City Council - Regular Meeting

I'd like to call this meeting to order. Now is the time for the open forum, which is the time for any resident of Jefferson to speak to council on any item that is not on the agenda. Larry My name is Larry Joy. I live at 504 East Washington. Um, it's been a bit since I've been here. Um, kind of want to know what's going on with the drainage in my district. If I could maybe we got an inch of rain last Thursday night and Friday morning and my sump pump is run every 10 minutes since Friday morning. I would like to know what's going on with my drainage.

Yeah, quick quick answer there, Larry, is is that the the city has entered into an agreement with Bolton to make to do a drainage study of that drainage district. Okay. So, that's that would be the the first thing to be done is to thoroughly analyze that and do the proper study and then based on that study, there'd be some action to come from that. Okay. So, is it safe to agree that we have an issue on this side of town? Because an inch of rain in January should not make my sump pump run. I know why my sump pump's running. Because the line's full from the snow off the square because there is a drainage issue. Okay. I guess I guess I couldn't speak to that. What I would say is that we're taking some some active steps. I mean, to address it and and to to address things positively, okay, and and uh really really study it and know that we're doing the right thing. Okay. Um, and it am I safe to assume that if whether it gets fixed or replaced that I think I'm somewhere around 180 houses in my district that will all fall on us whatever occurs to fix that line.

Yeah. Really what I tell you is that it's unknown that there's some there it is a drainage district. there's the opportunity to use drainage assessments if if that's the way that the uh that the city council would go when whether we look at this as a as an assessment um project or whether we look at it as a city funded project still up in the air and has not been decided. Okay, thank you. Seeing no others signed up, we'll move on to the consent items. Move to approve. Second Eron. Hi Jackson. Hi Sloan. Hi

Wedrick. Hi Winkleman. Hi. Under new business item A is public hearing concerning grand easements to redline renewables for solar installations.

Yeah. So the idea here is to to hold a public hearing about the uh the possible installation of of solar uh units on city property and then there was this the detailed list of the properties for which would be uh considered for for the easements as this is a long-term easement. It does require a public hearing then before we would enter enter into anything. So, uh, with that, you know, certainly is an opportunity for for public input onto this. What I would update the council on is that we have, uh, a total of three proposals for for solar providers. Okay. And and we'd received proposals uh, o over the past couple weeks, but received some additional information on one of the proposals yet at 3:30 this afternoon. that that really does require some some uh some thorough study in order to to uh really really examine that and know which which proposal, you know, to to recommend to proceed with. um had a quick meeting with with finance committee to to go over that and uh just know that we do would look to uh probably take no further action on any of these items tonight, but to uh to go ahead and uh and hold the public hearing and and then do a a thorough analysis of of this recently received information. sorry to uh um postpone some of the actions, but I think it's it's probably in the best interest to to postpone it. But if we would would hold the public hearing and and we could uh have that out of the way.

Okay. Uh Russ, sure. I have a bunch of questions about this whole project that I really don't know the answers to, and I'm sure you guys do. So what is the price tag for this project? The the the whole idea behind this is that we would enter into a purchase purchase power agreement with the provider. Okay. So just think of it this way that the the selected vendor installs all the units on city property. It's all done at that vendor's expense. Y

Okay. And then uh and then the city's participation into it is is just simply that we would uh have a purchase power agreement with the vendor. We purchase the power that's generated from those solar panels. It offsets power that otherwise would have been purchased from Alliant. And the the incentive here is that the purchase power contract price is less than what the price is from Alliance. So there ends up being some cost savings to the city. Ultimately, that's the that's the reason why we would look at doing this. So, you're just trying to buy the kilowatts and not own the panels. Is that what I'm hearing?

Yep. It for the initial installation, it it is owned exclusively by the vendor, you know, by the person who the entity that installs the panels, they own and maintain them. Okay? And then there at points along the life cycle, there's opportunities for the city to purchase those and buy them and receive all of the benefits then of the solar power. But uh those would just be optional purchase points. And what about the link between the solar panel and your equipment? Who's paying that? The solar company is responsible for everything including the installation. So it's a turnkey project. It is no cost to the city, right? Okay. What is the life expectancy?

Life expectancy of the of the panels are 30 years. Life the contract length is 20 years. And what what are they telling you a halflife is? I don't know the answer. What what a half life would be? Okay. And what's your estimated number of years to pay it off or the contract I guess you should again there's no there's no upfront cost to the city. So how much are you saving per kilowatt? What's your estimate? it it varies from from from uh provider to provider and that's that's really the the analysis that's yet to be done is to is to take a look at this. So it is it is a few cents per kilowatt that that is is saved at each one of these installations. And that's all you're talking just a few cents you're saving.

It is but it's tens of thousands of dollars per year over 11 installations. So, what about who's who's going to maintain these? And again, the vendor is responsible. So long as the vendor maintenance and repair, so long as the vendor owns that, the vendor is responsible for maintenance, insurance, everything associated with it. And your roof mounted ones, are they taking it off and putting them back on if you got trouble with your roof? They are. No, as soon as they're installed, the any of the of the roof maintenance responsibilities would still be the cities. And if needed to be removed, there'd be some costs associated with. So that would be the city's expense.

The uh yeah, for anything installed on a flat, so some are proposed here. Those are just ballasted units that they just sit there and and are weighted down. There's there's no uh u attachment to the roof. Yeah, they still Oh, sure. There'll be a need for roof mainten

I don't know. And I I might defer to Chad on that because I know some work's been done here recently. Yeah. So, you don't know if it's a 10-year roof or a 20-year roof or a 30-year roof or what you have. I don't know the answer. That's probably something we should know because it's a 10ear roof and it's been on eight years. Well, we're looking at two years they're going to be removed at our expense.

