Council - Regular Meeting

Call the meeting to order. Please join me for the pledge of allegiance. Pledge allegiance 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. [clears throat]

Okay, welcome everybody. This is the regular meeting for February the 9th of 2026. We'll start with a roll call. Weber, yes. Hannah, yes. Moore, yes. Present. Maynor, present. Olaflin, yes. [snorts] Applebee, yes. I need a motion to approve the agenda as presented. So move. Second. I have a motion to second. All in favor? I oppose. Passes 70. Uh, next we move to public comment. Um, Mr. Caller, I'm sure Just just a just a reminder since you've talked a couple of times. 5 minute um limit on the on

Yeah. I'll let you know when we get close to it.

That's fine. I just received a letter about the petition in the mail. And first of all, I want to let you all know that it was, let's see, wasn't written in our first letter or when I first talked to Sue that if we wanted to protest 2026 row project, we would have to have 75% total assessed value. I had the understanding was uh our household people nothing was said on that. Okay. If we wanted to protest 2026 road progress total excess value of our homes not just the household signatures then nothing was said in the first meeting. Sorry, it was too late to protest. It looks like it was kind of a setup from the get-go so that households didn't even have enough time to assess the situation on how to protest this whole issue. I mean, 12 days right after Christmas, boom, letter. We're going to vote on it. Yes, you should think actually for the household citizens what their thoughts were on the road project, not just assess value. Homeowners, please contact the mayor or what you think of this situation. And another question I want to ask, we pay the percentage $30 a foot or whatever. Who's paying the rest?

Out of our tax money, right? Sure.

So, we're getting double banged on it principally. So, I'm not just paying my 2,000. Some paying 4,000. Some are paying 6,000. That's not nothing. then they're going to pay so much out of their taxes. So, and I only feel that there's one council member that is really here that's actually I feel here are looking out for the citizens, not just let's just vote on this. I mean, I had 30ome signatures, mostly all the households that said they're disagreeing with this. But let's just go ahead and do it. So, that's all I got to say because I think it's from the start it's it was a rigged system. 12 days didn't even give anybody a chance to speak up. So, thank you. Okay, thank you for coming back in. Okay, let's move to item number five, which is the consent agenda. [clears throat] I need a motion to approve uh the consent agenda that reads as follows. the minutes of the January 26 2026 regular meeting. The minutes of the February 2nd, 2026 work session spec special meeting. Uh the Getty Bakery and Coffee House Class C retail alcohol license renewal with outdoor service with a tenative effective date of February 15, 2026. The Quickstar number 717 class B retail alcohol license renewal with a tenative effective date of April 1, 2026. So moved.

Second. I have a motion and a second. All in favor? I I opposed. [snorts] passes 70. Next, we move to the financials. I need is item number six on the agenda. I need a motion to approve the claims for payment. So move second. Um all in favor? I

oppose. Passes 70. Next we move to the bank reconciliation. This is for information only. Does anybody have any questions with regard to the bank reconciliation? Hearing none, we'll move to item number eight, which is revenues and expenses to date. Again, this is information only. Anybody have any questions regarding that? Okay. Hearing none, we would then move to item number nine. I need a motion to set March the 23rd, 2026 at 4:45 p.m. um here at this location as a public hearing on the proposed property tax levy for fiscal year 2027. So moved. Second. I have a motion and a second. This would be a roll call vote. Hannah,

yes. Moore, yes. Yes. Maynor, yes. Olaflin, yes. Applebee, Oops. Sorry. Um, this is a a roll call vote on set on just setting a public hearing for uh the proposed tax. [clears throat] Certainly. Item number nine on the agenda. It's just setting a date for it. Oh, yeah. Yeah. Yep. So, Applebee, yes. Weber, yes. Everybody.

Okay. Passes 70. Um, next we move to item number 10. Um, I need pursuant to the agenda, I'll now convene a public hearing on the proposed plans, specifications, form of contract, and estimate of cost for the 2026 street rehabilitation project. So moved. Uh, this is a second. This this is pursuant to the agenda. I don't need a motion or a second. This we're now in a public hearing. I did not receive any comments regarding the plans spec for a contract. Okay. I'll now close the public hearing and um there since there's no comments for the record. Um then we we now move to item number 11. Um items uh 11 through

13 13 all apply to the 2026 street rehabilitation project and primarily um these are the steps that we have to take pursuant to code in order to to proceed with the projects itself. So we will start with item number 11. I need a motion to approve and authorize the mayor to sign a resolution to finally and approve and confirm the plans, specifications, form of contract, and estimate of cost for the 2026 street rehabilitation project. So moved. Second. Have a motion to second. Um any discussion with regard to this? Yes. Sorry.

That's okay. on the resolution of the rehabilitation of the street. No, we're on 11 11 resolution finally approving and confirming plan specs formal contract and the estimate of cost for the 2026. So I think we should discuss whether we want to step forward with that because of public outcry to uh not want it and so by not funding it we would be able to. Okay. Change. Understood. Um, this is more the the the procedural aspect of the contract itself. Show what we're doing.

So, we have to it's it's it's approving of the plans themselves. It's approving of the specifications. It's approving of the contract that that we would be entering into. It's those types of items. That's what I'm saying. So, if you don't approve the contract, then it wouldn't go forward. By approving the contract, we're stepping forward to pay for it and fund it. Okay. Okay. Any further discussion with regard to that? Okay. This will be a roll call vote then. Moore, yes. Persider, yes. Maynor, yes. Olaflin, yes. Applebee, no. Weber, yes. Hannah, yes.

