Council - Regular Meeting

Hello. Hi. We're just getting ready. But yeah, I mean 61.

Good evening. I'd like to welcome everyone to the East Debuke City Council meeting. It is Monday, May 18th. I ask that you please turn your cell phones off during the meeting and please be quiet during discussions. Please stand for the pledge of allegiance. I aliance to the flag of the United States of America and to the republic for which it stands. One nation under God, indivisible with liberty and justice for all. 26-0511 call to order. Bergmeer here. Dagenheart here. Flur here.

Meyer here. Roby here. Taylor here. Mayor Digman here. Attorney Hus here. 26-0512 staff reports. City manager report. Um,

you'd think I'd know that by now. Um, so get this a little bigger. Um, so, uh, Indian Hills work will begin again this week. Um, the project should be complete within the next two months. Um, we're getting, I think, 19 new customers out of that project. um at no cost to the city. Uh the emergency service building, the drywall is going great guns. Uh most of the second floor is done. Um we do have some redo work on the arch uh where the main entrance is. Um it's a very difficult thing to get the brick work right on that and it's not quite there. So, we're going to have to um bring in some other help to get that done um because that's kind of the focal point of the building. Um, we had our first uh set of union negotiations on the new contract that uh ended April 30th. Um we will be going back on May 28th for uh the next round of negotiations and the city will come forward with a counter proposal to the prop proposal we received. um the uh 166 Cinoa um consideration of a variance tonight, but um we're really excited about the fact that we could be getting the second building in about a year um on Cena Avenue and which is also the second building in 15 years on Cinno Avenue. So that's my report. Thank you. I just have a couple things uh this evening. Our new online bill pay portal is coming soon. and it will make managing and paying your bill quick and convenient. When the portal launches, we will send more information on how to get signed up. Uh, second thing, this year's fireworks are being pushed back to coincide with the community event commemorating the grand opening of the new emergency services building and the lighting of the bell tower. There'll be more details forthcoming as we get

closer when we come up with the date. So, it won't be June 27th. It'll be later in the summer to go to coincide with the the opening of the emergency services building.

Actually, can I go back to one other point that I wanted to bring up? Um the uh in the budget that we just passed. Uh we talked about the amount for the uh payoff of the bonds for the emergency services building and we thought we'd be able to pay off um all of our bank rate debt um this fiscal year. Um it turns out the payment is going to be what what showed in the bond documents was a payment that grew over time and that's what I took for the budget. um when they build us um last week, it is more of a fixed rate over the entire 20 years of it. Um that was this is what I showed the council last uh July when we were talking about bonding and my estimate there was u 3.9 million at 5% would be $316,000 a year for payment. Um, and so that was the estimate we went off of when we budgeted. Um, and we estimated that we would pay off the loans over the next two years and that we would use TIFF dollars for the initial two payments of the bond. Um, that's the note at the bottom. Um, I thought we were going to be able to go a little faster than that because it looked like the payment in the first year was going to be lower. Uh, but it's actually more than a year of of payment. So the actual amount um comes out to 300 uh 331,000 I'm sorry $330,000 basically. So um what we did was slowed down. This is what we did in the what I showed you in the budget that we had $80,000 for future vehicles. Then we had $30,000 we

were holding for emergency services building operations and and movein and then um 326,000 for the payoff of all of those um of the sweeper uh the fire truck and the um factor truck. So instead, this is what it looks like now. We still have 80,000 for the future vehicles. We still have the 30,000 for the emergency services building. The advanced payments go down to 134. So we've already paid off the fire truck early and we'll pay off the sweeper um this year early. And that the math at the bottom is where we're at right now. Um so next year we'll pay off the vector early um and um that will help us to pay the uh the bond as planned. So if you look at the plan we initially had um for payments um oops when we talked about it last fall um we said we would pay off the fire truck in April of 26. We paid it off in May. Um, city hall mortgage is already paid off in 25. The Vector truck we estimated would be paid off in 28 fiscal year. Um, it will be paid off in the 28 fiscal year. The sweeper truck we estimated the 27 fiscal year, it will be paid off in the 27 fiscal year. And the two payments that would come from TIF, um, we are not going to have to take out of TIFF. So, we'll be able to um direct our tiff dollars as we plan toward the third street ditch. So, compared to what we estimated when we did the bonding, we're way ahead of that, but not quite as far ahead as I thought when we did the the budget. So, I will come in with