What about insurance? Who's who's carrying that? The vendors is responsible for that for all insurance liability city and all that. Okay, that pretty much answers my questions. Thank you. Sure. Thank you. Uh was there any uh outside notice? Any written? No public comments. No public comments. Okay. I'd entertain a motion to close the public hearing. Some moved. Second. Wkelman. Hi. Waitri. Hi. Sloan. Hi. Jackson. I Aaron Holtz.

Hi. Item B.

Yeah. Again, this so this item is your discussion possible action steps. Again, I I would just ask that uh that no further action be taken tonight and there'll be some analysis of the proposals to be done yet. Timeline on this still is very important. because there is a compressed timeline about the about getting application mainly into all of energy so they can work on these on these interconnections and uh and they construction basically needs to have begun or have permission to begin in June. So that that's the that's the compressed timeline on this. So I expect that the issue comes right back to the city council at the next council meeting. So there does there need to be a motion to tape this or

I I don't believe so. No. Or we just let it go. It's not.

All right. Uh item C is a resolution confirming the appointment of Jim Lighting as city engineer, Chad Stevens as city building inspector, Roxanne Gorsuch as city clerk, and David Marine as city attorney. Yeah, this is uh it's a statutory requirement to to have things uh approved. Then uh once per year then it's the approval of of these four positions. Again, the the way the resolution is is written Bolton and Mink as the firm. It's named as the as the engineer and I think Dave's named as specifically as our our city attorney with the with the firm then also Hi, my name is Mike Woodruff. I live at 206 West Edgewood. And um in uh 2021, I went up to see Chad Stevens, the uh building inspector, and um I went in to see about us enclosing the west side of our house, our little porch area into like a mud room. and he uh said no because it would change the structure of the house. Well, it was probably about two years later our neighbor to the east, he is here in attendance. I'm not throwing you under the bus here, Russ. But anyhow, he got a built put an addition on to his house with I don't know what the circumstances were, but I don't see why he is able to get a new addition on his house and uh we just wanted to enclose a mudroom on our house and uh it was shot down. But there's a little more to the story it seems like because uh CNS

Construction put a new roof and gutters on his house. So it seems like there's a little favoritism almost uh pay for play. So um it just seems like it's not fair and um I would uh definitely look at somebody else for a city inspector. Thank you.

Thank you. Scott, if there is is there an appeals process for decisions like that there yeah there certainly is there's always an opportunity for a for an administrative review and so there is there is a process that's in place for that is that if there's a denial of something is it does it come out as a written denial you know for like what they were describing. Yes. I don't I I don't know the answer cuz a I think it happens really infrequently. I don't know that that I've seen anything since I since I've been around. I see.

You know, I I would have to learn some study on that. I would ask I guess if there ever is that it is written and on there is and included with that would be um an explanation of an appeals process always. Hey Mike, excuse me. At the time, did was there any further conversation with anyone else at city hall or any council members or anything? Come to Mike. Come to Mike. Okay.

Yes. He just said it would change the structure of the house and that was it. Now, maybe if I would have got new uh shingles on my roof and gutters, probably would have probably would have happened. But again, you know, trash is in one yard. probably uh people don't get written up and then uh people might have an abandoned car in their driveway like the uh lady was uh here last summer or maybe two summers ago saying that he had it towed. You know, make it make it fair all the way across. Just don't you know it's not right.

May I speak? Sure. Uh, a few years ago, I opened a store out here on East Lincoln Way and I had to close it after two years because of my me my uh, health and getting a disease. When we first opened it, I wanted to put a larger canopy in front of this the store to uh help it so in incumbent weather, ice, or water that the people that were coming in the store wouldn't have to fight with that once they got to the front of the store. Uh I asked a friend if he would do it for me and he said yes. He went to uh see Chad Stevens and Chad Stevens said, "No, only if you move the building back 4 feet can you do that. You take a building that's over 120 years old and move it back 4 feet is the answer we got. I would not recommend Chad Stevens for anything. Chad, on a like on denials like this, do you is it always verbal or do you give a written uh um probably most of the time it would be verbal and I think there's been issues sometimes where it's been written, but I don't I don't remember all the details about some of these things right now. So

I think just matter of policy from here on out if anything is denied there needs to be um a written uh reason. And included in that written reason is the city's policy on and the and the steps for appeal included with that. Sure.

Does he ever bring the requests to anybody else or does he make all of those himself? And we were told that if you wanted to protest it, it costs a lot of money. So that's it. You know the just the answer to the question about building permits is building permits are issued administratively and and they are issued then by by the building inspector.

Do we know the so what is the appeal process? it the the formalized appeal process, you know, should should it get to this point, you know, because really the the quick answer is I hope it that it doesn't get to that point. If there's there's certain things that it doesn't meet code, it just seems like a discussion can be had explaining what what doesn't meet the code and you know, you have the chance to uh at least have that good discussion and know if there's opportunities for changes that can can be made to make it compliant or or if the uh if the if the citizen ends up just not being able to get a permit because it doesn't meet code, at least they know the reason why. But the the formalized process is a request for an administrative review uh used very very very infrequently and it ends up going before the board of adjustment

and there's no cost to that. I I want to confirm that Harry because I I'd have to know for sure. Is there a cost for administrative review? I don't think there is but yeah I'd have to check. I'm not sure that there is for administrative review, but if you wanted a variance for something, um, then there would be a fee to apply for a variance. While you're there, Chad, uh, how how often do you do work inside city limits? Um, rarely. I really don't do any construction work anymore.

