Council - Regular Meeting

You have a call me 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.

Okay, welcome everybody. This is our regular um city council meeting for February 23rd, 2026. Start with a roll call, please. Weber, yes. Hannah, here. Moore, yes. Present. Maynor, present. Laughlin, yes. Applebee, yes. I need a motion to approve the agenda as presented. So move. Second. Have a motion to second. All in favor? I [snorts] post. Passes 70. Next move to cut public comment.

All you [laughter] Well, good evening everybody, Mr. Mayor, uh, city officials, and city council. My name is Pedro Calderon. I am a district representative for Congresswoman Ashley Henson out of her Debuke office. Um, my job as a district representative to be the eyes and ears at the congresswoman and pay attention to what's going on at local level and at the county level. So, as you may have heard this morning, I've been traveling throughout Buchanan County. I attended the county board of supervisors meeting and uh met with a number of different uh city officials around the county. um would love to come to more of your city council meetings. If there's ever one that you would like for me to attend, um please send me an invitation and I'll certainly make that a priority. Otherwise, I'll plan on coming uh to Buchanan County quarterly. Um if there's anything that I can do, uh regarding federal policy or a federal agency for the city, I'll be your liaison. and for any of your constituents as well if they have any issues. Um, primarily we see things like the IRS, uh, the State Department with passports, um, IRS with tax returns, of course, um, trying to think, the VA, things of that nature. Uh, you're also welcome to refer them to our office and I handed out some cards, so feel free to utilize that as you need. If you need more cards, I can certainly provide them. So, um, that's really all I have. If there's any questions for me, be happy to answer them. Otherwise, thank you for your time.

Thank you for coming. Thank you. Thank you for being here. Thank you. Okay. So, Lance So, Lance isn't here, so we're going to skip item number five for the time being, and we'll uh we'll move to the consent agenda. Item number six. I need a motion to approve the consent agenda, um which consists of the following. The minutes of the February 9, 2026 regular meeting. The minutes of the February 10, 2026 special meeting. The Allen Brewing Company LLC class C retail alcohol ownership update amendment. The River's Edge Sport and Fitness Special Class C retail alcohol license application with a tenative effective date of February 10, 2026. So second. I have a motion and a second. All in favor? [snorts]

I opposed. Passes 70. Next we move to the financials. Before I ask you about approving the claims, um we need to withdraw one of them. Um the one from Alex um Sati Satis. Satis. Sure. I'll go with that. It [laughter] is. So I need a motion to approve the the claims for payment with the exception of that one that we're removing. So moved. Second. Have a motion and a second. All in favor? I

oppose. Passes 70. Next move to revenues and expenses to date. This is information only. Anybody have any questions with regard to those hearing? None. I'll move to number uh nine which is transfers. Again this is information only. Anybody have any questions with regard to that. [clears throat] Okay. Hearing none. Next we move to item number 11 which is other business. Uh oh sorry. Oh yeah 10. Let's do item number 10 then. Um I need a motion to approve and authorize the mayor to sign a resolution outlining the changes to the employee handbook. So move second.

Okay. Um discussion. This is in your packet. I think it's um 144 and 145 mostly about HIPPA. Is there other things in there besides that? Page 104 is the resolution. Um it's just HIPPA. Yeah, it's the the HIPPA policy for how personnel are going to handle that internally. The um renumbering of the voluntary payroll deductions and the social media policy to align with that addition of 5.4. And then there was a clarification of the type of leaves and the order that they can be used in for family medical leave of absence policy. And then accumulation of vacation and that kind of thing. Sorry, accumulation of vacation. Was that also in there too? I don't think it changed though. That was previously done. Okay. I saw it in here though. Yeah,

we didn't change anything related to vacation. So it would stay the same. Just clarification. Yeah. Yeah. This was more of a clarification of so when when somebody uses family medical leave a family medical leave they they have to use vacation first. We don't there's there's no required order. And so this was something that's come up recently because the handbook put them in there in a spec in an order, but it doesn't say that you have to use them in an order. It just lists them in a spe in a in an order. And so my understanding is that we can't really tell them they have to use it in a specific order. If they have leave available, they can use it in whatever order they deem fit. This was just to clean it up and take care of loose ends. Right.

Any further discussion? Hearing none, we'll I'll have a roll call vote. Hannah, yes. Moore, yes. Pader, yes. Maynor, yes. Olaflin, yes. Applebee, yes. Weber, yes. That passes 70. Next, we move to item number 11 now. Yes. I need a motion to approve and authorize the city manager to sign the 2026 to 2031 agreement with the Iowa Department of Transportation. [clears throat] So move second.

I have a motion and a second. Okay. This is the agreement. I think we talked about this at a work session. Um the the primary road extension on Iowa 150 from 8th Street Southeast to 16th Street Northeast a distance of 3.46 um lane miles uh for this during this time period. This is a maintenance agreement and the city will receive $8,321.30 per year um for the last um from the last 5-year agreement. That's that's what we have received in the past. Got it. We So, we don't know the number of this. We don't know a specific number. This agreement doesn't outline a number, but we're pretty positive that it's just going to remain the same. Okay. Typically, they don't increase. They don't Yeah.