the um alterations to the budget, but I want everybody to know right away when um about that change. Thank you. Moving forward, alder person report Birdmeer. Nothing to report this week. Mayor, thank you. Dean Hart, thing I'd like to report. Remember the Memorial Day parade coming up this weekend and I want these council people and mayor I appreciated you to get in it. It's a pretty good deal. Represent East Debuke. That's all I have. Mayor, thank you. Flour. Nothing. Thank you. Mayer, I have nothing tonight. Thank you. Roby, nothing. Mayor, thank you. Taylor,

I do have just one quick recommendation or request. Um, so, you know, we all know that these agendas come out on online um well ahead of the meeting. My request would be on on certain line items. You know, we all know that the ones that are not the fun ones we talk about, you know, the the six payment here or there. Um, but the ones we got one on the agenda tonight and I don't want to talk about it right now, but we have one on the agenda tonight that we'll be talking about um the one time action for assistance local businesses. I've had a few people up in my area reach out to me um with a bunch of questions about it, some misinformation, things like that. And so, if we could maybe just put some things on the website for some of these kind of one-off things that might generate some discussion for two reasons. One, it might help stop some of the misinformation that's going around. You know, we'll never stop that rumor mill. But two, if somebody wants to come talk about it tonight and they just read it offline, they don't know what they're talking about. You know, so we can't really have any public discussion, good, bad, or whatever. And so if we just put some bullet points on there, maybe like an appendix or something that says, "Hey, for this item number, these are the things we're going to be talking about." And because a lot of the things I heard, not, you know, a bunch of the things I heard aren't actually what it's about. And so it just I think it would maybe help and it would give some people because right now, like I said, you're in a tough spot. If you want to talk about it, we're going to talk about it after you get a chance to talk about it and get kind of the facts and things. So maybe if we just had some of these these one-offs, if we could just put a little bit more information on the website, I think that would help everybody.

Sure. That's all I've got. All right. Thank you. City Attorney House. Nothing to report, Mr. Mayor. Thank you. Police Chief Kabasic. Nothing. Thank you. Public works director Van Astronate.

Uh so this year for playgrounds, I'd like to just concentrate on Sixth Street playground and Peach Street playground. Doing uh new concrete and basketball hoops there. then do the other two next year. Uh still working on prices for bass hoops, but they're looking anywhere from like 27 to 3,400 bucks for the new hoop. And then for each one of those, I'd like to do a little bigger pad just for the simple fact that a three quart or three-point line is 21 ft and these are only 20 ft wide. So, I'm getting u measurements on those and I'll come back to you in two weeks with measurements and prices. Any questions?

Sounds good. Thank you. It's a that's a great thing to get the kids something to to do around here and and I think it really spruces up the city, too, to be able to look and see the We got a lot of comments still on the on the playground work you guys did. Are you looking to paint them, too? paint the three-point line and all that or no? Uh, we can look into it. Just curious. I never gave any thought, but we could look into it. All right. Okay. Thank you. Thanks, son. Fire Chief Heim.

Thank you. 26-0513 speakers from the floor. Yep. Brenda.

I guess I'm just concerned with the bridge closure um and what we can do as a city. I don't know if we need to form some kind of a task force or whatnot, but I'm really really concerned about how this is going to negatively impact um businesses if anybody has ideas. Um I talked to Hector from the Iowa DO again today and I guess I learned a little bit more information. So I don't know if they've reached out to you Bob or you've been in contact with them lately. Not on the schedule. No.