Gotcha. So, have you had to pull a permit for any work that your construction company has done? Okay. No, I don't. It's been probably several years since I've done any work within the city. We just have some rental properties that I worked on, but don't really do any any work as far as construction goals. If you had to pull a permit, who would your fall back be? I just I wouldn't. You wouldn't? No.

No, I wouldn't. I mean, that's part of the it's even in the ordinance that, you know, I couldn't do any work that required an inspection. So, or have a construction like a building construction type of a business. So, really don't do any any of that anymore. And I Yeah. Any other Thank you. Yeah. Harry and I and others met with some people, you two about an issue and we did that I think as the housing committee. Does it have to go to the board of adjustments? I mean, we did that.

That's okay. What I'd tell you is that's the formalized uh that's formalized appeal process. My also what I'd also tell you is that we'd hope to do everything to try to avoid that and and that is that there's opportunities for discussion. you know, if it gets to to the point where the the the property owner would really like to do something and they really just got their heart on doing what it is that they want to do and it doesn't meet code, then there's there's options for that do, but it didn't it requires a variance then. But otherwise, like I say, I guess I'm of the opinion that you can you can work your way through a lot of issues by by having the discussion and knowing if there's if there's changes that can be made. And if there's not changes to be made, at least everybody can understand why that is. And uh and then if there truly is uh uh you want to take some next steps about about uh having that decision reviewed there there's some steps that could happen, formalized steps that could happen. Has there been any uh work performance reviews on any of these?

Sure. Annually? I've done them annually. Okay. And all the permits that were filed with the last set of new homes that came in through Origins and all them, are those public record where people can know who pulled permits or who did whatever? Sure. Any any building permit that's filed is public record? That wouldn't include water or sewer permits. That would just be any any permit. Any public permit. I want to make sure that I'm right if I say this, but any public permit is going to be a public document.

How does somebody get those?

Through working working with Chad it, you know, the the permit issuer. That's first contact. And I guess what I'd tell anybody is if they ever have any any concerns with that, they will work with Roxan, certainly work with me on that. So, I'm Jennifer. Um, so if the building permits are not given, we didn't even get to the point where we could get a building permit even though it didn't change the structure of our home. It already has a roof. It already has concrete. If you don't know that those building permits were denied, because how are you getting a record of what has been denied? Just going straight into the office if there's no written records of what has been declined.

I think that's my point, too. I think anything that is declined from here on out, no matter what, if it's declined, if it's approved, well, then there then it's approved. If it's declined, I think there has to be a written statement of that along with what are your next steps if you want to appeal.

Yeah. And and we can we can make that happen. But and I and I'm just a big believer that good communication is going to accomplish more than anything out of that because it just seems to me that a lot of the what is called the denial is occurs during early discussion of a project. you know that that may I don't know if a building permit application was ever turned in to actually be disapproved. So um again it's it's the the opportunity I think for for some communication. I think when when you take a look at these I would hope to shout that there's a rationale for for why they were or were not acted upon. You just need to be real good about getting that word that word out exactly what the decision's based on. If a building permits turned in, what's a turnaround rate to have the code enforcer uh get back to whoever turned it in?

I'd defer to Chad. How long does it take for someone to get their paperwork after submitted? It could depend a lot on the project. So if it's a fence, what what all permits do you do? Did you do them on concrete driveways or Yeah. I mean, it could be anywhere. Cuz I I poured some concrete and it took Dave Dave and Dave to come down and do it cuz it was like about 2 months before anything got done. And they came down and said, "Slo, pour it. You're good." Yeah. Yeah, if they came in, I mean, it need to be Isn't it your job to do all the permit and everything

as far as I don't fill out the paperwork? I filled the paperwork out and about 2 months later Dave and Dave came down said, "Pour your concrete, do it. You're good." Where were you in this process? I I don't remember the time frame of any of that when they turned in the permit, but you know, it can be anywhere from 24 hours to a week just depending on the the review of the project.

Could I have a list of all the permits that were filed in the last two years? Yeah, that's be easy. You had them all in They're all on the computer. Okay. So, I can have them tomorrow. Sure. What time? What What time do you want them by? Do you want just the uh the spreadsheet or do you want copies of the applications or copy of the application? I want to see them for the middle school project. I want to see it for Origin Homes and everything Andy Roland's built and everybody else. Yeah. Yeah, it took me a while to print those off, but yeah, you're you're entitled to see those 10 things, Chad. We want to be real specific about what it is that you that you want. He's right here.

I'm not playing phone tag with him. He's right here. So, I just would like those. He can get them to me when he gets them prepared. Yeah, you just have to I mean this kind of discussion is more of an office, not a city council discussion, but well, we're talking about this and I'm asking about permits. I had an experience where you disappeared and I had to wait from everybody else to pour my concrete and get it done.

So, just you have to send me an email or something. Let me know specifically which ones you want. It wouldn't won't take long at all to to burn them off. the the resolution that's put before the before the council tonight it's a mandated uh requirement that these these uh it comes from state I believe that that these positions are appointed annually. Okay. So this this is you know in in essence they're somewhat special uh positions because they do do things on behalf of the city. So that uh um you know I guess that's the rationale behind this is that it would be an annual appointment. If there's if there's concerns about Chad and any any concerns about about performance, you know, I'm happy to address those things and I've heard a lot of things tonight. We'll have some some uh discussion with Chad about about those. But as far as as appointment as as the building inspector, this is not a a decision tonight about Chad's employment status.

Okay. So, you mean this is to say there is a building inspector? Yeah. Yeah, that's right. That that position exists and and that Chad fills it. Okay. Yeah. But let me put it the other way. If you said I said said I don't want to approve Chad as building inspector, that does not fire Chad tonight. Yeah. Right. Okay. Can you can you read the the action item one more time, please?

