “It’s obvious you too take great pride in such a clean, well maintained facility!”

     Police Chief Davis told the council that he has 5 applicants so far for the full-time police officer position.  Davis also started a social media page for the Fayette Police Department. 

     Moved Tucker, seconded Nefzger, to discuss and approve to advertise the 2018 Sanitary Sewer Repair/CIPP Lining Improvements Project and increase costs to $400,000.  Adam Moris with Fehr Graham was present and shared the plans.  Moris advised there will be two divisions of the project because there are two different types of contractors that work on the repairs.  One being excavation and the other being lining.  This will also help to get the best price.  The estimated cost of the excavation and spot repairs would be around $144,000.  The estimated cost of the lining would be around $224,000.  There would also be engineering costs on top of that.  Moris explained they reviewed the televising reports to prioritize and determine the areas that need repaired within the price range we provided them.  This type of project can be flexible, so if low bids are received and there are additional funds to work with, more can be added to the project.  If bids are higher, then the project can be cut back.  The lining is for the main line itself and not the laterals.  McGrane advised the council originally planned on spending around $300,000 for this project.  McGrane had Speer Financial, Inc. (the cities Financial Advisor) determine if the city could afford to raise project costs up to $400,000 without having to raise sewer rates more than the 2% each year that is already approved.  Speer advised the city could afford to raise the project cost to $400,000.  The city is planning on taking a SRF Loan to pay for this project.  After a brief discussion, moved Larson, seconded Wulfekuhle, to advertise the 2018 Sanitary Sewer Repair and CIPP Lining Improvements Project and increase the project costs to $415,000.  All ayes, carried.

     Moved Cowley, seconded Wulfekuhle, to discuss setting a Public Hearing for the 2018 Sanitary Sewer Repair/CIPP Lining Improvements Project.  Moved Larson, seconded Cowley, to set the Public Hearing for the 2018 Sanitary Sewer Repair and CIPP Lining Improvements Project for 6PM on Monday, June 18, 2018.  All ayes, carried.

     Moved Cowley, seconded Larson, to discuss and approve the proposal from Kluesner Construction, Inc. for crack filling.  This is already a budgeted expense.  After discussion, moved Wulfekuhle, seconded Nefzger, to approve and accept the proposal from Kluesner Construction, Inc. for crack filling.  All ayes, motion carried.

     Moved Cowley, seconded Larson, to discuss and approve the proposal from TSI Tennis Services of Iowa for repairing the pickleball and basketball courts.  The cost that was originally budgeted has increased by approximately $6,450 because an extra coat of acrylic resurfacer is needed as well as fixing the cracks.  This project will repair the asphalt for the basketball court and the tennis court and transform the tennis court into two pickleball courts.  There will be additional costs for the pickleball nets and hardware.  The Parks Department has additional money in savings to cover these costs.  After a brief discussion, moved Tucker, seconded Larson, to approve and accept the proposal from TSI Tennis Services of Iowa for repairing the pickleball and basketball courts.  All ayes, motion carried.

     Moved Cowley, seconded Wulfekuhle, to discuss Resolution 2018-12.  After a brief discussion, moved Tucker, seconded Cowley, to approve and accept Resolution 2018-12: adopting the Fayette County, Iowa Multi-Jurisdiction (MJ-14) Multi-Hazard Mitigation Plan.  Roll call, all ayes, motion carried.

     Moved Cowley, seconded Larson, to discuss and take action on the storm water drainage system violation by Chris Matt and Matt Properties, LLC at 105 W. Madison along King Street.  Chris Matt, his wife and Jana Olson were present.  It was noted by Wenthe that Matt had requested to be placed on a council agenda, possibly last fall, in regard to the issue and he was, however Matt did not show up.  Matt advised he was waiting to receive a written notice about being placed on the agenda and the date and time of the meeting, but he never did.  Matt advised the council they built the house at 105 W. Madison Street in 2013.  Matt said he spent $350,000 on the house at 105 W. Madison Street to make it look nice and he takes pride in the house.  Matt advised they did not fill in the ditch, they put in a culvert with intakes and had worked with the Fayette Public Works Department during the process.  Matt advised it was approved when he built the house that he could place a dual-wall pipe, embedded in rock with intakes to the pipe. Matt said he did not fill in the ditch to make the water go to the street and believes he spent money to make it better.  Matt advised he will have to spend more money to tear it out and he will if the council directs him to do that, but he doesn’t believe it will fix the drainage issues.  He had met last fall with Public Works and the Streets Committee about drainage issues.  Olson advised the council has the responsibility to conduct inspections and tests to make sure there is compliance with Chapter 88 of the City Code and in this area of town all of the pipes are filled up at this point.  Olson said the pipes on almost every side are filled up.  Public Works Director Jerry Hildebrand advised when Matt put the culvert in, he was not aware of it, but afterwards, he met with Matt and the intake was too high.  Hildebrand asked Matt to lower it and Matt did.  After last year’s heavy rains, Hildebrand asked Matt to put another intake in and Matt did.  McGrane had indicated there are other areas in town that Fayette citizens have complained about storm drainage issues that the council will need to address as well.  After further discussion, moved Nefzger, seconded Wulfekuhle, to put the process on hold at this point until further investigation and studies are done and a recommendation is made by the Streets Committee with future action.  Nefzger, Wulfekuhle, Tucker, Cowley ayes, and Larson nay, motion carried.

