Council - Regular Meeting

and join us in 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. Let's see. Agenda item three is approval of tonight's agenda. I don't think there's any additions or um so if there's a motion to approve that. All those in favor signify by saying I

I post motion carries. Agenda item four is a time that we allow at our city council meetings to for citizens of Orange City to share comments with the council or um and the city staff. I'm not sure if anybody's here to say anything, but um keep that in mind and for future future meetings. Um so that will take us to agenda five, which is approval of the minutes. It's exhibit one in your packet. And these are minutes from the April 6th and the April 7th, 2026 meetings. You had a chance to review them. Um, I would entertain a motion for approval.

All those in favor signify by saying yes. Opposed. Motion carries. Agenda item number six is financial report which is exhibit two in our packet and Kent will walk us through that. Thank you, Kent.

Thank you, mayor. All right. just uh three three things to talk about on exhibit two. One that I usually talk about is the property taxes that we received for the month of March um was about 111,000. Obviously, the big chunk is coming in uh in April here from the county. So uh we took in 111,66,000 and change in the general fund under the received and the debt service was as you can see under receipt 45,30418. Uh second uh big thing that you can see if you look under the electric uh fund there towards the bottom under the on hand received dispersed you'll see it the dispersed fairly high. That was in regards to a a planned budget in regards to this transformer at the west substation came in. So that was a little over a million bucks and that was a planned cash out uh project. So was about a million and a half in total. And then the last uh thing obviously the bigger one at the beginning of the month we took in our bond pain pond proceeds from our geo issue that we did for our aerial fire truck. And we also had some refunding that we did too. So, uh, yeah, the fire truck was at 1.7. The refunding was about 800,000. So, on June 1, we'll, uh, handle payments for all that. So, at least for the refunding portion, let me say it that way. That's all I've got on the on the financial report.

You have any questions for the financial report? Hearing none, I would entertain a motion to approve this month's financial report. All those in favor signify the same item. I motion carries. Brings us to agenda item seven which is exhibit three in the packet and that is our monthly bills um for the through today, right? uh through last April 14th. Yeah, there you go. There we go. Right there.

Um okay, first one is under Beck Engineering. Uh just to show you a breakdown there. I'm going to work my way from the bottom up of the 38,000. The 16,000 was in regards to Madison Place. Uh the one above that 13 or the 12,363 was for Canal Second Edition. Uh the 4980 was 7th Street. that's going to start here shortly. And the top three are basically uh just some general engineering invoices that they did for us. So that's the breakdown of the 38 total. Then the rear one and the bottom there. Obviously, if you were uh at the Vogal thing, you saw the new playground there, too. So this is uh we played paid already for the playground. This is for the installation part, but this is the last part was under insurance again. It was about a $100,000 total project. And so we got it covered by insurance as well. But this is just the outgoing payment for the installation. Um what else page? I am going to page four. Goodland pump. We rebuild the pump at the east lift station. 30,560. Uh it was a budgeted item at the bottom. Hoffire electric. They did the north side city hall with some LED lights and that looks really nice and they got that done.

Um, inside. Yep. Yep. Offices down the in the community room was another big. So, you should see the difference there.

What else do I have here? Sorry. Then I'm going on the last part on page seven. Niagara power transformer. That is in regards to the transformer I was just talking about at the west sub 111,000. This is the last it's the last 5%. They want to get it on uh I think what they explained it on the invoice was set and then uh energ wires to it. So it's the last 5% of the contract basically is what that was. So got that taken care of. And then the last thing I on page top of page nine was a tip rebate for Hampton in for 27,567 and Southern Sewal Water on page 10. Uh that is 22,500 on the top of page 10. That is the fifth of a 10-year contract in regards to some water rights. And I think that's all I got unless anybody has any individual questions that they came across when they were looking around. Otherwise, that's all I got.

Did you notice the difference in soccer paint we went through or the cost from last year before we had the little robot? The robot. That's a good question. I will ask about that. I I Yeah, that's a good question. Little robot dude. Yeah, I don't I don't know the answer to that. Sorry. That's a good question. I'll find out. We'll get back to you. Under long lines from page six, there's multiple Y37 expenses.

So, long lines there's uh it's the reason there's dollar amounts like that is because of the fund that it comes out of. So, some of it's electric, water, gas, city hall. Um, it also does include um fire station, water plant obviously, and then yeah, there was other departments. I just didn't break classify which ones, but good. Anything else? I would a motion to approve this bill. All those in favor signify by saying I. I

oppos. Motion carries. Agenda number eight. Public hearing on the 26 27 fiscal year budget. We'll go ahead and open the public hearing. I mean, you're assuring us this is the last step, right?

This is the last step. Yep. Yep. Was in the paper this week. Uh yeah, we're we've all been through it here, but just to let everybody know, uh our total went in the paper for publication, our new uh city levy rate is going to be 1401. We were at 1446 and uh our total budget is about a little over 132 million, which is a good size number of that. Of course, the big kicker is uh hospital is included in our budget. And so yeah, we went through the detail and this is the last public hearing for the full adoption. So appreciate all your guys' help work and

any citizens or people coming in asking. I have not heard anything unless somebody was gone last week. Anybody here to share a comment or concern? So well that's good because uh yeah did a good job. So, council, you have anything to talk about during the public hearing? Hearing that, I will go ahead and close the public hearing and then we need a resolution approving the 2026 2027 fiscal year budget. Need a motion for that resolution. So, move and resolution. So, it is roll call. So, I'll start with you, Andrew. Yes. Mark, yes.

