City Council - workshop

Okay, thank you and welcome everybody. Here he comes. You missed the pledge, but.

Okay, all right.

We've got everybody here. We will move on and get started. First thing on the agenda tonight is public comment. So if anybody has public comment tonight, please feel free to step up. Hearing none, we will move on to our next agenda item. We have Emily Resch and Madison Ehlert.

with Franklin REC for the light of the night presentation hi everyone I'm Madison Ahler of Franklin REC and I'm Emily Rush and we are here to talk about light up the night which we plan on having November 28th this year on a Saturday right after Thanksgiving and we have a few things that we are cutting out this year we are not going to do the trolley rides unfortunately because of the weather it's hard to get the horses together with the wagon it was kind of a little bit of a issue last year so we are not going to do that this year as far as the parade goes we plan on starting at the CB parking lot and going straight down main street and then we are actually stopping at the city park we are not doing anything after the parade this year so if floats want to park around there they can but we don't plan on shutting down that whole block like over by the library and the post office

and that's just due to we're actually lighting the park the Wednesday prior to Thanksgiving we did it last year the third or the Friday before the event was scheduled and we had quite a few people that had family in and that had we participating in the Friday Uncorked that were able to walk through the park not necessarily coming to the event, but coming to the park itself for us. But the actual road closure would be from that CB's parking lot, and then for them to safely cross the highway for us, and then they can disperse at the corner of the Senior Center Church bandshell corner. That way they're not getting out on the highway right away, but yet they're...

have a block lead still because there's quite a few people that still watch from the park too and they're more than welcome to park along there if they want to get out and walk through the park as well we're still gonna do our judging and stuff of the floats but we're going to do it online and so then we're gonna pick a winner on Monday following the event

then the other changes that were not doing an inclement weather date we learned last year it was a lot and we had 40 floats and then for the first weekend and then for the second weekend it would have been only about 10. so um just commitment time frames and everything people are busy that time of year they at least know to mark off that evening not to commit to two weekends so it'll just be a one date and we'll work with I know last year we worked with Doug and Chief Morrison on it and they gave us great input of safety and everything for everyone any questions

I don't have any, I think it's a great event that we have downtown and then hopefully the weather, maybe a little bit of snow, a little bit. Not like last year. so people come out and enjoy the parade. I think it's a growing event that we like to do. So I guess with that, yes, go ahead.

Are you still going to have Santa?

Yes, and all the crafts.

OK.

Yes. The day will still be similar. with crafts and we'll get a hold of the fire department for their luncheon and everything so it's just the parade and the safety of people and a little bit of a change with routes and everything thank you for supporting the community yes absolutely wish the other company would

Any other comments, questions? If not, if everybody's in agreement, we will put this on Thursday and vote on the road closure for you and get you taken care of.

Thank you.

Thank you. Next we have Caleb Hayes with ISG for some change requests for our pharmacy project.

Good evening, everyone. We wanted to talk through at the workshop first. We have some cosmetic change requests that we have been talking to the contractor about. These aren't necessarily requirements for the project, but with how far under the budget the project came. We thought it would be advantageous to do some of these to help with the resale of the property. And the contractor that we've been working with, I've been really happy with their performance, and they've been really fair on change orders that we've had come up to this point of some of the necessary items that we found as we started demolition. So I'll go through these kind of in order that we received them. First one is removing all the existing storefront on buildings four and six. That would include all the windows and doors, both doors on the front, and replacing them with new storefront just to kind of give that a facelift and update it. Some of the windows are broken out, some of them are cracked, and a lot of the businesses on that street do have new windows in them currently, so just help kind of match everything over there. That one comes to $63,692. I will say that I actually did talk to, so I did my own price verifications, and it came in right around where I was at. I did talk to one of my other contacts, another Iowa contractor who primarily works in Fort Dodge, and he was actually pretty impressed with that number. He had said that if he was the one bidding it, he actually would have put it closer to 76,000. And that's kind of a best guess number. That's not an exact number because he doesn't know the project. I can't divulge too much information. But through my own verifications being on the project, I do have enough information. I had come in slightly over their number, and I was really happy with where they came in at.

Caleb. So I just put these pictures up. This is pretty much what it looks like now. Part of the... contractor's original bid was to do the upper story replacement windows so the black windows would be a part of that but this that you're going over right now is for now this is just a conceptual drawing this is not what exactly what it's going to look like but it just gives you an idea of some of the improvements and what you know and how different that they would look and we can do something different with the lighting too but you know just conceptual to give you an idea And so some of that would be under what you just discussed, demoing the existing storefront and replacing with new. Does that include the windows? I mean, or is that part of the other one?

That is all of the windows, including that small band of smaller windows above the primary windows there.

Yeah, right.

And then we have the other change order regarding the front. That would be the facade, and that's removing the wood paneling up there. There's a lot of outdated wood paneling. And then there's also some brick left over that. I don't know if there was wood paneling there previously, but it would be covering that as well. And that one's just a full update, wrapping that in a cement board finish. So it's a little bit more of a durable finish on the front, but people use it for siding on their houses.

Is there a steel beam across the front, or is that on the exterior looks wood, but is there a steel beam in there?

From what we can tell, it is a wood beam on the front. We haven't opened anything up yet.

Will the entrances be offset, inset like that too? Yes. OK. How's the tuck pointing on the rest of the front?

It didn't look too bad, and we actually had the masons look at some of that when they were out there, and they didn't think that was at a critical point where it needed to be taken care of right now. And there is a brick ledge that we will utilize underneath that top banding of windows, so we'll go right underneath that brick ledge that's currently there. And then add new flashing in there to go over those windows underneath the brick ledge to make sure that we don't get water penetration behind that.