Uh the resolution is confirming the appointments of city engineer, city building inspector, city clerk, and city attorney. Thank you. I'll move to approve. I'll second it. Jackson, I Aaron Holtz. Hi. Wait. Hi. Sloan. No. Wkelman.

Hi. Item D is resolution designating the Jefferson Herald as the official newspaper for legal publications of the city of Jefferson. Again, just an annual designation about the uh the newspaper being Yeah. the official newspaper. It's where all of our public uh uh proceedings are are printed. I'd move to approve that. Second. Liter Jackson. Hi. Sloan. Hi. Wkelman. Hi. Eron holds.

Hi. Item is committee appointments. Yeah. Any mayor oral committee appointments. Uh basically there wasn't changes uh with Luke taking Pat's position other than we I think we flipped one. Um I I never heard any comments back from a couple of the council people. I heard them back from the other council people that things were copacetic with them. So I'll move to approve the um community points. Seconds

I Jackson I Sloan I Wait I Wkelman I

item F is resolution approving consulting service agreement with for the water facility operation maintenance with people served incorporated. Yeah. So, the update on on water department staffing. Um, we we still need to hire a water superintendent and we have not uh not had any luck recruiting that grade three person that we need to be our water superintendent. There are two other employees within the water department. Both those positions are filled, but we we still need to have a a a grade three operator. And people's service had we've been working with people's service for the past couple months on a on a special short-term arrangement. This would really uh takes turns that into a longer term agreement. This agreement would would have people service providing the uh the the operate the certified operator and then the certification needed for the uh for the water department. So they they perform the uh the uh certification requirements for the water treatment facility and the distribution system. Okay. Okay. So, we've had a an affidavit operator Kyle on the on the distribution system for a while and that would no longer occur. So, but they do perform the the duties that are necessary to ensure compliance is the main thing that they're assuring compliance with the DNR and this includes all of the paperwork and everything associated with that. The all of the work the physical work of the water department is still done by city staff. So we have our two our two water employees and they would be responsible for all of the day-to-day stuff including testing. So the uh the people's service operator is here limited hours during the week, you know. So their their main responsibility again

is is compliance and they're working with our our staff then to work on their certification. So, that's that's the whole idea is a little mentoring of the staff to continue to have them work up so that we can can get that grade three operator. Okay. Again, this is a this a 5-year agreement, but it has just a 60-day out uh opportunity for either party. So, either party would just simply give 60 days and the uh and the uh uh the contract would terminate. uh co cost on this contract fee for 2026 $7,99 monthly. There is an escalator that's that's built into the contract for subsequent years, but uh the the contract is is in your packet today and it's and it is recommended for approval. We uh this will keep us us compliant. Our plan is to continue to search for that operator. you know, we continue to to look for that uh that grade three superintendent that we could hire and get back to uh uh get back to normal operations, so to speak. But uh in the short term, we do need to remain compliant and this is one way that we can do it.

Scott, how many uh grade three super or superintendents have we interviewed? We have we have heard interest back from I believe it's it's three that that we had had talked with about it and got a little bit into the into the position itself and and all three of those folks would choose to decline. So it never made it hardly past. We've inter thoroughly interviewed one candidate who then who then opted uh not to proceed and the finding of the of the good qualified candidate is is very hard. We have increased the advertised wage and and you're still finding that recruitment to be to be difficult. We will still consider still continue with that recruitment though. Okay. and and we'll continue to talk with with our with our water sewer committee about different options on that and whether we will start to recruit a grade two guy to have him work his way up to a grade three would would be another another option. So we'll we'll uh continue with those discussions. Um for tonight it is recommended we enter into into this contract

with uh with this contract the mentoring that they provide. Uh, do we have their do we have a financial incentive for our current employees to move up to the next grade level? We do. And that's that's stipulated in the in the union agreement about what the incentives are for each uh each grade that they would attain.

And since they're going to provide the certification for the distribution as well, does that slow down our response to water main breaks? No, it it doesn't because we'll we'll still have our our staff, our on-site staff that is uh that is here really attending to those things. We certainly want to notify our people service operator what's going on, but the fact is they may or may not be here and when we would still have our staff attend to it. Um, is there fees and etc. associated with uh, you know, taking the test, taking the licenses? Are those nominal or are those fairly they're they're nominal, but the city still covers all the fees,

right? But they are nominal. Uh, yeah. Not bad. $75, something like that to maybe 15. Where this question is coming from is when we, you know, when we would hire a police officer, pay for them to go through Oh, yeah. um the academy and things and then they chose to go somewhere else, they were required to pay back that. But if it's a nominal fee, I guess that doesn't really matter.

Nominal fee for the test. We will send our younger operators to a 30-hour course that that uh lays down some of the basics of of water treatment and helps them work towards that grade one license and that is several hundred $2,000. But um but we certainly want them to do that and and the city uh pays for that. I just meant, you know, we go through, we get a grade three operator homegrown and then they're like, "Well, not great." Yeah. There you go. There's Yes.

I'd move to approve uh this contract. A second. Sloan. Hi, Jackson. Iron Holtz. I Wait. Hi, Winkle. All right. Item G is Westwood sidewalk.

Yes. So, um just an update on it, I guess. Um we had uh originally been talking about um having the sidewalk. Um you see up there on Lincoln Way on the north side around to the west side coming to Westwood. Um and then there's a leg over to Brierwood. And then the original was up the north side of Westwood to Grimmel and across the west side of Grimmel back up to Lincoln Way for what was proposed. Um we had the uh public information meeting last fall. Um during that meeting there was some discussion about um what was is there anything considered here on the south side because there are uh a lot of properties and numerous children that uh reside in this area and um the bus still does have a bus stop there. Um

where I think it's at Hawthorne or near Hawthorne I think.