     Moved Tucker, seconded Cowley, to discuss Ordinance 498, first reading.  McGrane advised the city attorney recommends we stay consistent with the Iowa DNR regulations regarding hours of operations, which is from dawn to dusk, and to stay consistent with the Fayette County code in regard to the engine sizes.  The council agreed to take out the “egress from the city limits” and to take out all the streets that are prohibited in Section 75.08 (3) A-E, except leave in section F: Any portion of HWY 150 including right of ways and ditches.  Moved Wulfekuhle, seconded Larson, to approve the changes mentioned and approve the first reading and adopt Ordinance 498: Amending Fayette City Code Chapter 75 All-Terrain Vehicles and Snowmobiles.  On roll call, all ayes, motion carried. 

     Moved Nefzger, seconded Wulfekuhle, to discuss the rental code.  After discussion, moved Tucker, seconded Wulfekuhle, to redraft the rental code and take out the portions that require inspections for all properties and add the city would take complaints and the inspection process would start when a complaint is filed.  All ayes, carried. 

     There being no further business, moved Nefzger, unanimous, to adjourn at 7:05pm.

REGULAR COUNCIL MEETING

May 7, 2018

     The City Council of the city of Fayette, Iowa, met Monday, May 7, 2018 at 6:01pm in the Fayette City Hall pursuant to law and rules of said council, Mayor Wenthe presiding.

     Roll call: Present - Council members Cowley, Larson, Nefzger (by speakerphone), Tucker and Wulfekuhle.

     Moved Larson, seconded Cowley, to approve the consent agenda consisting of the regular meeting minutes of 4/16/18, the claims list of 4/17/18 – 5/7/18, the renewal of the beer license & native wine permit for Upper Iowa University/Aramark and the renewal of the liquor license, beer permit, native wine permit & Sunday sales for The Pumper. Roll call, all ayes, motion carried.

     Moved Cowley, seconded Larson, to approve the agenda as presented. All ayes, carried.

     This being the time and place published for a public hearing on the conveyance of an easement allowing the Fayette County Food Shelf (FCFS) to build upon city right-of-way (ROW) at the intersection of E. Water St. and Washington St., Mayor Wenthe opened the hearing and asked for comments. There being no comments, Mayor Wenthe closed the hearing. Moved Tucker, seconded Cowley, to approve Resolution 2018-10: Authorizing the approval of the conveyance at the cost of preparation of an easement allowing the FCFS to build upon the city ROW. Roll call, all ayes, carried.

     This being the time and place published for a public hearing on the proposed Fiscal Year 2018 (FY18) Budget Amendment, Mayor Wenthe opened the hearing and asked for comments. There being no comments, Mayor Wenthe closed the hearing. Moved Cowley, seconded Nefzger, to approve Resolution 2018-11: Authorizing the approval of the FY18 City Budget Amendment. Roll call, all ayes, carried.

     Mayor Wenthe advised the council it was the 50^th year of the municipal Home Rule in Iowa and the flexibility it provides to make decisions at the local government level. Moved Wulfekuhle, seconded Tucker, to have the Mayor sign a Home Rule Proclamation recognizing the 50^th Anniversary of the municipal Home Rule in Iowa and proudly supporting its continued authority. All ayes, carried.

     Upon Mayor Wenthe’s request, moved Tucker, seconded Larson, to appoint David Runyon to the Planning and Zoning Commission for a 5-year term starting on 6/1/18.

     Mayor Wenthe updated the council on the Main Street Bridge repair. After determining how much of a void was underneath the approaches, Fehr Graham received a bid for about $13,850 from Iowa Wall Sawing to repair the bridge, including the sidewalk. Iowa Wall Sawing believes they will be able to start repairing the bridge soon.

     Administrator/Clerk McGrane advised the council that Klock’s Island Park is now open. The city will no longer be offering the buy 6 nights, get the 7^th night free at the campground to help recoup some money for the park to continue with upgrades. The bathrooms at Cardinal Park are also open. Cardinal Park was seeded on 4/26 which was the last thing on the list to be completed at the park. We have received $46,676.03 for the Parks and Trails and $5,068.99 for the Debris Removal from Iowa Homeland Security and Emergency Management for the flood damage. On 5/4 McGrane signed the last claim form for the Roads and Surfacing damage from the flood. McGrane attended the IMFOA Spring Conference 4/18-4/20 and the Fayette County Tourism Meeting on 5/1. On 4/11 the 2018 CDBG Fayette Owner Occupied Housing Grant application was submitted to the state. On 4/30 the 2018 Rural Business Development Grant application was submitted.

     Police Chief Pisanti told the council that this would be his final council meeting. Pisanti said it has been a great honor to work here. Pisanti gave a brief report. Mayor Wenthe thanked Pisanti for all he has done for the City of Fayette and wished him best of luck in the future.

