Council - Regular Meeting

Our opening ceremonies. I 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. And join me for a moment of silent prayer. Amen. All right. Agenda item number three is approval of tonight's agenda. I don't think that there are any um so is there a motion for approval? So move. All those in favor signify by saying I.

I motion carries. Agenda item number four is the time that every council meeting we provide uh our cit or city residents to if they wish to speak or ask a question of the council to um use this time for that. I don't think I have to see anyone here to do that. So, we'll just go ahead and move on to agenda item number five, which is exhibit one in your packet. And then at the approval of the minutes of March 2, 2026, if you had a chance to look those over, I would entertain a motion for approval. So, move Any questions on them? Seeing none, all in favor signify by saying yes.

Yes. Opposed. Motion carries. Financial report is agenda item number six and that's exhibit two in the packet. And there's all right. Nothing exciting here except a couple things. Uh property taxes for the month were 18,375. breakdown was basically 10,864 went into general and into the debt service under received of debt service is the 751170. That was the two areas the dollars went into. Uh also sometimes I don't talk about this enough but local option sales tax uh we're averaging about 119,000 a month and that goes directly into the general fund too. So uh happens to be the average is 119 so far for these last eight months. The one in February was 108. It fluctuates a few thousand each month. That's about 20 to 23% of our general revenue for the year as we get about 1.3 or 1.4 million of local auction sales tax. And my only other comment is under the capital projects right above payroll clearings uh school project MOC Floyd Valley Elementary the infrastructure out there. Uh the 241 is the final payment with the contractor with Vanderpaul and the retainage. So uh lot last step is just basically to get together with Sou County and the school and the three entities and true it up. So that's all I have on exhibit two.

Thank you. Thank you Ken. Any questions for Is there a motion to approve the monthly report? All those in favor signify by saying I I posted motion carries. Um agenda item seven is exhibit three and that is a monthly bills. Okay. Okay. Yeah.

Uh bottom of page one, Beck Engineering. Those first two dollars basically are just general engineering uh for some future part is some different uh surveying and such. on the top of page two, the 6795 was the seventh street project that we're working with the DOT, some of the engineering services there. And then the 40,946 is uh related to Madison Place, which we'll be accepting bids at the next meeting, I believe. And then the one underneath that bowling recreation, uh this is the uh um invoice for the new playground at Windmill Park. Um, so there's this is is just for the equipment. It's going to arrive in another week or two, Noah told me. And uh, no, actually it'll be a week from today, the 23rd it will arrive and then it's without installation. So once the install they're going to install it for us, too. That'll come later. But this is it'll come on a in a truck on a pallet, I guess, so to speak. Uh, what else? page page three DGR those two in invoices is uh 2468 has to do with the elementary infrastructure over there by the MLC school and the other one for the 5318 has to do with our west substation project um 5318 okay next page page fourstster lawn care uh this has to do with the fertilizer steps for the here with all our city property. And so when I say that, it's like event center, windmill park, vets park, cemetery, chamber, Scott room, pool, library, fire station. So that's why it's it's a few thousand dollars obviously. So, but it's for the whole year for, you know, some of those have all the steps

and some of them only have one or two. Um Iowa Association of Municip Municipal Utilities, excuse me. Top of page uh five um are the annual dues. Just uh I did the 9939 is electric, 55.99 is gas, and on 1310 is water. And then the 1170 on the bottom of page four was gas training for Shane and a couple of the new guys.

That bas. Yes, it is. Yes. Thank you. Uh interstate power systems. It was the time uh to get all our generators serviced and so there's a couple East and West lift water plant, couple at the industrial park and puddle jumper lift station as well. So, those are the six that we had uh annual service for. All right, page seven. Niagara Niagara Power Transformer. That's a big one. It has to do with our substation project. I'm sure you've heard us talk about that. It's about a $2 million project. Uh we've paid for the breakers for that uh West Sub that was about 521. This is for the transformer that got delivered for a million and we have about we're putting a building spec together. There's probably a couple hundred left, but this is the cost for the transformer. Took about two and a half years. We had an order for a while, so it's finally here.

