City Council - Regular Meeting

Well, we've finished that. All right. We'll call the June 6th City Council meeting to order. Call the roll.

Ashley Allers. Here. Abby Hanson. Here. John Hawkins.

Here.

John Marble.

Here.

Megan McFarland. Here.

I pledge allegiance. I pledge allegiance to the flag of the United States of America and to the republic for which it stands,

Well, promotion to approve the agenda. Motion to approve.

Second.

All those in favour say aye. Aye. Item one, communications and requests. This is a time of the meeting that a citizen may address the council on a matter not on the agenda. Except in case of emergency, the city council may not take any action at this meeting, but may our city staff, the research matter, have the matter placed on a future meeting.

Anyone have anything for us? Mr. Mayor, I've been asked by several constituents to look into ordinance regarding e-bikes and scooters, especially in the downtown area. And I would said that I would bring it up and we can look at this moving forward.

Yeah, we should. I guess it's something we should put on.

We would be happy to take a survey of our existing ordinances to see how those are applied to electronic bikes. I don't know if Tony Cheese has got experience with that, with the existing code. And then we can do a survey of surrounding communities, maybe have some discussion with the – depending on what chapter of the code planning commission or – Just bring it back directly to you.

They're already doing that down in the Julian Ellsworth area.

Yeah, it's an 18-2. They're all taking a bump now. Yeah, that's good.

I think probably involving Chief Hanson, too. Yeah, he did. Some of the more recent developments. So, thank you. Thank you.

Item two is consent agenda. The following items have been deemed non-controversial. Routine actions be approved by the council in a single motion. If a council member or a member of the audience wishes to have an item removed from this list or consider it as a normal sequence on the agenda, I have item A is minutes of June 15 meeting and B is the claims and fund list. C is the reports treasurer for the February, March and April. D is the resolution annually designating the official location for posting public meeting notices.

Move to approve collectively.

All those in favour sign. Aye. We go to C, if you want me to do it early. Go to public hearing.

What are we at, see, 6.05, we'll have to wait.

Okay, so I'll go to see motion setting a public hearing to adopt the Hamilton County multi-jurisdictional hazard mitigation plan for July 20th at 6.05 p.m. Chuck?

Board of Council Mayor, thank you for your time. Just to give you a quick update, if you're not familiar with the hazard mitigation plans, we have one as a city, and each city also is supposed to have one, and then we also do one as a county. And what it does is mainly deals with the major things that can occur with large loss of life or property, tornadoes, flooding, smaller things such as blizzards that get people off the highway, and kind of coordinating all of our resources as a county if needed to do that. A little bit of background for you. We've done this for years. Probably the big have a hazard mitigation plan, we're still going to help each other because we have mutual aid agreements and all that. So we're going to, you know, if Stratford has a problem, we're going to go there. If we have a problem, we're going to come here, you know, in Camarar and all of the surrounding counties, depending upon need. As soon as our resources start to become limited or we're worrying about getting them limited, we start requesting help. The formal hazard mitigation plan where it helps probably the most is that it allows us to get into the federal grant system. Without having it, we're not able to apply for federal grants through FEMA. And that's a big deal. So we definitely, it's an important factor for that so that we can get ourselves in the running for federal grant money. That's a very quick overview. I don't know if anybody has any questions. What we do, just to kind of give you another broad picture of what we do as all of the different communities get together and we answer individual questionnaires about the community that we serve and what our needs are, what our problems are and all that. And then we turn that in and they compile that into the hazard mitigation plan, so. Chuck, who wrote the plan? It's actually a third party. It's Midas. And so we are a little bit behind on it because they have a turnover. And so they're trying to get somebody back on it to finish it up. We had turned all our stuff in and I believe they had some turnover in their group. And so we've been fighting through that. But I believe we're close as soon as we get everybody together. Yeah.

it wasn't light reading, but it was really interesting. It was really, really tremendous. I mean, there was a lot of information and history too. It was great. So if you have a chance to look at it, spend a few hours. Yeah.

And that's what, you know, all that information got compiled in and yeah. Any other questions?