That passes 61. Next, we move to item number 12. Again, this is the same topic. Uh um the bids uh have come in with regard to the 2026 uh re street re rehabilitation project. They were received um they were to be received prior to 11:00 a.m. on February the 4th of 2026 at city hall. And that same day and that same time um the office of the clerk's open [clears throat] read um and that it was at this time that the place was set for the consideration of such bids which is tonight. So, um, the bids themselves in your packet, there's a letter from Mark Crawford who's present here, um, indicating that the bids range from $677,326.90 to $783,949.50. Um, the tabulations are found on uh, in your packet on page 135 and 136. The low bid on the project that was submitted was um, and I always pronounce this wrong,

Chick Fry. Chick Fry um excavating company from Debuke. uh their their pro their bid was $677,326.90 and um Mark Crawford and his and his company had um compared all the different bids to to the other ones to make sure that they were all consistent with each other and uh that um is hereby recommending that we award the contract to Chick Fry um excavating company. So then we move to item number 13 on the agenda. Item number 13 is a motion to authorize the mayor to sign a resolution awarding the contract for the 2026 street rehabilitation project to Chick Fry Excavating Company of Deuke Highway in the amount of $677,326.90.

So moved. Second. I have a motion and a second. Is there any discussion with regard to this hearing? None. This would again be a roll call vote. Pers, yes. Maynor, yes. Olaflin, yes. Applebee, no. Weber, yes. Anna, here. Moore, yes.

That again passes six to six to [snorts] one. Um, okay, that should be all with regard to the 2026 projects. Move to item number 14. Um this is dealing with the grant application for the first street west uh rebuilding a major corridor project under the US Department of Transportation better utilizing um investments to leverage development grant program. Um what's that known as a build as build? So, I need a motion to approve and authorize the mayor to sign a resolution to endorse the First Street West uh rebuilding uh a major corridor project for grant uh funding. Can I ask a question first?

Sure. So, are these plans already they're already done? No, this is our um what where we are in this project is we we applied for this um grant last year, right? And we were in the top consideration of the of ones to be accepted. This is a 1 point remember how much this was for. The project overall is almost $19 million. Okay.

But there's a $1.3 million um funding that we already have in place through STBG, which is through Intercod that we'd already secured and that can be used towards our match. When it's all said and done, the City of Independence's outlay for this is about right now is projected between 700 and $800,000. So like all the aspects outlined in here aren't necessarily in the plan. This is all this is all this is so far. I kind of stopped because I asked about the dollar amount, but so we didn't get the project last year, right?

We didn't get the grant funding last year. So this is just the resubmission of the application. So, the application is due later this month and we're in the process of getting um various the county, various other chamber, economic development, all kinds of the school district, all kinds of other people to to support our application. Okay. The application would then be resubmitted on on the due date and then we would hear probably sometime in the summer. Is that right? Um whether we got the project. If we get the project, what we would be doing with the project is this goes from the from the the bridge um for street west all the way to the end of town. Um we would No, not that far.

Mayor, point of order. Just a second. Just the end of the city limits. The end of city limits. We're going west. Right. My concern is the 8ft wide trail and 5 foot wide sidewalk. Some of those business out out there do not have that kind of space that they can Yeah. Mayor point of order. You don't you don't you don't have you don't have a first or a second on it yet and discussion should come after you have the first and second not prior to it. I was answering this question before we I know but the question is dealing with this which is after a motion is seconded. Okay. Can I have a let's let's start then. Do I do I have a motion to so moved? Do I have a second? Second. Okay. Okay.

No. [laughter] just the technicality, but we're not that far along in this. Um, so that could that's not set in stone. That's what I'm absolutely not all laid out yet. All we're doing is we're providing the information um to for to our [snorts] um um for the grant for the grant itself. Okay. So that so we've not put plans together for that yet, but we have concept plans together that do show an 8ft trail on one side and a 5ft sidewalk on the other. I'm all for the trails, don't get me wrong, and sidewalks. I just don't feel some of those businesses have that space to give up. And that's what we've got to work through when we go through the design because we want to make sure that we don't infringe on those businesses. We've got to keep the trails and sidewalks, if we're going to put those in as close as possible. We've got to work through that and figure that out.

Okay. You're right. There are space constraints out there that the the consultants well aware of. We've talked through that. When I met with the business owners last year, when I originally talked with them about this, we talked through that with several of them. There's still concerns for sure and there's things that have to be worked out, but we've got to get the funding to do the project before we can get into the the details of how to how to work those out. Okay. But it's definitely our intent to work with them and figure that out, not to just come in and say we're going to do this. Okay. That's I read it wrong then. Okay. All this particular um resolution is for is merely saying that council um approves the submission of the of the application. It also says that we will provide a 10% match

for the project, but that also outlines that we're going to use the service transportation block grant from Intercog as part of those that match along with local other local dollars. And then what other wasn't there? I don't remember all the details. Wasn't it mostly to redo the main street and the sewer underneath? So, it's a full reconstruction. So, it'd be the street. It' be sanitary sewers. It'd be water lines. It'd be the storm sewer, everything. And lighting, too, right? And lighting, street lighting as well. It' also be moving electrical that's above ground. Yeah. The electrical that's above ground would get moved underground as part of the project. Okay. It's a big project.

See, we've already done both the other three sides coming into Independence. This is the final side. And the hope is is that by by doing this particular project, we'll be able to take the First Street West area, which is probably the one of the least economically successful one is at the present time when when we get lost and we lost Hardies and we lost Pizza Hut and the other types of businesses that were along there. It just there aren't very many businesses along there. And we're hoping that by doing this, we'll encourage more business growth in the in the city. I don't know. That's it. Okay. So um any further discussion? Did you have something else? Uh yes, dealing with this. So when we are applying for that grant,

that grant we don't have to give the details of exactly what we're doing as far as trails and anything at this time. Not at this time. So that grant is not adjusted on the overall project of the overall expense of the project. The cost estimate that's included right now as the overall cost of the project does include the trails and the sidewalk both. Right. But would that make a difference if that wasn't included in there in multiple ways? one, it would lower the cost of the project, but it would also lower lower the scoring of the project because the government, federal government wants to see those mobile those mobility pieces included in what my question is is if we if we did make some changes to that

after we got the after we got the grant, would the could the [music] government pull the grant back away from us? I don't know the answer to that off the top of my head. Um, I would expect that they would be able to do some sort of clawback. I just don't know what that would look like right now. What other options I guess besides the sidewalk do you would you have that we could what is it that specifies that preemptively says hey we need this in the grant in order to achieve it that says the sidewalk provision. So mobility is a big piece of the grant as far as the scoring process that includes pedestrian mobility vehicle po mobility any any of that and if we remove those sidewalks and the trail out of the project you're going to lose scoring points right off the bat.