Okay. Um the day I observed there was seven kids that got off in the afternoon, but I've heard that there's sometimes as many as 20 and I believe some of the residents said there's close to 30 kids living in um these side streets. So they were just looking at So uh what we did um for the original contract was the total estimated project cost was $1,32,810. Um after that public hearing or public information meeting, sorry. Um, we did go out in the field and look at uh rightway along this stretch here to see if the uh road was centered or not in the rightway. According to what we had with the aerial and GIS, it it tended a little more south, so there was more room on the north. Um, we did look at that. It is centered, so there's about 14 1/2 ft of boulevard on both sides. So there is room for uh sidewalk on both sides of the street in that stretch. Um once you get east of the east rush ridge, I think by the time you get to this corner, there's only about 9 ft. Um but then you can see that the rightway does widen out because of the ravine. However, what's available on the edge here uh to build the sidewalk and have clearance zones is not quite enough for what we proposed. So, we still like the idea of keeping the sidewalk on the north side uh through that east portion of Westwood. Um, so when we looked further at this area on the south side, um, we looked at adding sidewalk, basically having a crossing here at, uh, Westwood and Lincoln Way to get to

the south side, going up these blocks to the east, Rush Ridge Road, and then having a crossing back to the north. Um there would also be crossings of these too if if they wanted to access the north side. Um basically for anybody that was walking the West Lincoln way, Westwood Germl as a loop. Um having it on the north side keeps them basically crossing at more of a controlled intersection. So here you have stop traffic and for anybody turning the corner they have to slow to turn the corner whereas for crossings on Westwood that you know is more of a they're speed limit crossing people are crossing you know when cars are doing the speed limit. Um, right now with the buses, they go out to the west and then they come back into town and when they stop, they are dropping off on the south side of the road. So, having a sidewalk on the south side would allow those uh kids with school drop off to access that sidewalk up and down the east uh south side to whatever side street they were going basically from Lincoln Way east. Um, we looked at if you add that into the contract, um, putting that southwalk in is about another $94,000 to add that 3 1/2 blocks of sidewalk. um to potentially as an option to offset that additional cost, uh you could look at uh removing some of what was originally proposed. One of those was to remove

this leg going over to Briarwood and and leave that for a future project. Um that would uh reduce the cost by just about 49,000. Uh, one thing to mention on Brierwood that that development as the houses are built, they are building sidewalks. It doesn't show it in this aerial. The aerial is a little bit older, but there are several houses and one on the corner here that all have sidewalks in front of their house. So, once that gets completely built out, there will be a loop around the Brierwood AL area. Also, um the other option we looked at is if uh you wanted to propose some savings, you could drop the the north sidewalk between these three and a half blocks and that would uh save approximately $71,700. um still would propose that if that was the case that pedestrians would cross to this side, come across to to Rush Ridge and then come back up to the north side to go uh on the north side east of there. Um simply because the amount of work I think that we would have to do in that ravine area to stay on the south side. There's also uh couple homes with some steeper slopes on on the driveways and stuff that we would have to contend with on the south side. Um so the original layout was uh figuring the subtotal construction of 728 with contingencies. engineering uh is the same on all these options cuz we already have that contract in place. So the total cost like I said originally was 1,32,810.

If you just add the southside you're adding that 94,000 approximately. So then the total cost becomes 1,114,930. Um, this option would be adding the southside and removing the brierwood leg. And so this option would be both north and southside on that stretch of Westwood. Uh, that reduces that overall cost to uh 1 1,87,000. And then the same with the last one if you just remove to the north side. So that would be adding the south side, keeping the brier wood leg, and just removing the north side. You're at that 1,59,830. Um, I'm going back up if you want. So, uh, at this point looking at it, our recommendation would be to add the south side and keep the north side. that would allow the southside to have uh better utilized for the the the people that use those uh properties on the south side of the road and the bus and school kid drop off while allowing the walking traffic on that loop to not have to do the crossings in uncontrolled areas. Um all the other crossings are either at stop conditions or turn conditions where it's a little more speed controlled. Um the crossings to get across Westwood on those side streets uh at least for the the student traffic and the bus drop off for the most part they'd stay on that south side or at least the ones I I saw that day. Nobody crossed to the north side of the street. They all stayed on the south side and walked east

and west down Westwood on the boulevard on the south side. So that would allow them to utilize that and it would set up that southside for future sidewalk improvements going up into those subdivisions too. This figure with adding the southside is also including uh dropping Brierwood. No, that's that's the original plus the southside. So, it's got the Brierwood leg in it and the southside.

I guess, you know, for safety concern, that's part of why this Westwood even got brought up and that with the sun and people that walk on that, the afternoon sun or whatever. I I like the idea of north side and and southside, especially with a controlledish crosswalk and stuff like that, but as you're saying, as Brierwood's being developed and they're putting sidewalks in there, I'm not sure, you know, can you once again reiterate why, you know, why we should keep Briarwood? Well, uh, so basically these homes out here as they're constructed, I I don't know for sure if it's a requirement. It appears that everybody that's building a house is putting a sidewalk across their property. So, as these lots get built out, you will have a sidewalk that will be able to come from this corner all the way around and then from there with the Brierwood leg, they would be able to get back and have either a smaller loop or a larger loop to be able to utilize that as well.

So, the point is that there's not any any naturally occurring sidewalk with new development on that south end. It all goes it all runs north south. Right. I think there wouldn't be an east west that would occur through the development there special.