No. Thanks, Chuck.

Thank you.

For a motion.

Second.

Public hearing. Public hearing to amend Chapter 50 of the Code of Ordinances. I'll open that hearing. Are there any written objections?

No, there were not.

Are there any oral objections? I'll close the hearing.

Good evening, mayor and council members. So this item is just the first reading of an ordinance. What it really does is two things. First, it updates the definition to clarify that shipping containers, ISO containers, and similar portable metal storage units are not considered accessory structures or buildings under our zoning code. The second thing it does is it creates a new section establishing where and how shipping containers may be used within city limits. Under the proposed ordinance should be painters would not be permitted. In residential, however, it would be, they would be permitted as accessory storage and commercial and industrial zoning districts. With that, though, there are some stipulations of where they would be able to be placed in the maintenance. Just making sure that they're not rusted out or beat up containers. And again, just want to mention again that they would not be allowed in residential. Districts would not be able to be used as residential or. Allow for human occupancy and again, this just provides. Clear guidance for our staff and business and property owners and puts into place. The current code that is not specifically addressed in our code. So tonight, I'm just looking for approval of the first reading.

Motion to approve.

Second.

All in purpose, aye? Aye. I guess I didn't read it all first. But anyway, B is the second reading of an ordinance amending the Code of Ordinances, Webster City, by amending section 10-22 of chapter 10 pertaining to the International Residential Code for one and two family dwellings.

So the main change with this item would be that we are looking to increase the size threshold for detached residential garages. And that would change from 720 square feet to 900 square feet. And that would allow them to have that 900 square feet without having the required 42 inch frost footings. This is a reflective change throughout central Iowa. So we're just looking to really encompass what other communities in the state of Iowa are doing. it's just a cost savings for a residential or for a resident. So tonight I'm just seeking approval of the second reading with the third reading and pass and adopt. Move to approve. Second.

All in favor say aye.

Aye.

Motion to waive the third reading.

Aye.

All in favor say aye.

Aye.

And then a motion to pass and adopt. Motion to pass and adopt. All those in favour say aye.

Aye.

All right. C is a motion setting a motion setting a public hearing to adopt. I already did that. D is a resolution approving the purchase of a submersible mixer, variable frequency drive, drive panel and accessories from electric pump for the water treatment plant and authorising City Manager to proceed with procurement. Nick, we haven't seen you in a while.

I know, it's good, right? Yeah, it was good. So in front of you, there is two quotes we obtained, one from Electric Pump and the other was from West Tech. They're two different things because West Tech's the only one that can actually do the original stuff we have for our existing sludge thickener down there. While the flex submersible pump and the VFD and mixer was another option that we had that was obviously a lot cheaper. And this equipment hasn't been replaced since it was in construct or been constructed and back in 2012 I think a gearbox and motor were placed on it but the financial implications would be coming out of the water revenue bonds. So I recommend going with the electric pump with the shorter lead time and less amount on that.

Cool promotion.

Move to approve.

Second. All those in favor say aye.

Aye.

Thanks Nick. Thank you. E is a presentation by Amelia Oliver, our communications director for the ISU, the mayor's design workshop. This is something that we had in town here back two months ago.