   Moved Larson, seconded Cowley, to discuss the Fayette Community Library Board minutes from 4/11/18. Library Director Annette Butikofer was present and said she is looking forward to the Summer Reading Program that starts 6/1. Butikofer encourages everyone to register at the Fayette Community Library for the program and is hoping that 3,379 books get read, from people of all ages, through the end of August. Moved Wulfekuhle, seconded Tucker, to approve the Fayette Community Library Board minutes from 4/11/18. All ayes, carried.

     Moved Cowley, seconded Larson, to discuss financially assisting the Big Rock Country Club Golf Course with fixing cart paths. Bradley Minger with Big Rock advised there are 2 cart paths on the back 9 that are in need of repair and one path is currently unusable. To replace the cart path on hole 16 would be around $12,000. Frontier Mudjacking out of Ridgeway provided a quote for $14,869 to repair both cart paths. There may be some additional costs if they decide to install a drain tile along the path. Minger would like the city to help pay for some of these repairs. The Golf Course currently has about $2,000 budgeted to help with these repairs. After further discussion, moved Wulfekuhle, seconded Nefzger, to donate a $5,000 gift from the Bolger fund to the Big Rock Country Club Golf Course to be used toward the repairs of the cart path. Wulfekuhle, Nefzger, Cowley and Tucker ayes, and Larson nay, motion carried.

     Moved Cowley, seconded Wulfekuhle, to discuss partnering with Upper Iowa University with financial support for an Iowa Economic Development Authority Enhance Iowa/CAT grant to make improvements to the UIU Rec Center and swimming pool. Ismael Betancourt with UIU advised the UIU Rec Center needs the floor replaced as it is about 3 years over the 12-year life expectancy. The swimming pool also needs some repair and the heating and cooling units need repair. The total amount of repairs is $1.1 million. UIU will be applying for a CAT grant that, if awarded, will pay for 25% of the entire project. To make their grant application stronger, they are looking for financial partners. Council members discussed if they provide financial assistance for the grant, then the Fayette Rec Board may have access to UIU’s facilities at no cost or a discounted cost and Fayette residents may receive a discount off of memberships to the UIU Rec Center. Betancourt believed that would be possible. After further discussion, moved Tucker, seconded Cowley, to become a co-applicant of the CAT grant with UIU and to use $10,000 from the Local Option Sales Tax designated to be used for the Rec programs in fiscal years 2020, 2021 and 2022, making a total contribution of $30,000, if the grant is awarded and with the understanding that Fayette residents receive a minimum of a 75% discount for UIU Rec memberships from fiscal year 2020 through 2022. All ayes, carried.  

     Moved Larson, seconded Cowley, to discuss the 28E Agreement with the Fayette County Sheriff’s Office (FCSO) for Dispatching Services. The council had requested Chief Pisanti to continue negotiating with the FCSO on the agreement. Pisanti advised the Sheriff was willing to decrease the three annual fees by $700 to $3,983 for FY2019, $4,652 for FY2020 and $5,321 for FY2021. The council had previously budgeted 75% of the annual fees to be taken out of the police budget and 25% taken out of the ambulance budget for FY2019. After discussion, moved Nefzger, seconded Wulfekuhle, to approve and sign the Dispatching Services Contract with Fayette County, Iowa, and the FCSO. All ayes, carried.

     Moved Wulfekuhle, seconded Cowley, to discuss forming a small committee to draft paperwork for the Revolving Loan Fund (RLF) and start reaching out to the public for serving on the committee. After discussion, Wulfekuhle and Tucker volunteered to be on the RLF committee and will present the paperwork to the council at one of the next council meetings.

     Moved Larson, seconded Cowley, to discuss the storm water drainage system violation by Matt Properties, LLC at 105 W. Madison along King Street. After discussion, moved Larson, seconded Cowley, to have the Fayette Public Works Department repair the storm water drainage at 105 W. Madison Street by digging out the ditch and notify Chris Matt of when it will take place. All ayes, carried.

     Moved Wulfekuhle, seconded Larson, to discuss updating the rental business property lease contract for 9 S. Main St. After discussion, moved Larson, seconded Cowley, to add to the contract a $350 deposit, add a $10 per day late fee after the 1^st business day of each month for non-payment of rent and to take out “except for ordinary wear and tear or damage without fault or liability of Tenant.” All ayes, carried.

     Moved Cowley, seconded Tucker, to discuss hiring a new Police Chief, starting date and starting salary. The Police Committee met and recommends the council promote Fayette Officer Benjamin Davis as the next Fayette Police Chief with a starting salary of $48,000 per year. Davis would be placed on the current wage scale around $48,000. Davis’ starting date would be on 5/12/18. After discussion, moved Wulfekuhle, seconded Nefzger, to promote Benjamin Davis as the Fayette Police Chief starting May 12, 2018 with a starting salary of $48,000 per year. All ayes, carried.