Okay. Could we do something that would be ebike friendly where we could make a loop instead away from businesses and do something like that if we wanted to change direction and then it would not first street west. I don't believe it would be part of this project if you did that. Can't Okay. And the other part of it is that my understanding is that we're only using city rightway property. We're not taking property from anybody. We're talking about sidewalk trails on our property that we own. That's what we have planned right now. Yeah. on within our city rightway. Not has nothing to do with what properties are owned by any of the businesses down there. This is on our property, not on their property. Does that make better sense? Between the sidewalk currently and to the curb, you saying or from the curb

to the property. Eight what is it? 8 ft in Matt? It depends. It varies. Okay. On a major road like that, it's it's more than that. 12 probably. So, we're only we're only talking about 20 maybe. There's no taking of property of another of a business or a homeowner or anything like that. This is strictly built being built on city property. I just meant like more like if we wanted to change something without losing it, what other options do we have? I guess we'd have to talk about that at the time, but I don't like Matt said it it's a major scoring portion of it. So, we pro we'd probably um lose the grant if we took it out, but we could lose for this cycle. You have to pull back and reevaluate what you want to do and then go for the next cycle next year. But remember

breakdown of that grant request sent to us so we could look at the wording for it. It's not that wasn't that given to us more through our uh engineering agency and the people that helped us through the grant writers that are helping us go through it. Where would it be on that? I could look at it. I off top my head I couldn't tell you that. Okay.

And see remember the project's already been approved for us submit the application. This is this is what we're doing here on this vote on item number 14 is we're endorsing this which is what the county did this morning. The county approved this this morning for us to do this. Um other other entities are sending their their recommendation letters in now. So all we're they're not going to approve a grant if the city council doesn't doesn't agree that they want that they want us to get this grant. Right.

So that's what you're voting on. I'm just saying that the changing of the words later so we could make a plan if we wanted to making changes. So then I if we know exactly where our limits lie for the grant that says you got to make sure that you accomplish IB and C then we could make adjustments to meet that we need. I don't think that the I think that the the current what you submit on the application is is general. I mean there there are some specifics that are provided in terms of the distance of of what First Street what the travel distance of First Street is and the fact that we're you know what how much how much you know feet of pipe there would potentially be I don't

we don't have any of those details right now. It's just a generalized description of what we want to do with the project and we gave them a concept map. So it's pretty general. We could probably change it quite a lot then. I can't commit that we can change something, but in terms of taking away that part because that's a major part of the reason why we would keep be getting the grant would be because we're trying to add um trails and we're trying to add um pedestrian routes. Pedestrian routes to get from one part of the of the city to the other parts of the city. So, I can't tell you that. Um and you know that information that's the information I'm trying to get the requirements. I don't think that I don't think that that information exists at this present time. I don't know that. And how do you know it it wouldn't fall under it

experience of applying [clears throat] for the grant for projects like this? We had somebody that we had a a firm come in and help us with this and they submit grants like this all the time for big projects for cities and that it's their uh recommendation that we do it this way based on what they've done in the past and what they've actually experienced. There's not like a list. Okay. There may be a list, but they also know how to help us position so that that way we have a better chance of getting the grant. Okay. So, to answer your question, I don't know if there is that specific list you're asking for. We rely on them and their experience and and knowledge to help us position to get it. Yeah. And just usually I think a grant usually has has whatever the outliers of requirement.

Most grants are can't help with that. I've never written a grant. I I mean really every every grant has that. Well, you're dealing with the federal government. Yeah. and you're dealing with a very large amount of money. What is the grant called that? We could look it up through the government. It's called build now, which is um the build now. If [clears throat] you look up build, you'll get to it right away. BULD. Okay. It's better utilizing investments to leverage development grant program. There is a long list of well, the notice of funding opportunity is 51 pages long. Okay. And we're paying the consultant that we're working with to help us go through that. So we don't have to do that to be as successful as we possibly can be when we submit the grant application. Okay.

I would I think obviously they're not here so they can't and I don't want to speak for them but I think they would tell you that if you remove sidewalks from a grant like this you're likely not going to get the grant. I don't mean removal. I just meant like how much can we tweak it based on the requirements that they have.

The one thing I would point to in that regard is the wording in the resolution says espec specifically about this. It says the project will also work to address existing safety concerns and gaps in the active transportation network along the corridor by providing an 8 foot wide trail and or 5 foot wide sidewalk along both sides of the roadway. So it may not be an 8ft trail on one side. It may be a 5ft on both sides. It may be a 5ft on one side. It may be an 8t on one side. We won't know that until we get into the design of the project which will be after we get if we're successful getting the grant.

Okay. It's a major it is a major expansion and development for the well-being of our community for the future that it's just a matter of you know and another thing is if the grant does go through our our match is only like 10% if I'm not mistaken it's 10% but remember 1.3 million of that comes through STBG funds which is another grant exactly exactly so we're leveraging multiple sources here in order to get a project done that would be very difficult for the city to afford to do on its own.