Good evening, Council. This past May, the Iowa State University Colleges of Design and Engineering presented their work exploring the future of Brewer Creek. and its watershed during a public open house. This event showcased research and design proposals developed through Mayor Hawkins' participation in the 2025 Iowa Mayors Design Workshop, which is a statewide program inviting mayors to identify complex challenges facing their communities. So I'd like to present you with a brief summary of each of the five Webster City design presentations put together by the students this previous spring semester. They are the Brewer Creek Restoration, the Residential Expansion, the Brewer Creek Watershed Planning, the Confluence Trail Plan, and the Gateway Industrial Park. First one, the Brewer Creek Restoration. The redesign would include efforts to reduce and correct erosion and provide new habitats for indigenous wildlife in the area. The students also focused on designing recreational engagement spots along the trail. So it would feature playgrounds, shaded areas, and stepped seating to sit or have a picnic, all of that. The revitalization of Brewer Creek was intended to give Webster City a green belt that caters to a social, outdoor-centric, environmentally conscious community. The residential expansion, students focused this project on the area west of town, which is close to the high school within the Verve Creek Watershed. The plan outlined short and long-term growth to meet expected housing demand while protecting and enhancing watershed health. It integrated stormwater best management practices and used spatial patterns of hydrology to shape neighborhood forms, streets, multi-use paths, and public spaces, advancing a civic hydrology that overlays human values and land uses with water landscapes and infrastructure. This included elements like front yards facing a pedestrian walkway, allowing for ample green space, and multiple housing types in the same neighborhood. They also kept trail connectivity and Brewer Creek access in mind. The Brewer Creek watershed planning. The Brewer Creek watershed is approximately 25 square miles and is primarily agricultural and transitions into residential park and commercial land use as the creek enters Webster City. Improving regional water quality meant treating agricultural runoff upstream of town, aligning with Iowa best management practice standards and climate resilience principles. Students coordinated with other projects like the Brewer Creek Restoration to help with trail connectivity and properly deal with stormwater storage. The Confluence Trail Plan. This project focuses on closing key gaps in the city's trail network, notably Brewer Creek Park and the Boone River Trail, as well as establishing a long-term vision for a creekside trail. The study addressed pinch points such as roadway and railway crossings, analysis of land ownership and physical geography, and integrating hydrology informed design. Their design creates a new trail to enrich educational opportunities, plantings for beauty and habitat, and cultural waypoints on top of bridging the gap. And then the last one, Gateway Industrial Park, This project addressed our Gateway Industrial Park. Students were tasked with planning and designing a new industrial park with sustainable development to balance economic growth with ecological stewardship. They wanted their design to be functional, attractive, and resilient for businesses, employees, and the community. Within their layout, they included small spaces for new entrepreneurs in their multi-tenant startup space The spaces for larger tenants, such as distribution centers or agricultural tech facilities, were interspersed between restaurants, orchards, and even wind farms. They considered central stormwater and street planning to provide recreation, as well as a natural habitat for indigenous species. As with many of these projects, they too wanted to connect to the trail system. I have no motion for the council. I just wanted to inform you.

You've got there where the, how many people voted on this project?

Yes. There weren't that many. No. I want to say maybe eight, but the favorite of all of the plans was the Confluence Trail. So connecting all of the trails. So I have to say, thank you.

Thank you.

I thought. But I attend, I never want Mayor Hawkins. It was great that you jumped on this and. Got us to participate and we were honored to be 1 of the towns, but. presentations were spectacular. And I think that when we think about imagining the future of Webster City, imagining a great town, there's some things that whether we go with a bunch of these and try to complete, we can take ideas and really run with it. I think there's some... You know, there's some great work that was done here, and I hope that we continue some momentum with it and figure some things out. Obviously, it's money, and we've got to figure that out, but it's just a step.

You know, their idea for the expansion of town out west was not part of the – that was something they thought up while they were going through it all. That wasn't one of the things that we were looking at originally, but it was like, well, I haven't even thought about looking at half of that or – or what it would look like if you did it. But they kept asking me, you know, what parameters do we want? Like I said, there's no parameters. You just give the best, you know, the best ideas come from without parameters. So they gave everything. It was amazing what they did. And having 40 people work for you for free is pretty amazing.

Obviously, the trail connections was great. I love the industrial work.

Yeah.

Development, and I just continued to imagine driving up 17 and seeing this and just what that would do. Just great for the town. So.

Good. Zach, what have you got? Pretty exciting stuff to follow up after that. 128 Apple, you guys are familiar with that property. It came a few times in front of you guys for the whole Grafers that wished to purchase that property to put up a garage. It was previously an abandoned property in town that we took through the court system. So that one's now been completed. Been working on some paperwork for getting the wastewater treatment plant and all that stuff lined up, easements and waivers and all that stuff. that's all going along and then links development too has now been fully plotted and recorded and got all that stuff all taken care of so that they can start developing that area now so it's pretty exciting okay motion to adjourn motion to adjourn at 6 20.