Okay. What I was told today is that June 1st through July 3rd, it's only westbound traffic. From 3 to 6 p.m., it will open up for eastbound. It may or may not be open eastbound after 6 p.m. And it may or may not be open on the weekends for that month. July 6th through August 5th, it's full closure both ways. August 6th, which I didn't know, through September 15th, Westbound is open. Eastbound is not. So when I think about people coming from Debuke and other areas to come over here to do car shows, hit all the marinas, any of our businesses, the impact that that's going to have, especially gas prices right now. I guess I'm just curious if anybody's thought about this. What are we going to do? What can we do? You know, for us marine owners, I'll represent them especially. We make our money until September.

So, we've got an item on the agenda tonight to discuss um a couple things that have been proposed to do and um so we'll be bringing those up. um you know it's limited how much we can we can do but um I think promoting the city and um assisting people and promoting their businesses is to me um the most significant thing that the city can be involved in. But we want to we want to make sure that the decisions that are made are made from the businesses and not us trying to impose things on on the especially the bar owners.

Yeah. The the only other thing that he said that I was not completely aware of um is that they've contracted with the jewel the city bus in debuke for pedestrians that would typically walk the bridge. Apparently they're going to have a jewel bus stopping at the library. Um and taking them back over to the inner modal downtown Monday through Friday from 6:15 a.m. to 6:45 p.m. Saturdays from 8:15 a.m. to 5:45 p.m. Nothing on Sundays. So, that's the information that I have. I was just hoping that maybe there's, like I said, something that we can come together and do. So, I just don't know legally, you know, again, what the city can and cannot do and brainstorming ideas, you know. out to taxi services. I know Mike and I have talked with um each other too about some other ideas, but I just think that this is going to negatively impact us. That's all I have.

Thank you.

26-0514 consent agenda. Still moved. Second. Roll call. Bergmire. IART. Hi. Flur. Hi Meyer. Hi Roby. Hi Taylor. Hi.

New business 26-0515. Discussion and possible action to approve variance request of 5T from adjacent building on the west side of 166 and Cinno Avenue property in the city of East Debuke. So, this is uh a request uh from John Onurge and uh the new building he's bringing into the city. We're very grateful to have the investment in downtown and um in discussions between the two of us um we thought that it would increase the value of the building and increase the value of the building to the city um to have it instead of being centered on the lot with 10 ft on each side, move it over 5t. so that there's 15 feet on one side which actually opens it up for parking and things like that. Um rather than have two sides that really don't have any particular value to them. And uh this passed the zoning board unanimously this evening at a hearing.

Any questions or discussion? If not, we need a motion to approve. I'll second. Roll call. Denhart. I lur I. Meyer. Hi, Roby. Hi, Taylor. Hi, Bergmire.

I 26-0516. Discussion and possible action to approve emergency service building payment number 7 in the amount of $484,725 for Tricon General Construction in the city of East Debuke. So projects as we discussed earlier go along um great um looks to be staying on schedule. This is a payment for the services um we received. It's gone through the whole process with um our engineering and architectural people and I recommend payment. Any questions or discussion?

No. I'll make a motion. I'll second roll call. Hi. Meer. Hi. Roby. Hi. Taylor. Hi. Bergmmyer. I Dhart. Hi.

26-0517. discussion and possible action to approve American Legion request for Memorial Day parade to take place on Monday, May 25th, 2026th at 9:30 a.m. with lineup on Wall Street starts at 9:00 a.m. in the city of East Debuke. So, the typical the parade as um announced by Randy. Um it's a big thing for the city and big thing for our veterans and uh thank you to them and uh recommend that we approve it. So move mayor. I'll second. Roll call. Meyer. I. Roby. I. Taylor. Imager. I tenheart.

Hi. Blur. I 26-0518 discussion and possible action to approve American Legion request to sell poppies on Friday, May 22nd, 2026 at Fidelity Bank, Vans Liquor Store and Family Beer from 2 to 6:00 p.m. and Saturday, May 23rd, 2026 at Vans Liquor Store and Family Beer from 8:00 a.m. to 12:00 p.m. in the city of East Debuke. Great program, great fundraiser, great organization, and the poppies are a great reminder to us of the sacrifice that our veterans have made. Recommend passage. I'll make a motion to approve. I'll second. Roll call. Roby.