And then um Oh, what do I have here? Oh, uh Thompson Automation and Specialty Services on page 10. This was uh software upgrade for the water plant and for the sewer plant. And the last one, oh, Williamson Company, um Williamson Company was 23,000. The top one was ours for 8432. Then the other two dollar amounts which are about set 147. Uh Lansir is a calendar year end and they're doing the audit for 25 right now. Yes, sir. That's all I got. Unless you guys have any other questions that you had when you were looking through

Sorry. Light shop structural design. What under rise? Yeah. Uh they came and looked we had uh with the age of that building uh we had to hire these guys for structural engineering just to see about the roof. It had to be we had to get some cert should I say certified to know that the roof was in good enough shape to make sure we could still get it insured. Is that fair enough for an explanation kind of? Yeah. When you look at the at the w the steel trusses they they the bottom has a bow to it. It looks like the the roof is sink but that's how the the trusses are designed. So the record so as strange as that we paid for these guys to tell us that

our insurance company basically one sort of needed something on that. So anything else Mark or No, that was it. Just a couple quick ones. The chain link fence. Yes. Was that something that was caused from the storm? Is that an insurance deal or uh it was caused by the storm. It did not get included in the insurance. It did not.

Okay. Nope. That's good. Then the last one was just the rule water for the Holland Hills customers. How that is two months worth. So that is customers that are in the Holland Hills area. It's a 20-year agreement and it's based on hookups and um monthly charges and we're about six or seven years into that group. So part of it is we pay an annual dollar amount in um usually in April every year and then that's about a $5,000 in regards to the purchase agreement for the territory. Sure.

So it's just over a 20 years where we're paying a larger sum the first 10 years and then the last 10 are just strictly based on customer hookups and how many are are out there in the in that territory so to speak. So but that is two months worth. So Perfect. Okay. Thank you very much. Thank you, Kent. Anything else? If not, if you're comfortable, I entertain a motion. So move. All those in I

motion carries. Agenda item number eight is exhibit four in your packet and it's a 2026 National Gas Operation and Maintenance Plan. Um Jason's going to uh talk to us about that.

Y asking the council to adopt this plan. It's something we work with and you on think it's every two years if I'm right. I think go through this look like maybe every year. So um yeah they send the list of notification of changes and we just adopt that manual and update all of our documentation our trucks that consist of uh emergency action plan uh requirements and recommendations and procedures a lot of the changes were they changed the name from Iowa utilities board to Iowa utilities commission

that's probably over 50% of the changes and a few other procedural things. So yeah,

just the formality right basically just a think just a motion just a motion to approve it. Okay, support. All those in favor signify by saying I I opposed. Motion carried. And um agenda item nine. Um the tractor purchase. Y.

So we were able to find a low hour tractor, local tractor. Um price 88,000. Um we would we are asking to purchase this before. It's in budget. It's we budgeted for next year, but just want to make sure we don't have to rent a tractor this spring if the rains come again. So, yeah, just looking for approval on that. And it was like you said, it was in the budget and yeah, good. Yeah, I'm excited. Yeah. I know. So, and then we'll have it ourselves, which will be nice.

Where is the tractor coming from? um from uh Granville. There's a local farmer that's selling it, buying it through Tom Cooks or through C repair. So, it's a 2009. It's got 1,200 hours on it. 190 horsepower. Yeah. Should last us 40, 50 years. Should last year first. Remember that. Was that kind of what we had budgeted or what did we even have? I think we were at 85 is what we thought we could get around there. So, yeah, it's pretty good then. So, the other models you looked at, that's a pretty good deal, I think. Right.

Yeah, we had we had some Yeah. other ones that we went through uh local dealers and they were they were coming off of uh feed lots with 7,000 hours. Yeah. 80 70 7,000 to 8,000 hours. So overall and yeah, a few of the guys know the partner. So he takes care of product. Yep. That helps. That does help. Y So we just need a motion to approve that purchase.

Any other questions? All those in favor signify by saying I. Oppos. Motion carries. Thank you, Jason. Um, agenda item 10 is basically a topic of uh discussion that the um city council would like to have um about a recreation health facility discussion. It's been been brought up on and off um in several conversations and I think it's a good thing to do right before strategic plan. And I'm going to have Darren kind of lead it off and and say where we are and what's been talked about.