     Moved Tucker, seconded Cowley, to discuss the high-water bill at 404 Wadena Road Lot #202. Craig and Jeanie Kleitsch provided pictures and a receipt of the leaky valve that proved the water did not drain through the city’s sewer system. McGrane advised Public Works Director Jerry Hildebrand said he feels this is adequate proof to forgive some of the sewer charges. After discussion, moved Wulfekuhle, seconded Cowley, to have McGrane find a fair amount of the sewer charges, by figuring out their average usage for this time of year, on the March 2018 to forgive. All ayes, carried.

     Moved Nefzger, seconded Wulfekuhle, to discuss the rental code. After discussion, McGrane advised the council to review the rental code and documents associated with it and bring any revisions or changes to the next council meeting. Moved Wulfekuhle, seconded Nefzger to continue to move forward with the rental code. Wulfekuhle, Nefzger, Cowley and Tucker ayes, and Larson nay, motion carried.

   There being no further business, moved Nefzger, unanimous, to adjourn at 7:54pm.

REGULAR COUNCIL MEETING

April 16, 2018

     The City Council of the city of Fayette, Iowa, met Monday, April 16, 2018 at 6pm in the Fayette City Hall pursuant to law and rules of said council, Mayor Wenthe presiding.

     Roll call: Present - Council members Cowley, Larson, Nefzger, Tucker and Wulfekuhle.

     Moved Larson, seconded Cowley, to approve the consent agenda consisting of the regular meeting minutes of 4/2/18, the claims list of 4/3/18 – 4/16/18 and the March 2018 Financial Reports. Roll call, all ayes, motion carried.

     Treasurer's Balance for Fund Accounts as of March 31, 2018: Total March Receipts: $73,844.43 (General $28,294.18; Streets $11,915.91; Employee Benefits $1,595.64; Local Option Sales Tax $14,126; TIF $43.26; Bolger $2,576.51; Library Fund $171.22; Water $1,909.41; Sewer $3,573.80; Sewer Fund $9,575.50; Storm Water $63). Total March Disbursements: $112,380.79 (General $51,287.80; Employee Benefits $11,689.45; Bolger $11,120; Library Fund $426.88; Water $13,807.37; Sewer $24,049.29). Treasurer’s Balance: $2,945,890.20.

     Matt Campbell with Upper Iowa University advised the council that they had to cancel their 5K Color Run/Walk that was scheduled for last Saturday, April 14^th, due to the winter weather. He wanted to advise the council that they rescheduled the event for Saturday, April 28^th and wanted to make sure the council was still in favor of the event. The police department and the council had no concerns with the date change.

     Bill Dohrmann advised the council that a group will be starting to collect money soon for the flowers on Main Street. Dohrmann advised he will be donating $100 to get it started.

     Moved Tucker, seconded Wulfekuhle, to approve the agenda as presented. All ayes, carried.

     Upon Mayor Wenthe’s request and the Fayette Recreation Board’s recommendation, moved Nefzger, seconded Larson, to appoint Susan Scott to the Fayette Recreation Board.

     Administrator/Clerk McGrane advised the council the Fayette Ambulance Service received $3,246 from the Community Foundation of Northeast Iowa to be used for EMT Training. They also had a great turnout at their Belgian Waffle Fundraiser last week. Jim Thompson with the Iowa Economic Development Authority will present to the Fayette City Council on Tuesday, May 8^th at 6PM at Fayette City Hall. McGrane attended a Fayette County Tourism meeting on April 3^rd, a Housing meeting with Mayor Wenthe on April 9^th and a UIU Community Development Opportunities meeting on April 12^th. McGrane asked the council to provide him with any ideas of a location in Fayette to place another cardboard recycling bin that the Transfer Station will be providing at no additional cost to the city. McGrane included his FY2018 Budget Amendment report to the council. An explanation of increases or decreases in revenue and expenditure estimates and appropriations include: repair damage from the July 22, 2017 flood, starting the sewer lining project, trainings, computer/software/website upgrades, FY17 audit expenses, adjustments for the new accounting software as well as transitioning to the Iowa chart of accounts. The amendment will have a new ending fund balance as of June 30^th, 2018 of $2,446,042. Moved Wulfekuhle, seconded Cowley, to direct the City Administrator/Clerk to publish the budget estimate and set a public hearing for Monday, May 7^th at 6PM at Fayette City Hall on the Amendment of FY2017-2018 City Budget. All ayes, carried.

     Police Chief Pisanti presented the Fayette Police Department’s 2017 Annual Report to the council. The report stated residential burglaries have gone down 90% and thefts have gone down 21% from 2016 to 2017, among other statistics.

     Moved Wulfekuhle, seconded Nefzger, to approve the Fayette Recreation Board meeting minutes from April 2, 2018. Fayette’s Music in the Park will be on the 2^nd Monday’s of the month this summer (May 14^th, June 11^th, July 9^th, August 13^th and September 10^th) from 6PM to 8PM at the Open Air Market Park on West Water Street. All ayes, carried.

     Moved Nefzger, seconded Tucker, to approve the Fayette Community Library Board minutes from March 14, 2018. All ayes, carried.