A very major thing that is very expensive and it actually is not going to cost the city a whole lot of money based on the overall project and it's very advantageous for our citizens that we try to get this accomplished. Oh, I agree. I just was saying if we wanted to make a tweak to it for the sidewalk, how [snorts] would we be ready for it rather than waiting until July and then trying to figure it out. We won't start design until after we know whether or not we've gotten the award, which wouldn't be until July at the earliest anyway. Okay. So, okay. Any further discussion with regard to this?

Okay. So, everybody knows what we're voting on. We're voting on authorizing the mayor to sign a resolution endorsing First Street West um rebuilding a major corridor project for grant funding. So, that's the that's the motion. on roll call vote then. Maynor, yes. Olaflin, yes. Applebee, yes. Weber, yes. Anna, yes. Moore, yes. Yes.

That passes 70. Um, next we move to other business. Um, this is amendment number one to the agreement for professional services that we're talking about. So, um, this is the same topic, exactly what we've been talking about. I need I need a motion to approve amendment number one to an agreement with Ritland and Cooper Landscape Architects for the First Street West corridor improvements project and to authorize the city manager to sign the agreement. That's the motion. So So I have a motion and a second. Um discussion with regard to this. If you look at your packet page 144.

Okay. There was some requests during the work session to include financial information in there as far as what the original contract was, how much of the original contract had been spent, what this amendment was, and what the new total contract amount would be. And that's all included on page 144. The original contract with Ritland and Cooper was $159,000. They had invoiced $17,43164 um as of April of last year, which would have been about when we were in the middle. And then they're asking for an additional 19,900 which would raise the whole contract to 1789 meaning that [clears throat] 66,95364 would be available for this second round submitt.

Okay. Further discussion with regard to that? Could that be part of our 10% later if need be approved? This is what we're paying them to write the grant for us. No. Okay. Further discussion hearing? None. This would be a roll call vote then. Olaflin, yes. Applebee, yes. Weber, yes. Hannah, yes. Moore, yes. Brolder, yes. Maynor, yes. That passes 70. Next move to item number 16. Um, I need a motion to approve um SR S equipment. Snow removal equipment.

Okay. snow removal equipment um task order number 11 with Bolton Mink uh for engineering services and acceptance of the associated cost analysis and finding the proposed fees to be fair and reasonable. Um so first I need the motion. So move second.

Okay. So Matt, you want to tell this because because we're talking about the airport um um an engineer is required when we're when even when we're just purchasing snow removal equipment. So, this is Bolton Mink, who's the engineer that's been doing all of our work out at the airport that's um submitted their their um contract for services or there it's a task order under their existing contract. They're um so anytime you get a grant through the FAA, they require it to be engineered. So, we have to pay money to have this engineered to be able to buy a piece of equipment. Brett, do you want to come up and add anything more to that or more explanation about why this is required and what it is? So, when you're using federal dollars, the FAA has clear guidance on procedures and how things are going to happen. One of those being hiring an engineering firm to come in and essentially put the specs and everything together, submit it, put it out for bid for the tractor. Part of that also being we have to do a cost analysis on it to make sure that their fee assessment is in line with other places that have done it in previous years. They submitted me submitted to me three different SR projects that had been done for similar equipment and then I reached out to three other ones and compared and they're all within respectable limits. So,

and this is to buy equipment, right? Yes. If you did a rental, would like just had somebody else do a contract? Would you still have to fall under that or could we omit paying for a engineer for renting renting something to do this would be not renting? I meant like hiring a service. So, hiring a service would be difficult. I mean, our the city's outlay on this is $2,350 for the engineering aspect. The overall stuff for the rest of the snow removal equipment's I want to say $475. That's that's the total. Yeah. But we pay 5% of that. Yeah, it's a 955 or something. 44650 fed share, 23 2350 local share.

That's just for the engineering. I'm talking about the overall equipment purchase as well. The overall equipment purchase is 475,000 and 5% of that is what we would pay. So to your point to pay somebody to do that, we'd have to find somebody that costs less than that what the city is outlaying right now because the FAA is not going to reimburse us or share with that cost. So the FAA is going to reimburse us for most of the 95% of that. So then that's our portion. Okay. And that's why we want to do it that way.

So we can go out and buy the tractor on our own through the city. We can just go to the local dealership and we can buy whatever tractor we think is the closest. Write them a check. It may be 250,000, whatever the price tag is. But if we use the grant through the FAA, we can obtain, yes, it will be a little bit higher, but we can use their guidelines and part of their guidelines is hire an engineering firm, have them put the specs together to meet our requirements and then send those out and have people bring them back. The other you just have to you have to go through their who's because everything has to be of Americanmade. It can't be made other places. There's very few people here that can do that, but there are spec sheets and some pages deep of specifications from the FAA.

Okay. So, yeah, we could, but in order to use this grant, we have to follow their guidelines. And it's like that with all the projects that we use with the FAA, we have to follow to a team. And that's why we contracted to to do that. That's all they do is air force if that makes sense. Yeah. Thanks, Brad. Um, any further discussion with regard to this? Okay, this will be a roll call vote then. Applebee, yes. Weber, yes. Hannah, yes. Moore, yes. Yes. Mayor, yes. Olaflin, yes.

Passes 70. Next, we move to item number 17. Um, I need a motion. um to record and broadcast city council work sessions via video. First, I need a motion. Sure. And is there a second? Matt, do you want a second so we can have a discussion or do you just want to leave it? What? Me? [laughter] Okay. It's okay. I mean, you don't have to. You don't have to. You don't have to. is it dies lack second fenal seconded and they have no discussion.

Well, we had discussion already at the work session. But um the only reason I I looked at you is because when you first became a council member, this was something else that you were advocating for and after you had had a chance to talk to the department heads and the other people about it, you realized that it was better that we didn't do it as I recall. But I you learn you learn more after the longer you're on here. Sure.