I. Taylor. I. Bergmmy. I. Denart. Hi. Flur. Hi. Meer. Hi. 26-0519. discussion and possible action on one-time assistance to local businesses in continuing to grow and remain successful through the summer bridge closure to include reduced liquor license costs, advertising, and other support in the city of East Debuke.

Thank you, mayor. So, um first I'd like to thank John for coming forward and uh reaching out to um media folks in uh Debuke. Um there's been a lot of discussion about what the city's role could be in assisting. Um I feel strongly that um anything that you do for a business has to be um uh they have to have skin in the game and it's got to be something that that they're going to value. um in speaking with a number of folks um I think we've come up with a plan that um is going to be uh helpful both um dealing with the initial issue of the bridge closure which um you know is the is what's right in front of us but also I think the city of East Debuke needs to be reintroduced and um we've done so much work and people have invested so much we've got new buildings going up in the downtown. We've got new facades on most of the buildings on the main drag. Um we are um really making progress down here. And I think that it's time that people from other places in the area that may not have come here for a while um get invited back and um and be brought in. So, um, what we've got in this plan, when we did the budget, if you recall, we passed, uh, $10,000 we put into, uh, the budget specifically to promote during the bridge closure. Um, we have a plan that would start in, uh, June, June 15th. Um, it would be five 60-second ads per day on each of the um, the four stations of um, Debuke radio.

That's uh um we got them up here on on the board. Um so the ads would be both a message from the city and uh about inviting people in and then also um messages from the individual businesses and those businesses could use those to promote their business in any way they choose. So, we're not telling them how to how to message um their message, but um if, for instance, if they wanted if they have a special that they want to bring people into, if they've got an event they want to bring people over to, or if they just want to reintroduce them to uh their business, um they can do all those and the city would invest $5,000 um in the ad campaign. This would not go to the businesses themselves. This would go to um purchase these 2400 um radio ads and uh over the course of 4 months. Um pretty good buy to to drill it in one per day part for those of you who do um advertising wonks. Um so what we would have is a coordinated effort of uh ads on the four radio stations and internet page um done by Debuke radio that would drive people the ads would drive people toward um uh coordinated with um halfpage ads in the Debuke 365 um which is you know geared toward um these kind of businesses and things um those would be that comes out twice a month. So there'd be eight of those. And um so the the base amount for the ads that the city would be contributing and then the ads

in the 365 as well as um regular social media posts um through the whole listed things that Debuke 365 has um at least weekly. And then um the businesses Debuke radio would promote this to the businesses in East Debuke uh for a reasonable cost. A business could um and not just taverns but any business could uh buy into the program, get their piece of these ads and be part of the overall campaign that's going on. Um, so we would start out with um this message on the bridge and things and and inviting people over and trying to build some curiosity about what we've got here and move toward um this kind of reintroduction of East Debuke and everything that's happening here. Um, and it could be directed toward events that we have and things like that too. So that's one aspect of the campaign. Um I we understand that um when dollars are tight from something like this, it's a hard time to step forward and come up with a budget for advertising and things like that. So the other um aspect that we're talking about. So this is what the this is what the buy looks like. If you anybody that wants to look at it, we could show you all all four months, but basically 6 to 10 is the morning drive. 10 to 3 is the midday. these are the times of day that they do them. So, um having it in each of the day parts ensures that people who listen at various times of the day on all these different stations um hear it. And um the second part of it is um we talked about there is a program

that's uh running and has been running for several years in the city um that um uh tavern owners can receive liquor license holders can get a rebate of $750 up to $750 for improvements they make in their business. So, we would propose opening this up as something um that they could instead of investing in the business, something physical, they could come up with a plan to promote their business and and that would receive that $750 um potential. Um also, um we would um on a one on a one-time basis allow folks to come forward with a plan for how they're going to promote or how they're going to deal with the um the whole issue of the bridge closure. And if they have that approved, then they get um we will fund up to $800. We'll return to them up to $800 when they show that they've spent that money. Um, so it's a reimbursement um, working similar to what we've done with the facade grants and things like that. So that um, gives each each of the liquor license holders up to $1,550 um, that they can put toward dealing with the issue that we have here. Um, if the plan they come up with is a taxi service, great. If it if it's a bus, great. If it's more advertising, great. Um, if it's paying for the for the role that they'll have in the in the program that we've got here, then that's all the better. So, um, you know, we there's it's, as I mentioned earlier, it's limited how much the city can do to deal with something like this. And the bridge closure is not something that can be