Is there, I have a question about, not very many of our downtown buildings are handicap accessible.

Yeah, so a ramp is in the next change order.

Yes. So we'll only be able to do it for one building. We did look at that. That was one of the discussions that we had. And to meet full ADA compliance, we cannot do it for building four. It would protrude too much into the sidewalk, and then it becomes a code-related issue for the sidewalk. Because of the slope. Correct. So it would just be too steep of a slope, and then it wouldn't even be, you wouldn't be able to get a wheelchair up it anyways. Obviously, you could with help, but to meet actual code requirements, you wouldn't be able to. So the goal is to meet that with Building 6, depending on conditions once they start that. But that is the intent. I'll go over the pricing for the facade change, which would be tearing off all the wood paneling. And then going back with that cement board finish is $27,873. And that's change order eight. Correct. Change request eight, excuse me. And then we did get a number four. So we did talk to them about doing a new step for building four, because that's currently just an old railroad tie, and actually pouring a concrete step there that meets egress requirements. And then we did talk to them about doing a ramp for building six. And that change order is $3,276. So they'd be cutting out some of that concrete as much as they needed to to meet the sloping requirements.

So if building four If we had an opening that was recessed as far back as Building 6, would we be able to do the ramp?

Yes, because Building 6 currently sits lower. And you can see it inside of the building. There's actually kind of a slope between the two buildings where they're connected now. But that entryway sits lower than Building 4. Okay. There would be alterations that need to be done in the future inside of the building to meet code requirements, but that would be for the future tenant to address.

This conceptual picture is, this is not accurate because this opening obviously is a lot narrower, and so this would still be narrow, so this is a little off, but I'll point that out.

And I believe... the last one that we just wanted to bring to everybody's attention is just a which will be on the packet for Thursday is an additional general conditions and that is because the contractor had originally in their schedule they had about two months and they're extending the timelines out because these are some fairly large and intrusive change orders, they'll take quite a bit more time to pull all that stuff off and go in and put new in. So that is to cover the general contractor, and that's just kind of their pricing, $7,439. That covers the dumpsters, porta-potties, and things of that nature. So just kind of all the office stuff that they take care of.

Have they started to work on the beam on the west side yet?

The column. They have not started it. They are, I'm trying to remember now, I believe they're going to start doing that on Wednesday. So they should be forming that up and getting that going.

Will that be in two lifts or just they're going to pour it all at once? I believe they plan on doing it in three lifts.

Okay. and they're gonna use vibration rods to make sure it seems. So they had talked to our structural engineer about that. So.

How does it look like for expenditures? How far under budget are we? Under the initial,

Off the top of my head, I want to say it's $260,000 is what we were under initially.

Yeah, we have the funds to do this, just because the original bid was quite a bit lower.

I'd like to see, towards the end of the project, if we have money left over to insulate that back wall. Makes no sense to have space between two buildings, and then you have that not insulated.

I mean yeah that's we'd have to talk about it but I'd like to see that We can absolutely talk to like I said they've been really fair with their change orders to this point and I've been really happy with their work I think they're moving at a really good pace even with a lot of the curveballs that they've had thrown at them and They kept things moving really well.

It might also be something that, you know, our staff insulated the wall in a day or couple days, the north wall of six. So it might be something that we could do just on our own. Might be more cost effective. I don't know. We can talk about that.

Yep. Yeah.

Okay.

All right. Is there any way that...

you can combine the two entrances of four and six so that the handicap ramp could service both facilities they have one common interest to both currently it technically acts that way because there is access inside of the building between the two that middle the partition wall is removed and there's a steel beam that goes across so if you enter through six you can go over to the side of four um but we can't combine the entrances it would we would have to basically pull that partition apart put a new bond beam in across it would be quite an extensive bit of work and then we'd also have to rezone the building and change the address to be one address so but yes currently if you access through six you can get through four and there's plenty of room for accessibility wheelchair accessibility I think it's a I want to say it's a five foot eight span that's open currently so thank you any other comments questions

Well, just one comment, not necessarily for you, but the design committee of the Chamber of Main Streets meeting on Wednesday, is it okay if I share this information with them?

Sure.

And get their input?

Mm-hmm.

I think it's great that we're far enough under budget that we're able to look at some of this other work that can be done to make it, once we get it fixed, it doesn't look like this. It looks a little bit better for somebody that might be interested in the building. All right.

One other comment, too. We did talk to the grant administrator about this. And since we were so far under, we would actually not get as much money back from that grant. But we verified with him that even these cosmetic items are still able to be billed under that emergency catalyst. So this will elevate that and get you guys more dollars back from that grant as well.

Good deal. All right. I say if the council's in consensus, we'll put this on Thursday as well, get the changes, change orders going, and keep moving. And I like this quickly that you guys have been quick with all this stuff. And people are talking about it, and that's a good thing. So thank you.

Yes, thank you. Thanks for the update. Thank you. Thank you.

All right. Next item, announce the P&Z Planning and Zoning meeting set for August 26th at 5 o'clock. Mr. Dunn?

Yeah, just wanted to make a public announcement of the Planning and Zoning Commission will meet to discuss regulations for data centers. um we will have uh john robbins from niacog come he's a senior planner with niacog brings a professional perspective as far as comprehensive plans and you know he's going to suggest some an amendment to our comprehensive plan related to data centers um talk to the planning and zoning commission about that talk to them about different options and things to consider um when regulating data centers and so should be very informative to kick off some discussion five o'clock this wednesday august 26th in city council chambers

That's good. I'm glad we're moving quickly with this thing and see what happens and go from there. All right. Any further discussion? If not, we'll adjourn tonight. Thank you.