Okay. Well, if there if there is no second, it would die for a lack of a second then. Okay. So, let's let then we would move to um uh reports. Um start with the the U police department monthly report. Um I guess everybody in your packets you had that report from from the chief. Um is there any uh questions that anybody has with regard to that? um the items that are on that report which is basically talking about all the different call types of calls that they were on in the last month. Right. Yeah. January 25 or January 26's monthly report. So does anybody have anything for Chief Lau that they want to ask about that report?

Okay. Are you getting more medical assist now than you were previous? Looked like you had 11 this last month. Um wasn't I wouldn't necessarily say we we get more medical assist. It just kind of depends on the officers and their availability and the type of call. If there's a call that the officers feel like that they can assist on, they're going to go to that call regardless, right? Um, so I wouldn't say that we've had any more. It may just be a circumstantial as to what types of calls that came in and if those officers could assist on the call or not.

Okay. But and looking at that call sheet for January, what I will say is at 400 and some calls for service for January. Normally in January and February, we tend to move down a little bit in our calls for service, but we're just seeing that we're busy every month now and we're not really getting that cut in calls for service. And that's just again documented calls for service that are assigned a case number. That's not all the other calls that the officers end up going to that don't end up generating a case number. So, they're staying busy. Staying real busy because between the fire department and you guys, you guys are doing a lot of assists on the medical call.

Uh the fire department. Yeah. If they're rolling on or they're if they're being asked by AMR to assist. Um we're not necessarily getting asked to assist on those calls. Okay. But I'm I just saw the 11 on there that cited medical. I thought it's Yep. And if if there's a medical call and they like I said the officer is in the area and it's they have an AED or whatever in the squad car, the officer is usually the one that says, "Hey, show me out on that call because they know that they can help." Yeah. Would that change when we leave from what we're using right now for ambul ambulance and then when we go to our own

I don't we can talk about that further because we're going to talk about AMR in a few minutes. Um Chief Low would not be as directly involved in that. That's more of a a fire department that they would be called for for services. It's not something that the police departments normally called for. They're just called they just they're on site because as as Chief Lau said they they heard the call and they thought that they could assist in some way, which of course we would do anytime we could and they can they can usually get there pretty quick. So like they they don't have to get called out. They're already out as depending on where they're at in town. But as far as the police department responding to things, no matter who the ambulance service is, I don't foresee anything changing with the way the police department responds. All right. Okay. Thank you again. Thank you.

Okay. Then moving then to the fire department monthly report. Um is there any questions that anybody had with, you know, Blake with regard to his report? Anything that you want to add to your

Yeah, just the one thing you'll notice the format's a little bit different. Um so they made a nationwide change from the NFS reporting system to nearest. So every department in the state or in the country has updated um as of January. So you'll see the formatting is a little bit different. if you guys need or want different information. I just I had to go in and build this report for Clerk Lampy when she was emailing me about it. So, I kind of went through it really quick, but it's just plain Jane. If you need something different or want different things on there, you can put it on there, but gives you at least the volume and kind of what we're going to. So,

and I know I don't think we talked about this with you in a in a public meeting, but congratulations on handling all those calls that you guys did last year. That was a tremendous amount of calls compared to what we had had in the f in the past. So, y great job. You guys are to be commended. That's fantastic. They do a great job. So, so going going forward, this will be our format that we're going to see unless somebody changes. Yeah. Unless you guys want something different. That's just the new nearest thing. So, I had to go in and make a whole new all our old reports that used to just get kicked out monthly all are gone. Mhm. Cuz when they switch, it's just they they up and went from start fresh. They went from Apple to Samsung. So, nothing transferred over or anything like that. So, um this is all pretty self-explanatory.

Yeah. Not to say that we can't do it, but if you just want a different format or more or less information, we can get it for [snorts] you. But this is good. Is this easier to input in or is it No, it's actually hard. [laughter] They're making changes every day. So, um Tommy, they have a a full-time contractor that works with it that, um Tommy's doing a great job. It It'll actually give us a lot better data um going forward. we can kind of break it down. It's a lot more um it's a lot harder to put it in. I shouldn't even say harder. It's just a lot more timeconuming to put in. Um but it's a lot more data. So, we'll be able to really nitpick down to certain things. So,

yeah, we have the ability to track a lot of things. So, it it it's and not just us, I mean nationwide. So, nice. Thanks, Blake. Thanks. Thanks, Mike. Thank you, Chief. Uh, okay. So, next item is number 20, building department monthly reports. Did anybody have any questions with regard to the reports that um Matt can take back to Matt? Yeah. What were Wow.

Yeah. Page was near the near the end. Page 207 was it? One of them on the very end on the rightway things. There was one issued to city hall. Was that just a test or did city hall actually get a complaint? What page are you on? 207.

Uh 217 dirty. Yeah. 217 right at the top on the right of way. I'm still waiting on my computer to pull it up. Give me just a second.

Yeah, it really doesn't correspond with the comments, does it? No. I would have to ask Matt, but I'm guessing that that was probably a test that he was doing. Okay. Or it's also possible that he got an anonymous phone call from somebody and they logged it that way with our address just so that it wouldn't have anybody else's info on it, but I would expect that it was likely a test. I'd have to ask Matt for more details about it. Well, and the address is the same on both. Yeah. The owner and location.

Yeah. So I wonder still note the call, would you? Well, it's it's in there as a right ofway permit, but at the notes on the right hand side, they're talking about bore will then travel east approximately 237 feet. I think that's from the previous one. That's from the previous one. Okay. Yeah. Yeah. I'll have to ask him and find out what Yeah. Yeah, I was just curious if we if city hall got cited for something or I mean not that I'm aware of but see did you know that's a permit easy I don't think it's a I I'll have to ask Matt and find out because it does say residential doesn't it

permit [clears throat] type anything else from anybody with regard to the building department [snorts] uh report okay then move to item number 21 which is the ILOP. Sorry, Matt just sent me an email. There was a test. Oh, okay. Yay. So, he's on vacation, but he's watching. Hi, Matt. Hi, Matt. Thank you. Uh, number item 21, the ILPT reports. Any any questions with regard to those? Okay, then let's move to council member reports. I have nothing, mayor. Okay, Deb, you want to go next? I've got nothing. Nothing at this time, sir. Brian.