Okay. So, further discussion with regard to this, maybe put a bug in your ear about a little more notification when they're going to do the painting. That was kind of a a mess out there south of 150 bridge when they suddenly pulled in. And they were supposed to notify us, did they? They were. They did. Did they already do it? Huh? I haven't been down there. So, they've already done it. No, no, no. this the previous this they say this coming this coming summer I believe they're going to do that again. There was a notice recently. Yeah, they do it every summer. Yeah, I'll remind them I've got a note on my desk to make sure that I say they're supposed to let us know before they do it. So yeah,

it was gridlock out there for about four hours. Why was I So the signage was not there or what? They uh didn't notify the street department or anybody to to prep it. All right. All right. So, any further discussion regarding this? This [clears throat] will be a roll call vote then. Moore, yes. Brolder, yes. Mayor, yes. Olaflin, yes. Applebee, yes. Weber, yes. Hannah, yes. That passes 70. Next, we moved to item number 12, which is the 2025 strategic plan final approval. Um, I need a motion to approve the 2025 strategic plan. Some moved.

Second. I have a motion, a second. Okay. um in your packet um 182 is a summary of the um the goals. Um has everybody had a chance to review that again? I know we talked about this at a um a work session on January 5th, 2026. And then we also had it on April 28, 2025 where we um we met it in a collaborative uh planning session. That was when we started. Yeah. April 26, 2025 was when we started the process. Right. So further discussion with regard to the strategic plan. Looks good. Well done, Matt. There's no further discussion. The the only the only question I had is so we're calling it

the 25 plan because that's when we started and discussed talked about and did all the work on it even though it has no effect of 25. It's the future. Correct. And it's a working document that can change from time to time. It will be updated in the future. Yeah. When we do another strategic planning session, this we would use this as our baseline and then work from there for what needs to be changed and what we need to review. Any further discussion? Yeah, this is again a roll call vote then. Bradder, yes. Maynor, yes. Olaflin, yes. Applebee, yes. Weber, yes. Anna, yes. Moore,

yes. That also passes 70. Next, we move to item number 13. I [clears throat] need a motion to approve the 10-year capital improvement plan for fiscal years 2027 through 2037 um as presented. So move second. Have a motion and a second. Again, this item was discussed at the January 5th, 2026 work session. Um everybody, the it's in your packet, I guess. I think it's pages 191 through 202, right? Anybody have any uh further questions or comments with regard to that capital improvement plan? And once again, this is a living document. It things are laid out for our goals and plans, but it doesn't mean it is going to be done at those particular times, right?

It can change. It's a planning document that we use to the the big thing that it helps with, especially for me as the city manager, is it gives me a direction as far as what future projects are out there. So that when Ashley Instinson's office, for example, says, "Hey, there's community project funding money out there." Now I have targets that I can apply for funding to help fund these projects that we want to do. Any further any further discussion hearing? None. This will be a roll call vote then. Mayor, yes. Olaflin, yes. Applebee, yes. Weber, yes. Anna, yes. Moore, yes. Brousader, yes. Okay, that also passes 70. Um, next we move to reports. Uh, council members, um,

nothing. Nothing for you, Mr. Mr. Moore, you got to catch Deb first. Oh, okay. Deb, do you have anything? I've got nothing. Thank you. Okay. Now, Mr. Moore,

uh, just want to do a big shout out to the independent school, the uh, speech department uh, back when they had the state quarterfinals. You know, they divide the state into four quadrants, northeast, southeast, northwest, southwest. And our we had two departments that uh readers theater and improv made all ones and they were recognized at state which took place this past Saturday at Ames. and our improv actually had the opportunity to perform and go against 20 other 24 other schools throughout the state and they ended up being in first place best in state and brought home the state banner to have at the high school. It's hanging in the showcase right now. I saw it up there this morning and they took number one. So it's something very proud for our uh speech department and they started a thesbian group which is the arts uh just I think it was about 3 years ago that they actually started that group and started in competing statewide and stuff and so we should be very proud of our independent speech department.

Absolutely. Thank you for that. Right. Mayor, I have nothing other than I just wanted to say to Pedro, thank you very much for attending tonight and please extend our thank you to to Ashley Henson about caring about the cities and all the community involvement projects that she's got going and funding things like that. Thank you very much for being here. Thank you. I have nothing.

Mike, two things. First, shout out to Independence Wrestling, finishing sixth, one and a half points out of fifth. But, uh, secondly, after looking over the the plans for the old edition, old edition number seven, I was disappointed that there are four driveways that will enter into Enterprise Drive. Um, the same thing is is what took place on 6th Avenue and ruined the farm to market road by building. So, the driveways access directly access 6th Avenue. Um, I would it was passed three to two this this morning with planning and zoning, but based on that, I would vote no. It's it's going to go over our trail.

So, we're going to we're going to talk more about that at our work session. Um, and then also, yes, March 9th. Okay. March 9th is a regular meeting, right? Typically these when they come from so typically preliminary plats unless the council would like it to come to a work session first typically the planning and zoning commission does it during the mar during the their ma meeting and then it would go to the next available council meeting after that which would be the March 9th meeting. Okay. If the council would like it to come to the March 2nd for further discussion, we could do that. But that's not typically how we've done it in the past. Okay. We'll just do it on the 9th then. However you guys would like to do it is fine. That's good. Okay. Um most

Okay. I got a couple complaints about me about my views on the library. So, passing them on. They not happy with me. [laughter] Okay. Um Matt, uh the only thing I have is I'll be out of town on Friday. I'll be down in De Moines for the uh all day Brag Bry Kumbaya. All right. We'll have an all day thing. It's Friday and Saturday both, but Friday I'll be out of the office. I'll be down there. So, okay. I don't have anything. Um, Captain, right? Yeah. Eley, anything?

Okay. I'll get used to the that at some point in time. I'll I'll reach out to Lance and we'll reschedu. Okay. Okay. [snorts] Then I need a motion to adjurnn. So, move. Second. All in favor? I oppose. Sand adjurnn.