     Moved Wulfekuhle, seconded Cowley, to discuss and request a public hearing for the conveyance of an easement allowing the Fayette County Food Shelf to build upon city right of way. After a brief discussion, moved Larson, seconded Nefzger, to schedule a public hearing at the next council meeting, Monday, May 7^th, 2018 at 6PM at Fayette City Hall for the conveyance at the cost of preparation of an easement allowing the Fayette County Food Shelf to build upon city right of way at the intersection of E. Water St. and Washington St. All ayes, carried.

     Moved Larson, seconded Cowley, to discuss and take action reference a high water bill for Craig and Jeanie Kleitsch at 404 Wadena Road Lot #202. The Kleitsch’s were unable to attend the meeting, but provided a letter and copies of their previous water bills to the council. The Kleitsch’s mentioned their last bill was $470.25, when normally it is a minimum ($128.41). After contacting Fayette City Hall and looking over the trailer for leaks, they discovered a crack in the water shut-off valve underneath the trailer. The valve is located after the water meter and the water from the leak was soaking into the ground and not going through the sewer. They would like to request the council forgive some of the sewer fees. After discussion, the council would like the Kleitsch’s to provide any type of proof the shut-off valve was replaced or leaking (for example, any pictures or receipts of parts). Moved Larson, seconded Nefzger, to table the request.

     Moved Cowley, seconded Larson, to discuss and take action on fixing the Main Street bridge over Volga River. Public Works Director Jerry Hildebrand advised the council that part of the sidewalk has collapsed, the bridge approaches are undermined and the expansion joints need to be repaired. Hildebrand had a quote of around $1,100 from a company that could come in with some equipment to help determine how much void is underneath the approaches to help us bid the project. Hildebrand advised that he spoke with Jon Biederman with Fehr Graham Engineering and Environmental and they are roughly estimating the total cost of the repair project would be somewhere around $50,000 to $60,000. Hildebrand believes the cause of the damages are a combination of the 1999 flood, failure of the expansion joints and the 2017 flood. Upon Hildebrand’s recommendation, moved Nefzger, seconded Wulfekuhle, to move forward and hire Fehr Graham Engineering and Environmental to start the process for the repair of the Main Street bridge over the Volga River. All ayes, motion carried.

     Moved Cowley, seconded Tucker, to discuss and take action on 9 South Main Street. City Administrator/Clerk McGrane was notified on April 2, 2018 that the tenants at 9 S. Main St. will be terminating their lease effective April 30, 2018. Moved Wulfekuhle, seconded Cowley, to start advertising the empty space for rent online, including the website and Facebook. All ayes, carried.

     Moved Larson, seconded Cowley, to discuss John and Sharon Orr’s request to start preparing the land at the Open Air Market for the Freedom Rock. The Orr’s had placed flags in the approximate place where the cement and rock would be located. John Orr advised the rock and cement may move approximately 2 feet around that area as it will depend on where the foundation that is buried in the lot is located. The council recommended waiting to remove any trees until after the rock was in place. The council would also like to look at possible locations on where to move the current rock that has the UIU appreciation plaque on it. Moved Larson, seconded Tucker, for the Orr’s to start preparing the land at the Open Air Market for the cement and the Freedom Rock, without removing any trees or moving the existing rock at this time. All ayes, carried.

     Moved Larson, seconded Nefzger, to discuss and take action reference the high water bill for Diego Duran and Charles Miles at 520 Mechanic Street. Miles was present and advised the council his roommate and him have made some payments on their water bill and would like to request the water be turned back on at their residence. After discussion, moved Nefzger, seconded Cowley, to have the water turned back on at 520 Mechanic Street under the following conditions: Miles makes a payment of $300 this evening; the tenants make a $300 payment every Thursday until the outstanding bill is paid off; if a $300 Thursday payment is not paid, the water is immediately turned back off; and the landlord/property owner agrees with these conditions and provides approval to turn the water back on. All ayes, carried.

     Moved Tucker, seconded Wulfekuhle, to discuss and take action reference the Fayette Revolving Loan Fund including committee members, interest rates and application fees. McGrane advised the council may make changes later, but need to agree on something now to complete the application process for a chance to get funds. Moved Nefzger, seconded Wulfekuhle, to have committee members include: an Upper Explorerland Regional Planning Commission representative (not a voting member), the Fayette Mayor, the Fayette City Administrator/Clerk, one Fayette City Council member, three business leaders/owners, the Fayette County Economic Development Director (not a voting member); an interest rate of 1% over prime not to exceed 5%; and an application fee of $50. All ayes, carried.

     Moved Tucker, seconded Larson, to discuss new construction, rehab and business incentives. After discussion, the council would like to continue to take community members ideas and wait until after the May 8^th presentation by Jim Thompson. Moved Cowley, seconded Wulfekuhle, to table.

   There being no further business, moved Nefzger, unanimous, to adjourn at 7pm.

REGULAR COUNCIL MEETING

April 2, 2018

     The City Council of the city of Fayette, Iowa, met Monday, April 2, 2018 at 6pm in the ICN Room at the Fayette Community Library pursuant to law and rules of said council, Mayor Wenthe presiding.