We all got an email prior, you know, asking about and I actually had met with Tony Hoops a couple times um a need or a want if the college wanted to be involved with it as well. And so I think we're at the stage where we say, "Hey, let's equip a task force and get a group of people together from different entities and some community people and start at least to look at it and have it come to back to us and have it be a discussion or a topic in strategic planning and have more discussion about it. So we've set up these type of task force in the past. How do you go about that or

them or I don't know if we

you can bring forward some names and you know you want it a doable size. You don't you don't want it huge that you but I think anybody I think the council can bring maybe send them to Matt and we can kind of cross over you know we want different like of course the college has to be represented and somebody from the hospital and city and community and then people that just really have a passion for it. you know, a regular um maybe not serving on any town committees, but there's a lot of people out there and we all come from a little different have a few different people in our friendship and circle that um but I don't know what do we think like 912 is that what we were thinking or

Yeah, somewhere around the 10 area probably I would think. Yeah, that would probably be good. And and then we thought we first thought, do we get a um choose a chairman? Da da. We thought it's probably better if they choose it within themselves than saying this is your this is your team. Yeah, this is your this is your leader and they're going, "Oh man, not signing them." How soon do you would you like names by or when does I guess, you know? I think in the next couple weeks probably would be good. Um and then also I think it'd be helpful that if the group has a charge um as far as what to look at and what council wants to see as a result

Yep. present it back, you know. So just a directive for Yeah, it's pretty broad right now. Yeah. Good way to Yeah. So, if there's think that's a good way to keep momentum going and see what people are interested in and what the town's appetite is for that right now. Yeah, I think we've heard like Darren said, there's more and more comments about about something. Um, and um, you know, there's different interested parties, but I think it's appropriate that the city as a community project kind of takes the leader charges somebody with that.

So, the this group runs separately of council a little bit that I mean, yeah, I mean, because they'll have meetings and different things that, you know, if we meet twice a twice a month, right, it's hard for us to keep the ball rolling. or do we have representation off the council or how does that I guess I don't I haven't been part of these bigger groups before

and you run it different ways um you know when we have the Phoenix project it was kind of driven by people other than the council and um I think I think with this one it'd be good to have updates at least from the group to kind and know what they're thinking. Um, get some ideas and then maybe Noah's a good one.

Yeah, I think Noah would be a good person. He knows what he needs for wreck and he could be maybe our conduit to keep us updated and um is the hospital's going to want certain things and we want to make sure that that's kind of in their ballpark and and the college needs y some things for track and and the city needs things and the city needs things yes for for our kids and

I guess I'm encouraging enouraged by it. You know, I wasn't around when the Aspire Center took place. You know, I lived in town, but I wasn't involved with council. But I can tell you, Noah and Jiren, what they do with Wreck, you know, the soccer program is awesome. The baseball program is awesome. Softball, the football program's awesome. And then we get upstairs for basketball, right? And it's just like, yeah, I definitely see a need for it. So, I guess gets me excited having, you know, something like this to work toward and work on. So, I'm excited about it.

Yeah. I think looking at if you look back at the last community development plan, that's kind of where the Aspire Center, I think, got the ball rolling was it was identified as one of the big needs or wants, however you want to classify that, in the city. And I don't think that's gone anywhere. That need or want is still there. So, and I think you hear from people that have lived here and also that are moving in, you know, that that's kind of over. So we might want to think elderly or somebody old, you know, that has a real interest in, you know, a lot of kid, a lot of parents take their kids all over for volleyball camps and

well, that's been kind of one of the things that's come out of the downtown visioning is people saying we need something to draw more people to town. um more more foot traffic, more traffic, and this would be one of those things. So, helps our gas stations and our restaurants, motel. Yeah, I think so. Okay. So maybe is that okay if they send you the names on that and then we can chat about it and see what hopefully some of them will overlap and that will be

and then I suppose we'd have to bring those names to then we'd have to contact them to make sure that they would have the time and would be it come from us as a charge to both the health system and the college to come up with two or three names that they want. Yes. Wasn't that it? You know, some of them will be that could cross over, too. But I feel like it could, you know, this is going to be three parties working together. Yeah. I mean, the city could be the driver, but we still kind of Yeah. They might want Scott Bark, you know, track coach or um, you know, something like that and give them. So, we would be looking to approve. Yeah. We'll have to get names from them too, right? I think so.