I think this house on the corner here has put in sidewalk north south across there. There is nothing on the east west portion. And so there's nothing across this empty lot or this corner. Sorry about my pointer. That's as steady as I get. Is there an ordinance or zoning requirement that requires any new construction to have a sidewalk? Because I believe we're in this situation cuz in the 70s when they put in Westwood wasn't really a thought. And then in the late '9s when they put in West Lincoln West Lincoln Way also wasn't a big pressing issue. But now they become major arteries. How can we leverage things to where we have developers that are putting in new property do this work so that way we're not stuck doing this again in 20 years?

I I guess I'd ask the question of Chad. Do we do we have that requirement? Yeah, there there is requirements for sidewalks. There's some parts of town where there isn't any sidewalk whatsoever. If somebody builds a new house, why we may not enforce that, but you know, Brierwood sections of town, other other and other parts of town like that, we would require new sidewalk installation. So, there's there's something already in place to uh yeah, push that. Hey, Jim, that south uh there's that kind of odd south parcel there that looks like it's more of a north south orientation. This one? Yeah. Is that that could that there's nothing built there right now? Correct. No.

So, is that a would that be the driveway access there on the south end? So, that would be someone's front of house if I read that correctly. Yeah. You know, just the a unique thing about that parcel is that's the one one parcel of multifamily zone for multif family use out there. Okay. So, we've uh we have done some some looking at that parcel for multif family use and just unique. So would would that naturally have a sidewalk that would run parallel to the street there on that parcel? Yes.

So then ours, if we added this, that would have that would part of that would eventually be included, but then we would have to cut into the that southwest corner there on that property. Go through their sideyard. This one? Yes. uh we're going across their sideyard, but it's in with it's in the rightway. So, yeah. So, then so that's their sideyard and then the front yard of the middle property there. Depending on what type of layout they use for a multif family,

it you know, if it was a similar structure to this, it would be laid in sideways. You would have most likely some type of access across there. But yeah, they would have cyc whether they took something up into that parcel. So would be their own. To Darren's point, generally speaking, none of that development is really going to add much sidewalk along that stretch running east west. No, right now I think this is the south side here is about,00 ft and it adds access to about 60 homes in those areas.

Lot a lot of kids walking up and down through those neighborhoods.

Yes. And then as uh show here, each of these options have contingencies. So it's roughly 20% of the construction. Um will that all get used in final design? That's kind of for the unknowns since we're in the discriminary stage yet. Um so there is a chance that not all that would get used and so we wouldn't realize that full 114 or the full million32 but um there are you know potential issues if we've got some grade issues or uh crossings with bad curb or something that we need to replace some of those finder where it's going to be a little more expense to get it repaired while we're there. That was kind of what that is for. So, it's potentially that that we would use some of it or all of it. Hopefully not, but we don't know at this point. So, hopefully this is the conservative number of what we're we're looking at.

Meaning high end. High end. Yes.

So, just a little little discussion then on financing and and how we had proposed that we would pay for this. So, this was included in in a debt issuance that the city had had already authorized this debt issuance for up to $2 million. So, that that $2 million would would fund the sidewalk project and an overlay on uh McKinley and the remaining cost of the fire truck. Okay. So, those those were the three things that are that are incorporated in into that. Um $2 million more than more than pays for that. So, if it was that you decided that you wanted to do this full this full uh uh project, we we would have the funds available to do that through this debt issuance. If you would choose not to do the full project or anything, we conceivably just issue less less debt.

$2 million for all three or $2 million for this particular part three. Harry, you're probably better at Do you have a calculator? What's uh $50,000? What percentage of 1.14 million is that? About two and a half% wouldn't that's what I thought too. So leaving Brierwood in is 2% of the total cost. Yeah. 50,000 divid by 1.14,000 is 4.3%. 1 1.14 million, right? Yep. Okay.

4.3%. 4.3.

So, how many homes are in this area? You said about 60 or that's in those uh the streets going to the south. Okay. So, we got about 180 homes that are having water issues and we're just going to push it, assess those, and this whole area, we're going to just give everybody sidewalks. I mean, oh, I don't agree with that because we were told that we could assess, you know, as a water district, but I I am not in favor of that. I think the city can do that. We could, you know, assess those people. It's not getting pushed. It's getting looked at just like

right was being looked at. But I don't as far as I know that was already because I know in committee we really it got pushed off to the council and it wasn't ready to Yeah. But I don't think with what the knowledge I have now at this particular moment, I don't want to assess those people as a water district. Oh, okay. Are you talking about the drainage district? the drainage district. I don't, you know, we were told we could do that, but I don't think we should do that.

I just don't think the city needs to put the total part of this. Now, what happens when they want sidewalk down Hickory Lane and Hawthorne Lane? And what about the people on the other side of Grimmel? Well, what if they want a sidewalk across the street? There is then from Griml you you go down I think southwest what if they want sidewalk Lincoln way court they want sidewalk

but there is precedent for this um I was told that the sidewalk that goes down Lincoln way like in front of say the on that side of the rec center and then further down was paid for by the city that goes all the way down you know toward what's now the middle school but on the other side of the road. I guess having driven down there at times and knowing the number of people that walk that and now we're talking about school kids, too. It's just when the sun is in the right spot, boy, that's a little dicey when people are on that road. And I've had people, you know, talk to me about it, too. uh young family that's moved out in that area.