     Roll call: Present - Council members Cowley, Larson, Nefzger, Tucker and Wulfekuhle.

     Moved Larson, seconded Wulfekuhle, to approve the consent agenda consisting of the regular meeting minutes of 3/19/18 and the claims list of 3/20/18 – 4/2/18. Roll call, all ayes, motion carried.

     Moved Larson, seconded Wulfekuhle, to approve the agenda as presented. All ayes, carried.

     Mayor Wenthe informed the council that we are still taking community interest in the open positions for the Planning and Zoning Committee, the Board of Adjustments and the Recreation Board. If anyone is interested, contact City Hall. Wenthe put together a small housing task force based on one of the recommendations the city received from the creative placemaking plan. The group consisted of Dave Runyon, Jeff Bradley and Wenthe, with the hope of the group to grow. The group reached out to Lori Brockway with Upper Explorerland to find out if the group could partner with them to help with funds. Brockway is planning on attending a future meeting with the housing task force.

     Administrator/Clerk McGrane advised the council that he has been finishing up the paperwork for Iowa Homeland Security and Emergency Management in reference to last summer’s flood. McGrane has also been gathering all the information needed for the CDBG Housing Rehab Grant and the USDA RBDG program to fund a revolving loan fund. McGrane reminded the council of some up-coming training opportunities they may attend.

     Police Chief Pisanti told the council that he is finalizing the yearly report and it should be released soon. The biggest highlight in the report is that crime in Fayette was reduced by 40%.

     Moved Tucker, seconded Larson, to discuss the Board of Adjustments meeting minutes. Moved Wulfekuhle, seconded Cowley, to approve the Board of Adjustments meeting minutes from March 15, 2018. All ayes, carried.

     Moved Larson, seconded Nefzger, to discuss Lloyd Carnicle’s request to close off the 100-block of S. Main Street on the third Thursday of the month from May through September 2018. Carnicle advised this would be the 6^th year of the Fayette Show and Shine Car Show. The council expressed their appreciation to Carnicle for organizing this event each year. Moved Larson, seconded Tucker, to approve Carnicle closing the 100-block of S. Main Street on the third Thursday of the month from May 2018 through September 2018 to host the Fayette Show and Shine Car Show. All ayes, carried.

     Moved Cowley, seconded Wulfekuhle, to discuss John and Sharon Orr’s request to start preparing the land at the Open Air Market park (OAM) for the Freedom Rock. Sharon Orr updated the council on the progress of the Freedom Rock project. Orr advised they currently have the rock, the movement of the rock, the concrete, the fill and the dirt work all donated. Orr would like the city to remove the first tree to the east of the old drive-way in the city right-of-way at the OAM. The tree would be in the line of vision from the front view of the Freedom Rock to W. Water Street. Nefzger asked if the tree could be relocated. Orr advised the ground does need to be leveled out at the location. The slab of concrete would be 8 feet by 8 feet and the rock weighs between 6-7 tons. The goal is to pour the concrete this month (April) or in May. Wulfekuhle requested the Orr’s stake out where the cement would be poured for the rock at the OAM so the council may review the placement. Orr would like to request the rock with the UIU appreciation plaque on it be relocated to another location, such as near the beginning of the recreation trail at the OAM. They could possibly have their volunteers move the rock with the UIU plaque. Fayette is on the list to get the rock painted in the year 2020, but it could be painted in 2019. Orr advised she still needs to do fundraising to get the rock painted, which would cost around $6,000 to $7,000, but she believes it would be easier to do the fundraising when people can visually see the rock at the park. If they raise more money then what is needed, they would spend the money on landscaping around the rock. Moved Tucker, seconded Cowley, to table the request until after Orr stakes out the placement of the rock and the council can review it. All ayes, carried.  

     Moved Larson, seconded Wulfekuhle, to discuss community members starting a community garden on city property. Andrea Scott informed the council that the Women for Progress group, the Master Gardner’s and the Iowa State University (ISU) Extension Office have been working on the idea of creating a community garden in Fayette. They would like the community garden to be located on the city property at 6 S. Main Street, located between Full Circle Services and Poor’s Automotive. Scott said this location would be the most accessible for everybody in town and they would have access to water from Full Circle Services. Full Circle Services’ clients would be able to assist in helping with the garden. The group would also utilize rain barrels for water. The goal of the community garden is to help teach those interested on how to garden. The community garden would be free to anyone who participates and helps with the garden. They are still working on all the details, but Scott believes any produce that is grown would be given to those who help with the garden for free. If there are any left-over produce, then they may be able to sell it at a low price at the Fayette Farmer’s Market or provide it to our local Food Shelf. The ISU Extension office thought they may be able to offer some canning classes, as well. If the garden doesn’t go over well, they have people from the organizations who would help clean the property back up so the city employees would not be responsible. If the council approves the groups to use that property, they will have someone come down to do soil testing. Scott advised they currently have about 10 consistent volunteers to assist with the community garden. If anyone has any questions or would like to help, they can contact Andrea Scott at either Scott Pharmacy or Yoga Genesis or find the Women for Progress group on Facebook. Moved Larson, seconded Wulfekuhle, to approve the Women for Progress, the Master Gardner’s and the ISU Extension Office to start a community garden on the cities property at 6 S. Main Street. All ayes, carried.