Um, nothing at length. Uh, did receive some calls and comments about First Street West as far as how that'll lay out. So, as we get down the road, and I assured them that obviously we don't have plans, things like that, but as we work through the process, we'll [snorts] have to be more. We'll be we'll drill down on it and do what's best. Yeah, sounds great. Same thing he said. Nothing more. Nothing. How are you feeling? Fair. [laughter] You up to speed? He's ready to ride rag. I will be anything public comments about your what? Well, this is this is your reports. This is on people that if you call or

Well, I didn't get calls, but I did reach out to a few people. So, um I would love to have seen it if I had an email yet, but uh I did reach out after our meeting about funding. So, I asked uh H Heartland about theirs and um chamber and so I'm awaiting some responses, I guess, but I at least wanted to say that I reached out to quite a few of them just to find that clarification on some of those on what they were asking for and why. like H Heartland, I asked him if there's something specific that he needed cuz we weren't supposed to have that the funding going onward once it was established and they were running on their own that we weren't as a city supposed to be funding it anymore. So, if we could use it for other projects or there was something specific they need. I haven't I as of Friday, I don't I haven't checked it obviously today, but I hadn't gotten a response. Did

you send that to Brian Bell or did you send that to John Lanner?

I just send to the H Heartland Acres cuz I had no idea who a contact would be. So, and then I got a hold of the chamber and Nikki replied back and said that she was going to look into some of the funding that she would have done for Chamber of Congress if she got more funding to maybe grow bigger for independence for events and things like that that um and she did have ideas, but she needed to get her hands on what those were. Okay. And then I can't look in the email so I don't remember but uh oh yeah and I reached out to library as well and then asked them about funding and that whether a few notes of interest just I'd rather just read it off at a later time but basically asked them about uh funding where they could see uh any kind of cuts had they looked at that um just questions on that line and got a reply back from Laura, but I mean without being be able to read it to you guys, I don't I don't see the point of recording it out. So,

you might want to save your notes. Save your notes for the budget meeting that we have coming on the 17th. So, those were sent out and I'm just reading replies. Okay. So, I did get some replies from people. Sounds good. Not all. And if you have a contact for the weekend, I guess. Did you have anything Susie? Um, I think everybody at this point knows that we have a special meeting tomorrow night at 5:30. Everybody is able to make it. I think u Melissa was the only one that was not able to make it tomorrow night. So, and I might if you can if I can, I'll show up and if I can't then.

Yeah. Yeah. So, we'll have that tomorrow night at 5:30 to to work on that plat for uh Steve G's development out there. Um, and that was purely because I forgot to put it on tonight's meeting. So, that was my mistake. So, I appreciate everybody being willing to have a special meeting tomorrow night to get that taken care of. So, thank you for that. Um, at the work session last week, I think Deb, you had asked if I would give an update on the rideway encroachment stuff and where we were with that. Um, so a couple things I want to point out. There's over 2500 addressed properties in Independence and we sent out 98 letters for this rideway encroachment issue. [snorts] So, There weren't hundreds of letters sent. There was 98. Um, the other thing I would point out is we have 15 that have successfully already done things and taken care of stuff. I know there's several others that are in the works. Um, and while there have been maybe one or two that have been, let's say, not pleasant for Matt to work with, the majority of people by and far are understanding of why this is going on. Um and with that, do you want to lead into the reasoning for why we went this direction and what we're doing?

Absolutely. Um we had a resident that came to the the city and the resident had indicated that he felt that on the right of way the city owned property where the mailboxes were that the mailbox were potentially dangerous condition. Okay. Okay. So, anybody who knows anything about civil law knows that when somebody tells us that there's a potential notice peri notice issue, the way the city can have potential liability is if we're on notice of a dangerous or defective condition and we do nothing about it. So, our options were we then contacted the city attorney. We said, "Okay, we've had complaints. There's a couple photographs that we've been given of mailboxes indicating they're in the right of way. they're not breakaway mailboxes and therefore um we had a concern about whether we've been given notice of a liability situation and what should we do about it. So the the city attorney um proposed some language for an amended uh for an amendment to the there was two options.

Well, yeah, there's two options. We we we tell everybody to take them all down or we find some other some other recourse. And the recourse that we found was that if we were to go to each of the homeowners that has these mailboxes and we were to say to them, you have an option. You can either take the mailbox down or um fill out a permit and you sign an indemnity agreement saying that in the event that the city gets sued because we let you continue to leave this mailbox in the rightway, you'll you or your insurance company would indemnify us. So, in other words, if somebody hit the mailbox and there was some serious injury, and I'm not talking about just a vehicle, could be a bike, could be a pedestrian, could be anything. If somebody were to hit the mailbox and then sue the city, we wanted to make sure that we were protected. So, that's what the indemnity agreement is about. We all we made some changes to to the um the resolution, not the resolution, the ordinance with respect,

the ordinances with respect to this issue. Um we decided that because um these people have had these on their yards for 10 or 15 years and they look very nice that we would we would have a moratorum time period where anybody that would wanted to fill out the the application and sign the indemn agreement they have until July the 1st and as long as before July 1st they've done it. There's no cost to them. There's no anything about it that it would other than their time to to sign off on the documentation that's necessary for the indemnity part of it for the permit. So that's the story. Um, I don't know what you read about it on Facebook or some other place, but that's that's the reason why we did it. And, um, we're going to follow our city attorney's advice every every opportunity that we can to make sure that we protect the city from getting sued for something. And that's what we've done. And I would point out too, we had one there I know there was one instance in town where we had somebody that it looked like it was not a breakaway mailbox and when Matt went out and talked with the individual, he actually showed that it was. It's built on a piece of PVC pipe and it is such that that if it was to be hit or damaged it would not be it would not stay there obviously. So with that Matt logged that in the system we would have never known about it but for this you know going through this exam through this process. So Matt logged it in the system so that if it gets called in later then we know that it's actually a breakaway he's got photos of how it works and all good information that we would never have had without this. So,

okay. What else do you got? That's all I've got.