Yeah. I think at the at the open house that we had last fall, there were from a number of them out there. A lot of them that were in favor of it. Yes. And there was

several from the south side that had said there were quite a few that couldn't make it that evening that would agree to be, you know, that it was a good idea to do it, but they wanted a closer look at the south side. So, I mean, do we really need it to go from Grimmel to Lincoln Way down from Westwood down Grimmel and then to Lincolnway? Do we really need the sidewalk there? Is this This is a pretty expensive project. And then the other part is I just don't feel as though the city needs to be the one to go back to the over

move all the snow on it. That is putting a lot on the city, the crews, and I wish they'd do my sidewalks without charging me 150 each. The original concept has always been basically a loop. That was what I think when MHF did this 20ome years ago, that's what they had laid out and we've just continued that um just to create a loop so that you could walk that whole area and be on sidewalk.

The the issue about snow removal certainly had had come up and been a discussion item and was was discussed through through committee. One of the unique things about this, unique in a good or bad way, is that the location of this sidewalk is in some areas is very close to back of curb and that some of it's 2 or 3 feet off of back of curb. So that as as we're plowing snow off the street, it all ends up right back out on that sidewalk. So the the the rationale behind this is that if that we would have the have the city go ahead and do the snow removal on it knowing that this is a last basically last priority on on snow removal. So all of the the snow is off the street. Then they they're able to go through there clear off clear off the snow that has been pushed onto that sidewalk by by snow removal. That's part of the in the reason for that. Remind me. Is this sidewalk supposed to be wide enough that you know it's just with something?

Yeah. When you when you Yeah, it's six feet. When you propose six feet. Yes, it it's 6 ft and and then proposed to be 6 in thick. Go ahead. I just want to throw something out on the snow removal. I I understand your point, Scott, on the snow removal coming off the trucks, but what are you going to do about all the people on Elm that the state trucks are doing it to their sidewalks and they're they got to clean their own sidewalks. So, it could get to a real sticky situation. Say it it's a without a doubt, it's it's a special consideration for the city. I'm just, you know,

I looked at moving it forward until I seen what the snowplow trucks do. I'm like, nah, I'm not moving on to that road. every time a truck comes by this the sidewalks destroyed from the snow. So just something to think about and the homeowners would still be responsible for the driveways. So I mean they would if they wanted to get out that morning they would have to clean their driveway just like they do now. It would just be the city would be coming through on the sidewalk cleanup later on. Is there a draft agreement in place for what the responsibility is by the homeowner or by the city? It's just

not that I'm aware of an agreement. No, other than the statements been made several times, you know, just so because the responsibility and and we went through this at the public hearing or the public meeting then too about normal sidewalk responsibility is going to say that it's the the homeowner's responsibility to maintain. Okay. Now, the city had said publicly several times, we take care of snow removal, but then that does not uh affect any of the other responsibilities of the property owner to continue to maintain So if there does come a time when when it's in such a condition that it needs to be maintained or potentially replaced would still be the responsibility of the property owner.

Can you talk a little bit where you're at as far as the engineering process and next steps then? So basically at this point it's all basically just this preliminary layout is all we've done with the uh opinion of probable cost um and then the different options. Basically if we were told to proceed tonight we would go and it would be uh next step would be to uh do the topographic survey of the whole uh alignments. um get that information and then go into design and be able to try and put this thing out for bid as soon as possible, which you know would probably be gee close to summer, you know, at this point probably June some maybe sometime in there that it would be able to go out for bid and then construction would be late summer, fall and most likely extend into the first part of the following year for completion.

We're positive with the debt issuance because we can't change that number. That's 2 million, right? That's that's that's the maximum. It can go down from there. Sure. Okay. But we can't go over that that there will be enough I mean there's enough money for McKinley and the firetruck after this. And is there a time frame on that that that has to be spent by that has to be spent by or we lose it? No. I mean it's we got to we got we can't hold on to it and just acrue interest. There's some arbitrage rules but but other than that it's uh you know and the intention is that it it would be expended expended relatively quickly.

I ask so other than pushing that construction cost or construction start date uh is there another gun that we're under for time? No, you know, we this certainly is a uh um an optional project, so to speak, and it it's a community amenity project. Nothing has to be done. What's the ask for tonight? What's the prop or what's the resolution for tonight? Yeah, we I think we are to the point now where it is kind basically a go no-go for the for the engineer and whether we would instruct the engineer to proceed with plan preparation. Proceed. I move to proceed second

with which option with uh with the 1.14 million so go ahead Scott to be clear are you looking for direction from the council to then instruct Jim and and Bolton M. Yeah to to proceed with basically to proceed with design. We're under contract with them on it. It just has it just has instructs Jim to proceed. A motion to table this till another committee meeting because we do not we're not there with this yet. So I think we got

just I think we have one motion to deal with and then you can deal with that, right? Because you have a motion, right? And I guess I was moving to direct the engineering firm to proceed with planning um with the $1.14 million option. That option. Okay. All right. So, we do have that motion then on the to instruct second. Yeah. And it hasn't had a second. I didn't second it. Oh, sorry, Matt. Okay. So, instruct to proceed. Mhm. Engineer with plan.

Right. So, this would not be um a motion for the bid letting and all that kind I mean that that would come in later, but this is an instruction to So, we're going to make a motion of it though. Okay. Right. Okay. Assuming Jackson, I thought it was just discussion. That's how it's up. This is only But now that there's been a second and you want to have any further discussion, Chad, to your point, if you wanted to say, hey, if we wanted I don't think this I'd like to table it for another committee meeting because we were not in agreement on it at all and I just don't think it was ready to go to the council.

Then you can have further discussion if you want before you vote. What committee would that be? What is the committee then? Street and streets and sewers. I think we meet next week. It does. So So this so this motion does uh ask for approval of the entire project. Yeah. not not the next stages which would be the engineering work which needs to be done uh in order to get to the point where we can even get to the bid letting but this this is the full ball of wax we're talking about.