     Moved Larson, seconded Cowley, to discuss providing permission to the Northeast Iowa Community Action Corporation (NEICAC) to exchange the lot at 104 King Street with another lot in town. Pastor Andy Sayer with the Fayette Community Church (FCC) informed the council that the FCC is growing and have exceeded the space in their current building. They are currently looking at expanding their building to the north where they currently have a parking lot. The parking they currently provide is not large enough for all the vehicles they currently bring in. They would utilize the lot at 104 King Street for additional parking as they expand their building. Sayer advised the FCC has spoken to NEICAC and they are willing to exchange lots if the FCC could find another lot in town for them to build a house on and as long as the city council grants permission for NEICAC to exchange lots. Sayer advised the FCC would be willing to cover any fees that NEICAC would request from them to help reimburse for the expenses that have already went in to that property. After discussion, moved Nefzger, seconded Larson, to approve the land exchange of 104 King Street between NEICAC and the Fayette Community Church pending the purchase of the lot on Main Street. All ayes, carried.

     Moved Larson, seconded Tucker, to discuss the Fayette County Fair Board’s (FCFB) request for a donation. At the previous council meeting, Andy Bilden had advised the council that the FCFB is hoping to offer a free carnival for fairgoers this year. To help cover the cost of the carnival, they are asking cities in Fayette County for donations. The city of West Union donated $5,000 and the city of Hawkeye donated $1,000. After discussion, moved Wulfekuhle, seconded Larson, to donate $1,200 from the Bolger Fund to the Fayette County Fair Board to help with carnival expenses. All ayes, carried.

     Moved Cowley, seconded Larson, to discuss the 28E Agreement between the Fayette EMS and the Fayette County EMS Association. After discussion, moved Tucker, seconded Wulfekuhle, to approve the 28E Agreement between the Fayette EMS and the Fayette County EMS Association. All ayes, carried.

     Moved Larson, seconded Cowley, to discuss Resolution 2018-09. After discussion, moved Tucker, seconded Wulfekuhle, to adopt Resolution 2018-09: agreeing to apply for financial assistance with the United States Department of Agriculture, Rural Development to finance a revolving loan fund project for the city through the USDA RBDG Program and commit $100,000 of local match funding towards this project pending the approval of the RBDG application. Roll call, all ayes, motion carried.

     Moved Larson, seconded Cowley, to discuss Roland Vazquez request for financial assistance from the city to try and bring members of the Chicago Cuatro Orchestra to the Fayette Opera House for a performance and to give a presentation at the Fayette Community Library. Tucker advised the Recreation Board met and decided to not financially assist with this event because their finances are tight due to the events they already have planned. The Friends of the Library will be helping financially. After discussion, moved Cowley, seconded Nefzger, to decline financial support for this event, but the city will help with marketing the event through the cities website and social media. All ayes, carried.

     Moved Wulfekuhle, seconded Cowley, to discuss new housing construction, rehab and business incentives. Nefzger suggested we try and get Jim Thompson to present to the council about tax abatement and other incentive ideas. After discussion, the council would like to reach out to Thompson to see if he can give a presentation and to put out the current incentive ideas to the community for feedback. Moved Larson, seconded Wulfekuhle, to table this until a future meeting.

   There being no further business, moved Wulfekuhle, unanimous, to adjourn at 7:05pm.

     Following this meeting, at 7:17pm, the mayor and council held a work session to discuss vacating part of a city right-of-way or possible easement of property in the 10-block of Washington Street. The work session adjourned at 7:44pm.

REGULAR COUNCIL MEETING

March 19, 2018

     The City Council of the city of Fayette, Iowa, met Monday, March 19, 2018 at 6pm in the Fayette City Hall pursuant to law and rules of said council, Mayor Wenthe presiding.

     Roll call: Present - Council members Larson, Tucker and Wulfekuhle.  Nefzger arrived at 6:01pm.  Absent - Cowley.

     Moved Wulfekuhle, seconded Larson, to approve the consent agenda consisting of the regular meeting minutes of 3/5/18, the claims list of 3/6/18 – 3/19/18, the February 2018 Financial Reports and approve the renewal of a beer license and native wine permit for Boarders Inn & Suites.  Roll call, all ayes, motion carried.

     Treasurer's Balance for Fund Accounts as of February 28, 2018:  Total February Receipts: $56,253.55 (General $13,747.04; Streets $18,810.26; Employee Benefits $1,511.71; TIF $26.42; Bolger $1,184.46; Library Fund $717.55; Water $4,731.08; Sewer $5,833.53; Sewer Fund $9,575.50; Storm Water $116).  Total February Disbursements: $107,783.07 (General $27,651.85; Employee Benefits $7,882.46; Library Fund $758.49; FEMA $39,046.25; CDBG Downtown Project $753; Water $11,236.44; Sewer $20,454.58).  Treasurer’s Balance: $2,987,148.05.