Okay. I've got a few things there. There were quite a few meetings that I attended uh toward the end of last month which I couldn't report about on the um on our work session meeting. So, let me go through some some of them. Um the Buchanan County Economic Development um meeting which is a meeting that all the mayors in Buchanan County are members of. Um they have new uh there's new grant programs that have come out and um I just want to provide a little bit of information. Iowa Economic Development Authority which is IEA IEDA has released updates to the community development block grant. When Matt said CDPG that's what he's talking about. Um while it's still evolving there's um some future opportunities. There's six new programs that have been launched by um IEDA and this is also um Intercog is also in uh involved in that as well. Uh the new programs include pocket parks, streetscapes, roof replacement, uh planning grants, public service, homeless providers, and food pantries and storm water infrastructure. Um they've also got the wellestablished programs that they have. They've they've had a few changes to those. So the upper story housing conversion, the downtown revitalization program, the community facilities grants are now have a more competitive application model that's going to be involved for them. Um also at the same meeting um we learned that um the tourism Buchanan County tourism um they have a brand new board um as part of their board and their operations. They've turned over the tourism to Buchanan County Economic Development. So, um, Izzy, um, is now an employee of Buchanan County Economic Development and they'll oversee her her progress in terms of the things that she's doing as well. Are you are you on tourism?

Me? Yeah. You [laughter] Okay. On the chamber board, right?

He's on the chamber board. Okay. All right. So the next thing [snorts] is um Buchanan County Community Foundation which is a somebody that gives grant money out to different um um places within the county and and has given grants to the city in terms of the police department, fire department, library, also other things. They have a um a grant writing workshop that's coming up um on uh March the 4th from 6:00 to 8 at the library. This is being sponsored by the Buchanan County um economic sorry Buchanan County um community foundation, Buchanan County Economic Development um also the chamber and also the Iowa State University Extension. So if anybody's interested in in in the grant right workshop, that would be that day.

Over the date on that again, mayor, please. It is March the 4th from 6:00 to 8.

Thank you. Um in addition um Buchanan County Economic Development has a program which is called lead and it's talk about leaders in Buchanan County. Um they have a program that's that's um that's being set up. I have an application form if anybody's interested in it. Um the applications are due by um the 20th of February. First programming is March 10th. And I won't read all there's eight different programs that run between March the 10th and July the 29th. And I won't read them all, but um just a couple of examples on training topics. Um storytelling for impact, how to inspire, influence, and lead. Uh leading with empathy, emotional intelligence and action. Um public speaking with confidence, time management for community leaders. Just a couple of examples. So if anybody's interested in that lead program, um I have information on that.

What does that cost? Uh the cost is 200 is $250, but I thought there were some um I thought there were some um scholarship fundings for some things. I'm not sure about that, but I don't know. But it's 200 the pro the program is $250 and that includes all the program materials, uh the assessments, meals, refreshments, other programs, and you do get a um a certificate. Um, I think you're right. I remember Buchanan County discussing this, I think, and they did have funding for it, but yeah, they have a graduation date in July for it. So, you'd have you'd be a graduate of the lead academy or lead lead Buchanan, whatever the correct name is.

So, if somebody was interested, they could check with them about how much it would cost.

So, the same the same night as Buchanan County Economic Development, we also had the meeting with Chris Parker, who's the Buchanan County assessor. Um that's our annual report from the regarding assessment. [clears throat] No surprise that um resident that um the assessed value of properties in Buchanan County has increased. Um they also have their budget which was discussed. Um they they're looking at uh Vanguard reappraisals um in either 2030 or 2032. Uh Vanguard reappraisals is someone that goes out and looks at each and every property within Buchanan County and puts a better value on the property based upon their inspec actual inspections of the property. Currently the assessed values are determined more in terms of what's available on the website and things things like that in terms of square footage and acreage and things of that nature. Um there there hasn't been a full reappraisal in Buchanan County since 1996. So, um, the new assessor feels that that's something that he wants to do. There is a public hearing on their budget on March the 24th at 6:15, um, at, um, EOC. What's the right abbreviation?

Well, it's the it's the health department emergency operations center out west street west.

Okay. So, that's the public hearing. and then March 24th, 6:15 and that immediately follows the Buchanan County um economic development meeting um on the at the same location on the same date. Okay. March the the next day um uh we had our meeting with AMR. Um AMR is our current ambulance service. Um the numbers were um if anybody's interested I have the whole packet but um the total number of calls was 273 for the last quarter which is significantly up over what it's been in the past. Of those 273 calls, 137 of those were just for independence. 91 of them were transfers um involving the hospital either to or from the hospital. Um there were 12 calls to Jessup Mercy1 or um Regional Medical which is Bchester because um AMR did not have an ambulance available was either out out on another call or something. Um there were also 13 pages for Independence Fire to assist in the last quarter. Um we have normally we meet quarterly. The AMR AMR consists of the AMR indiv people um including one of their vice presidents from of the Chicago area came all the way to Independence to attend the meeting. It's myself on behalf of the city. It's John Curts on behalf of the county and it's Wade Weiss on behalf of the hospital. Um we're going to meet in March um to discuss updates. The biggest issue there is um our contract with AMR is running out as of November 1st. We know that the AMS levy passed and that the county is in the process of moving forward. Um our notification date to AMR that we're cancel that we're terminating the contract is due May 1st. So that date is coming up. Um they know that we're moving forward, but they want to know um as soon as possible about

that because um they're they don't have another area in in they don't have another location in in this particular area. So the people that are currently employed by AMR, they want to they want them to be able to be released and potentially hired by someone else rather than not being at a rather than being at a job come the termination of the contract, which is perfectly right. I think their nearest is Charles City, right? Their nearest current one is Charles City. Mhm. Um so we'll be meeting with them. The other thing, um, how close are we to implementation of the county takeover?