Yeah. Instructing the the engineer then to to proceed with the process to to work towards that to to Any further discussion then mayor or what? Yeah, you if you have if you want further discussion and just because you put the motion forward I you know of course I would call for a vote. Jackson I

Woman. Nay

Sloan. No. All right. Holds. Okay. Okay. Okay. Item H is approval of hiring Jacob Schliceman as a park/e worker at 2257 per hour.

You bet. Yeah, Jacob. Highly recommended to uh to hire as our our parks and cemetery worker. Um yeah, recommend for hire. And this is this is base rate for uh um for the parks cemetery worker at Union Scale. Move your approval. Second. Wiggman. Hi. Sloan. Hi. Dietrich. Hi. Jackson. I item I strategic planning/goal setting report.

Yeah. Just that the uh the report was included in your packet and the final report as prepared by the facilitator uh Pat Callahan. So just again I just want to run down uh what was identified as priorities then and just have any any comments on these. So really broken down into into two uh two areas. One is for initiatives and programs and one is for capital improvement projects. Top tier pri priorities in initiatives and programs was the uh it was employee recruitment and and retention programs. Second was maintaining competitive wages. Third was mapping existing sidewalks and underground utilities. This is updating our GIS system with with additional information. Uh four was east side drainage and doing that drainage study. Five was updating an annual update of the capital improvement plan. So I will tell you that we've we've done this. We've we've worked through the the update. It's going it's going to committees here in the in the next couple weeks. also identifying uh and prioritizing projects and how we would pay for them and and six on the on the policies uh reviewing policies on raising livestock like chickens. So that was identified as a as those are six top tier priorities. There were three priorities that were identified as second tier and that's revisiting codes for private property issues like nuisances. Um using state and local grants and community support for benefits of the city parks and cemeteries. So working on some city parks and cemetery stuff and working on more efficiency and new technology for city hall. Those are identified as as priorities then too. So those were the the initiatives and programs looking at the capital improvements project. Top tier priorities

uh were to focus on aging underground infrastructure and looking at replacement of utility lines with phased upgrades. Street maintenance was uh a street improvement project was was identified as as priority number two having a structured program for for street improvements. three against deals with storm water drainage on the on the east side. Four, the top the fourth priority was the the West Lincoln waste sidewalk and Westwood sidewalks. That was was top priority there as far as fourth. And then five, still reference seal coating streets. So, a a uh um a desire to continue with street maintenance really on on two fronts to have a a street repair and replacement program and then also continue to do the seal coating of of streets and area in certain areas. Second tier capital projects, replanting of of trees throughout the city, restrooms at Russell Park and Kelsille and Head Park. So whether whether it would be new restrooms, really looking at Russell Park for for a new one at some point, otherwise some some uh restroom improvements at those other parks. And the other um second tier priority that was identified is that downtown parking lot. So those were the the priorities that that came out of that uh the council strategic planning and goal setting session. It is uh asked that the the council would would accept the report and adopt those as goals. They'll be goals to guide the actions then for the next two years.

I move we accept the goals as read and presented by Call second. I Jackson I Sloan I Waitri Hi Wkelman. Hi. Under reports June

uh wastewater treatment facility. I did not get a detailed update before this meeting, but they continue to address punch list items and work on things. Uh we do have a progress meeting next Wednesday, so we'll get more of an update then. Um high school east trail project uh prepared a preliminary layout and cost estimate for the grant application. And then uh DD657, we have started to review the existing information and are doing some field checks on some of the issues out there. So getting started on that. That's it. So Roxy, no report. David, uh, no report other than welcome Luke. Thank you. Looking forward to working with him. Likewise, Scott.

Yeah, just one thing about this was action from the county supervisors meeting yesterday that the uh the county supervisors took action yesterday to terminate this the city's 280 agreement with them in regards to recycling. Okay. So based upon that that 2080 agreement, they they could just give notice so long as notice was given by January 15th, they could they could give notice to to get out of that agreement. Okay. I would tell you that it was the city's obligation to provide them some some budgetary information to occur by January 1st. And I got that information to them on January 9th. So I did, you know, in that regards, we were we were late in that, but but they had had the opportunity then to be able to get out of of this arrangement. So what they've done is given us notice of termination. So with the contract then officially terminating on a unique date, it's February 13th that the of this year that the the contract would actually terminate. So, what that means is basically we have a a month where we would attempt to to renegotiate a contract with the county for recycling services. And I'm sure they will look at at other options as far as other potential providers for the city. It's a it's a very significant uh part of of the recycling budget. S County share of the of the recycling budget last year was about $53,000. And we would uh certainly look to to work with them. You know, I'm I'm sure an impetus is is to try to save some money and and we will work with them on some negotiation on that. But again, we we'd have the next month to to try to continue the relationship. We've had this relationship for decades, and I hope that it would that it would continue.

Uh, seeing Greg's not here. Um, Mark, no report. Chad, no report. Harry, no report. Matt, no report.

Chad, no report. Luke, no report yet. The library special committee met with uh the architects melee and I would just say that they are probably almost overly responsive to what we ask for and providing new things while knowing that they're under financial constraints of trying to stay within that $4 million budget. But they are good with working with us and making suggestions.

Cool. Mayor, just one one more good good thing. I I relay some some good news to you. The the tree committee about a year ago was awarded a very large grant for for a 2-year tree planting project. The grants for $30,000. So, they were awarded that grant a couple years ago and the money has been held up uh in the in the DNR actually for for quite some time. They've received word then within the past week or two that the money has been released. So, uh, again, this would be a two-year planting project, but that's just a significant amount of trees that will be will be planted in the community the next couple years. Cool. We're journed.