avoided. It's it's happening. It has to happen. They have to maintain the bridge. um but we can um help to deal with it I think through a mechanism like this. So um members have the um this motion in front of them if they'd like to work off that or work off something else that they'd like to propose. Um this comes in the city's investment in the uh advertising comes in under the uh amount that we've appropriated in the budget. And then the um other aspect is that um reimbursement for um the things that that they could do to help their own business. So yeah, I think uh I think this is good stuff. I mean, since we uh since we got back on our feet and got financially stable, we've been pro business with everything we've done. I mean, you can see it with the results downtown and throughout our community. uh this is just, you know, something that I feel we can definitely do to uh help do our part. I I'll also add um just selfishly for the city, um our sales tax revenue from the 1% sales tax has grown. Um last year it was about 792,000 and this past year it was 971,000. So, um, we have been growing. The the businesses in East Debuke have been growing and as they succeed, the city succeeds. And so, we that's um a very significant increase in in sales tax revenue. So, some of the things that we're able to do, including helping them promote and come through this kind of trying time

um is funded with the additional money that that they generate as successful businesses. So, we are partners with the businesses that um East View has and we need their success. Um and so, I'm I'm very happy to offer this. I I could look anyone in the eye and say we will get back this money that we're investing this year um in the tax base. Any questions or discussion? I have a question, mayor. Sure. Okay.

We have other businesses in town other than just bars. Are we going to reimburse them for their licensings? We have um we have veterinarians, we have chiropractors, we have dentists, we have automotive, several automotive, we have um cosmetology. All those guys pay um for licenses too. Are we going to reimburse those people also? We can't just look at the bars we could get for discrimination on that. I think we have to look at as our town as a whole. Well, this is the liquor license that they pay for to the city. Um, the only other real significant um license that I'm aware of for the city would be the uh cannabis license. And um I am not proposing that we rebate money to the cannabis license holders. Um those other businesses are important to the city obviously, but they're uh they don't we are not giving money out to people. We are returning a portion of the license fee that they pay to the city already.

I just think we need to be careful what we're doing here. Yeah. For for I think three or four years, we've been rebating money to the liquor license holders um for the improvements that they've made. I think that was intended to be a a temporary uh program, but that's been going on. Um, so are all the businesses in town, every business in town is able to take the advantage of these?

Every business in town, correct? So, any business in town can can uh join in the advertising campaign and get the benefit of the city's investment in in that campaign. Um it it's just that the uh the liquor license is just um only available to the people who have those professional licenses here. So we can't do anything for the professional license with the state. Can't reimburse them for that. We don't receive that money. Reimburing for local.

We we don't we can only reimburse money that we receive. So, um we don't receive the money for those licenses for cosmetology or whatever. Um but, um we are investing about $8,500 I think it is in this campaign for the radio and um print and internet and social media uh campaign. and anyone of those businesses can um buy into that into that program and get the benefit of that $8,500 donate investment that we're making. And you know, the issue as presented to me in every meeting I've had with businesses is getting people to come to East Deuke. So if we succeed in getting people to come to East Debuke, uh whether they come to, you know, to to go to uh you know um Midtown Marina or any other business in town, um they're here in the city and so we've accomplished the goal of the advertising to get them get them here. I think the other thing I like about this is it gives the business owners flexibility to to do what they want with the with the $1,550. If they want to use it to buy into the advertising campaign campaign, they can, you know, if they want to use it for something else, you know, they can they can do what they choose. So I mean I I I like this program because it at the end of the day it gives flexibility to the to the owner the business owner. So and this and of course that's within reason. So um we have to come up with structures for it but yeah

any other question? We're going to approve this tonight without a structure on how we're going to do it. Um the motion directs me to develop the um strictctures of the plan. I'm sorry it's hard.