     Andy Bilden with the Fayette County Fair Board advised the council that they have hired a carnival for the Fayette County Fair and are planning on offering it free for fairgoers.  The carnival is the same one that Allamakee and Clayton Counties will have at their fairs.  The total cost of the carnival would be about $15,000.  The Fair Board members are asking cities in Fayette County if they would be willing to make a donation to help cover the cost of the carnival.  Andy said the City of West Union has donated $5,000, Hawkeye has donated $1,000 and he believes Westgate donated $500.  Mayor Wenthe advised we will put the item on a future council agenda to discuss it.

     Moved Larson, seconded Nefzger, to approve the agenda as presented. All ayes, carried.

     Upon Mayor Wenthe’s request and the Fayette Ambulance Services recommendation, moved Wulfekuhle, seconded Larson, to appoint Hunter Hoffman to the Fayette Ambulance Service, pending a background check.  Hoffman is planning on taking the EMT class.  All ayes to approve, carried.

     Administrator/Clerk McGrane advised the council he had learned about services that NE Iowa Community Action offers community members at a recent meeting he attend and included a brochure to the council members.  McGrane also advised that Roger Post with the Ambulance Crew presented him with a 28E Agreement today that will be on the next Council Agenda.

     Police Chief Pisanti advised the council that he had many reports of missing trash cans recently.  He discovered that Black Hawk Waste Disposal were cleaning up some of their accounts from the recent merge with Bunn Services.     

     Moved Tucker, seconded Nefzger, to approve the Fayette Community Library Director’s March 14, 2018 Report.  Nefzger commented on the great reports the council is receiving from the Library.  Tucker commended the new Library Director, Annette Butikofer, for the great activities she’s been organizing.  All ayes, carried.

     Moved Larson, seconded Nefzger, to discuss UIU students request for a color run in Fayette.  Matt Campbell and Erik Zorilla from UIU advised the International Student Association (ISA) is hoping to host a fundraiser where all the proceeds will go to a tribal school in India.  They would like to do a color run/walk on Saturday, April 14^th at 10AM.  The color run/walk would be a 5K, or a little over 3 miles.  As the participants would run or walk the route, volunteers would throw a non-toxic, washable, powdered paint at them.  The route would start on the UIU Campus and would utilize some roads and trails throughout Fayette and end at Klock’s Island Park.  They may also look into having a few food vendors at the event.  Moved Larson, seconded Nefzger, to approve the UIU students color run request.  All ayes, carried.

     Moved Nefzger, seconded Tucker to discuss Roland Vazquez’s request for financial assistance for an event.  Roland Vazquez is seeking sponsors in hopes to raise enough funds to bring the Chicago Cuatro Orchestra (CCO) to Fayette to give a presentation on the Puerto Rican culture at the Fayette Library and to perform at the Opera House.  The total estimated cost would be around $5,100 to bring nine members of the CCO to Fayette.  After a brief discussion, the council decided that the city could help advertise the event and help get the word out that sponsors are needed.  The council requested Roland to provide them an update in the future on how he is doing with raising funds.

     Moved Nefzger, seconded Wulfekuhle, to discuss appointing Curtis Larson, Roger Post and Kris McGrane to the CDBG Housing Committee.  Moved Nefzger, seconded Tucker, to approve the appointments.  All ayes, carried.

     Moved Tucker, seconded Larson, to discuss the water/utility bill at 520 Mechanic Street.  Diego Duran and Charles Miles advised the council that their water had been turned off at their residence and they are still unable to come up with the amount due on their utility bill.  After discussion, no action was taken. 

     Moved Wulfekuhle, seconded Tucker, to discuss new business incentives and a revolving loan fund (RLF).  Tucker and McGrane met with Diana Johnson with Upperexplorerland on March 16^th to discuss how a RLF works.  Diana advised that there is an Iowa Rural Business Development Grant (RBDG) that is due on April 30, 2018, that could help with start-up funds for a RLF.  Upperexplorerland believes they still may have time to get the grant written and submitted by the deadline at a cost of $1,500, if the city is interested.  The city would apply for an amount under $100,000 to increase the chances of being rewarded the grant.  The city would have to come up with a match to the grant funds.  The cities match could come out of the Bolger Fund since that is what we’ve used in the past for incentives.  An RLF is a loan with a low interest rate that business owners could apply for to provide financing for a new or expanding business for which credit is not otherwise available.  Other counties, cities and organizations have RLF’s, including the City of Oelwein, West Union, Elgin, Decorah and Elkader.  Wulfekuhle shared some ideas for incentives the city could offer for new residential homes and for people interested in fixing up houses.  After further discussion, moved Tucker, seconded Wulfekuhle, to hire Upperexplorerland to write the grant and provide technical services for the RBDG Revolving Loan Fund Grant for the City of Fayette.  All ayes, carried.

     There being no further business, moved Nefzger, unanimous, to adjourn at 7:28pm.