And then next council meeting. Sure. might be hard to answer. What kind of time commitment do you think that I know that's going to be a question and yeah, right changes depending where the project goes too, right? I mean, as it moves along, it might be more Well, we got to start someplace. Yeah. So, I think for bringing that up Yeah. Okay. Okay. Sounds good. Anything else on that? That give you give us direction?

I don't think so either. Yeah. Once the full full committee is is known and and the charge. I think that's probably more the the action piece. Yeah. Yeah. The charge part of it. Do we have until strategic plan to come up with the charge or do we need that sooner? I didn't even talk about it then. Yeah, that'd be fine. Yeah, I think it would overlap pretty nicely there. Anything else on that? We'll go to administrative reports and that is anything.

Yeah, it was u speaking of strategic planning. I laid some schedules out for you there. So, thank you for your patience and lining that up, trying to get everybody coordinated there. get me your schedule the next day or so would be great. Um, you bet. And then, uh, congrats to the local teams. This past week was

was a fun weekend with the Northwestern men having a couple big wins and the women really, uh, really making a good show of it and and Unity winning the state championship. So, congrats to to everybody involved here. Um, we've been talking at city staff and kind of working through it a little bit. um glass recycling is is becoming a little bit more of a um uh I'll say a little bit more of an effort a part of on city staff and we've looked at different ways to uh make it more available of purchasing a dumpster um renting a dumpster. Right now we have volunteers that take uh some garbage or some totes uh every 2 or 3 weeks to the landfill. uh they use city the city vehicle and city trailer. Um we're just looking at how best to refine that program and if it's a still a benefit. Um I think the landfill right now takes that glass and they they keep it there and I think they either they they have somebody come and pick it up or they use it on the landfill site too. They they pulverize it and use it more as like a a road bedding. They pulverize it to like sand

basically size of sand. And so, um, yeah, we're just considering that. I don't know if the, you know, one of the options, frankly, is do we continue with glass recycling? What does that look like? So, um, yeah, just there's any um feelings or any anything that council has or has heard. Um, that's still the maintenance. That's by the street department by ACE there. I think there's 20 20 of those totes. struggle that's facing more communities are fa I mean it's not just Orange City alone I would guess. Yeah. Yeah. I think to pick up regular recycling just not glass

just not glass. Yeah. Just in the in the facility it's a safety issue the the sorting of different cardboard and plastic and glass in there. So um yeah. So kind of need does that serve in the community? I think it started off as an all volunteer. Um and I know that's sometimes a struggle there too to get volunteers for that. So it's something we're considering options on. Um an open dumpster has a big temptation for a lot more things than just glass to go in there. So um yeah, that's

what's the volume like right now? So, it's about uh 20 20 of those totes every 3 weeks. So, um there Yeah. So, it's I don't know how many here uses that. Often when I go they're full, so I have to strategically place my cans and hide them down the side or whatever. That's all. Volunteers are done with that now. They're not done with that. I know they they're continuing to to look at that, but um

and and they've been they've been great, you know, working with our street department and appreciate their help there. Um but yeah, it's using city city equipment as well for that. So, just some things we're we're considering. So that's all I had. Do you have anything? No. Dad, come here. Mom, Kent, I'm good. Jason, nothing today. Do you have anything? Nope. Handle the blizzard. Well, good. Knew you would. Knew you would. I said cancel school. Yeah, that always helps a little bit.

Wolf traffic off the road. Well, we saw so many vehicles. It was frightening. in the um in the ditches on the way home. But Andrew, do you have anything? I have nothing to add. Mark, Brett, Olivia, Jenny's not here, so I quick looked it up and 59 years all the n

I don't have anything either. It's It's going to We knew we'd get something in March and the way it the way the world works, but glad we got through it as well as we did. So I just need a motion for adjournment. So move support. All those in favor signify by saying I. I post motion.