The the motion the motion um is to direct the city manager to develop the the program and there's not much developing of a program. It's just um the reasonleness of the expenditure um target whether it's targeted toward um dealing with the bridge closure. Um if it's targeted toward dealing with a bridge closure then um in my mind it's a good expenditure. Whether it was how I would spend my money um doesn't mean anything. I'm just somebody who works for government. Any other questions or discussion?

I think it was a good point that brought up and this was what I was referencing a little bit earlier is just make it clear that every business can take advantage of this which is good. No business is getting free money. That's what I've heard over the weekend. Some people are getting free money. They're not. It'd be great if we could. They're not. Um and it's really fair. I mean it's fair. And like you said the the licenses that they're paying to the city, they're getting half back. If any business wanted to give us $1,500, we could give them 750 back, you know. So, it's a joke, but so yeah, nobody's nobody's getting a better advantage than anybody else. At least from what I see, you know. So, if someone says that differently, then you be I'd be willing to listen. But it's it seems fair across the board for everything that's happening. And that's just one thing I want to re reiterate for anybody watching or reading because I heard vastly different. I I Yeah, you kind of have to you you they have to be in it as much as we are. Basically, they've got skin in the game with us. I like that approach. So, it's not a bailout.

Any further discussion? Are we going to send letters out to all the businesses letting them know this program is going to be going on and everybody can participate? Yes. And that's one of the So, for the advertising, that's one of the things we're getting from uh Debuke Radio. I have I know for a fact that they um cuz they've come after us for advertising in the past and uh they will make sure they contact everybody personally to get them involved in that aspect of the campaign but we will let uh the businesses know about the um other aspects of it too. Okay.

Any further discussion? If not, we need a motion to approve radio, print, and internet advertising proposed from Radio Deuke Debuke Incorporated and Debuke 365, including up to $5,000 participation in a radio campaign along with expenditures from local businesses and up to eight half-page ads in Debuke 365, coordinated with radio and a web page created by Radio Debuke. The campaign will run from June through September with the goals of bringing business to town while the bridge is fully or partially closed and reintroducing East Debuke to people who haven't seen all the changes in the city. This one-time project will be funded from the $10,000 appropriation to the community relations economic development fund approved for this purpose in the annual budget. further direct the city manager to develop a program to reimburse liquor license holders up to $800, which is half of the amount of a 2 a.m. license, and allow next year's license to be reduced by up to 750, the amount already temporarily available for reimburse for improvements made to establishments holding a liquor license for costs involved in maintaining and growing these businesses through the bridge closure. This funding of up to $1,550 per business is a one-time option. That is the a motion to approve.

All right. Second. Roll call. Taylor. I Bergmire. I Jagenheart. Hi. Flur. Hi. Meer. Hi. Roby.

Nay. Moving forward, 26-0520, recognition of Sergeant Mickey Husman's retirement from the East Debuke Police Department in the city of East Debuke. Chief Kabasuk to see you. Come up where you can face the camera. We present this plaque to Sergeant Mickeyman in honor of your retirement and recognition of 33 years of service to this profession. Your commitment to law enforcement has made a lasting imp on the department and the community. As you close this chapter, know that your years of service are deeply appreciated and will not be forgotten. got a few words for us.

I'm leaving it in well hands. I think you are. Congratulations, Mick. They had a few words. You know better than

All right. 26-0521 Executive session for personnel matters. Need a motion to go into executive session. Second. Roll call. I Meer. Hi. Roby. Hi. Taylor. Hi. All right. So, while we're in executive session, there's going to be cookies or cake. We got cake back there and stuff.

We'll hope to make it short in there. So, Hey Liz. Thank you very very much.

Bye guys. Bye. All right. There is no action coming out of executive session. So, we're going to move forward. 26-0523. We need a motion to adjurnn. So move. Roll call.

Blur. Hi. Meer. Hi. Roby. Taylor. Hi. Bergmmyer. Hi. Jen Hart. Hi. We are adjourned.

Where did all your fans go. Where did all your adoring