Um, the count the county has hired a ambulance director uh at the meeting this at the c at the supervisor's meeting this morning. Um, Kim um Lingenfelter Ling Felter

um has been uh has been hired for that position. Um, so she'll be the ambulance director uh effective uh February 22nd. So she'll start moving forward with the process. There's a lot of things she has to do. She's got to acquire ambulances probably used um because it's going to take so long to get a new one on the um the time to for delivery is is generally a couple years almost on that. She's also got to worry about setting up insurance programs. Um the good thing about it is is that she currently is the fire is the ambulance chief at Jessup. So she's been doing all these things for Jessup for the last few years. She is an EMT. Um she's been volunteer volunteering as an EMT going back as far as 1996. So she's been involved in this practice for a while. I understood they had four applications and she was the the the far and away the the best applicant from according to the supervisors. So that'll be the start of things once once she's in place. My expectation is that that when we have our meeting in March, um AMR will want us to tell them that's um that we want to give them the notice effective May one. But the the only problem is is that if if um the no the November date is right now is a hard it's we don't want to go past the November date because it's an automatic renewal if well it's an automatic renewal if it go by May one or for another two years which we don't want to do of course

doesn't negotiate a one-year contract. Well, AMR said that they that if they um if the county needed them for a couple of additional um months or whatever that they'd be willing to negotiate and work with that, but it had to be a contract signed by the county because we informed them that the city would not be involved at that point in time. Good ma'am.

So, um the other thing is they I also inquired in terms of the ambulances that they had. I understand that some of them might need some servicing and things like that, but I mean, if we don't have other the county doesn't have another source and they indicated that that um they that they that they'd be willing to talk about anything that if as long as money's on the table, they're they're happy to talk about something. So, we have that. Um see, I'm also a member of the Iowa Mayors Association. There's over 400 mayors in the state of Iowa. We we meet bimonthly to talk about issues. The the biggest issue obviously is the property tax bills that are pending. Um other issues are um there's a number of of cities that have the motorized bike issues that that we've dealt with already that are in the process of looking for resolutions and trying to figure out how to do that. The the Dwayne Arnold um uh reopening um in Lynn County, the the data centers there, they're interested in in that. And then um the mayor from Charles City indicated that the count they're they're looking at a county system that would involve potentially um leaving AMR as well. um supervisors meeting this morning in addition to the hiring of um of Kim um they also uh approved our build our build uh grant for First Street West as far as um them [clears throat] filing a um letter

a letter of support as well and I think I think that covers it.

There are two things that came up while you were talking okay that I thought about. So, I wanted to point [clears throat] out, I know the council's aware of this, we received a wastewater and drinking water treatment financial assistance grant from the state of Iowa for $500,000. Um, we're working through the process of getting that implemented and ready and stuff, but um that has been approved by the state. Uh that is the maximum award that that grant that you can get through that grant. Um, so while it feels kind of small sometimes to think about a half million dollars in relation to a $43 million construction grant or construction pro program, that's $500,000 that our residents do not have to pay in terms of increased rates. So, I feel like that's fairly impactful. Um, the other thing I was going to point out, the council doesn't know about this because it happened this morning as far as I know. I got a notice from Ashley Henson's office that President Trump signed the bill for community pro the community project funding for CPF. So that means another 2 million that's coming to us from the feds to help us with the treatment plan. Now there's some complexities that come with that which we've talked about during the recent council or the work session, but it's good to know that it has made it all the way through the process and it's now been signed. So now we can move forward with how we're going to implement that and how we're going to utilize that. So,

can I walk on Can I walk on top of that? I I think this is

I think this is good information for the citizens to know because there's been a lot of talk how we don't try to do things to reduce taxes and stuff and with you the city council and your in in consistently looking for funds and availabilities and those things are are just not done by the wayside. those are planned and thought out and you do a tremendous job on that and I just want to commend you for staying on top of all that to try to help reduce our cost as much as possible when we have events of this nature and size. So, thank you Matt. Thank you.

You also want to mention the property of our treatment plants not being paid for by

I mean that's a valid point to bring up too. The whole project that we're talking about with the treatment plant, it's important for everybody who's watching and everybody in the community to remember that entire project is paid for by the rateayers that are paying for sewer rates and so on and so forth. This this is not there are no property tax dollars being put into that project. It's all paid for out of utility funds, which means that's the rates that tax or that our rate payers are users of our sewer plant are paying. And do I know we talked about this last year when people were asking about the amount of money that we had set aside. Do you know what our current number is approximately?

At that time they were talking about the fact that they had set aside a million dollars to go toward the the treatment of the wastewater treatment plant even though they were doing a more of a quote band-aid fix at that time. Um it's my understanding is it nine? There's a significant amount of funding available for us to utilize towards that. Now how much we use of it we haven't really decided yet. The initial when we initially did our performance calculation that set the rates that we're going through that we're using right now. We were planning to use $3.77 million towards of cash towards the treatment plan. Because of some of the delays that we've had, there is now more cash there than what there was originally because we were planning to be under construction at this point when we did that perform initially.

So, not not to open a wound there, but that's the reason why there's more money there. Um what that looks like will be something that the council will have to discuss as we get further down the road, but there's a significant amount of funding there right now in the utility account. Um and it's and it's only building because of the rates that the council already put in place that started in October of 24, I believe, was when we did the first rate increase for that. So, good. Yep. All right. So, if there's nothing else, I need a motion to um So, move second. All in favor? I opposed stand ajourned.