Yes. Yes. Excellent. So beware, no more. We're done with budget. Yay. So agenda um number nine is a special event permit application which is coming up this uh Saturday, April 25th. Oh, Cointock. Is that how you say that? Coins.

I can't help but think of Pastor Nick Coin from our church. So, but um from 10:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m. in Windmill Park. Pray for good day. And then it will continue on uh the vet permit application from on stage beginning for June 3 through August 5 in Windmill Park. So, we just need a a motion to approve that special permit. Correct, Janet? Yep. Yep. Both of them. Yeah, both of them. Can we do it together? Yep. Okay. So, any questions? All those in favor signify by saying I.

I. opposed. Motion carries. Retail alcohol license application is agenda item number 10. Then we've received an application for a class C retail alcohol license from Bob and Ellens. And I believe everything is in order. Yeah. So, we just need a motion to approve that. Questions? All those in favor signify by saying I. I. Wow. Here we go. Administrative reports. Pat.

Yeah. Um, I know most of us or a lot of us were at the event on Saturday for the Volvo ribbon cutting at the downtown park and uh it was a a really nice event that was well attended and appreciate the the effort that um that a lot of our partners worked through on on on that last week. Balma Construction, Greenworld, our parks crew, uh Beck Engineering, and then of course the Volvo family for their their work in that and and really nice to celebrate them and and uh and their milestone there as well. So that was um a nice nice event. Um little update on the the property purchase that uh council approved. It has gone in front of the health system board and they are moving forward with um with a public hearing on that. it's really uh quite a simple process to purchase something but a little bit more complex to sell it. So they are they're going through that process now. So um as with their public hearing and and and so on but all seemed positive on that end of it. So um looking at uh city staff update. We are uh getting closer to recommending a couple hires. um not quite this meeting, but hopefully in the next couple weeks with our police department and then also with a council receivable specialist. So, some good candidates there. And uh finally, I laid a a draft of the strategic planning that Ken Mormon kind of did some word smithing on some of the things that we worked on. Please review that. I think he did a good job of of putting a lot of a lot of different things together and uh all-encompassing of of what the council talked about as far as vision and priorities and then also our um initiatives for the for the coming um one to two years. So, if you have any comments on that, feel free to let me know.

So, we will work on this and then we'll approve it. Yeah. So Tim will he'll continue to work through that um and uh provide another presentation. He will be working with city staff um on on more of an action plan kind of putting some action steps together and time frames on the initiatives that were put together. So it okay Janet I don't have anything is that you under there Janet how many days? 24. 24. There we go. Go, girl. What happened? It was like 58. We both are asking that question.

I know. Oh, and then I love it even at at um Wimblel Park, one of the Oh, newscasters. So, are you going to have tulips? I just love when they ask that. I said, absolutely. What do I know? Yeah. Yeah. Kent, I'm good. Yeah. Yeah. Um, just want to let you know that uh that we've got a group of us going leaving tomorrow night, driving through the night to the uh fire department instructor's conference in Indianapolis, Indiana, where our new truck will be there on display and we'll be right next to Sous Center's new truck. Oh. So, you don't drive at home, do you? No. So, you don't race race home with the center? No, we're not racing at home. We're not racing anywhere.

Okay, good. No lights on sirens. Yeah. So, I mean, that's pretty exciting for both our communities to be side by side at the International Fire Show. And so, we have a group of us. We're going to drive through the night tomorrow night. Oh, boy. So, we could be the opening ceremonies, which I think this for a lot of us, it's going to be kind of once in a lifetime type thing to have something like this, but to represent our communities and stuff and and like I love the Northwest Iowa concept with So, we'll get some pictures, whatever. We'll we'll share we'll share with that because, you know, it wasn't our choice. we don't get a vote whether they take our truck there or not. So, we're still looking at the end of May. Okay. Early June when we get our truck and Jim's got the agreement to to sell the other one. So, we're we're happy about that. Good.

Thank you. Thanks. Jason, this seventh street construction starting next week. And where are they going to start? Are they starting on one end or side of town? West. And then they'll work their way to the east. So, so start planning alternative alternative routes. Put out a nixel today on it. So, good. Giving everybody a warning. It's coming. Okay. You'll see a lot of locate flags around. So, that's good. Mark everything. Thank you for that. I had a question on that from people that live on that road. Yes. Will they have access to their driveways in the time of construction? Okay.

Yep. So, um, from Florida to Frankfurt, it'll be very minimal impact because it's just right down an overlay, but we've, uh, we actually held a meeting with the public from, um, everybody else alongside the actual reconstructions. So, um, there'll be limited access at times, but, um, we're kind of working that with residents. Good question. Thank you, Jason. Council Andrew, do you have anything? Nope. Mark, I have a report, but a question about North Wheel and the new Sure.

Uh when when when is the transfer of land looking to happen? I'm just thinking of crops or went in the ground.

Yeah. So, we we did talk about that with staff actually. Um and I I believe that transfer is probably going to happen uh probably 30 to 45 days from now. Um is when we'll execute that sale. We've talked about um the next step would be then platting the area or at least a portion of it to sell lots. There's uh between P&Z and coming in front of the council that'll take a little while. Um you know, it could easily be we're a long way through the growing season before need could be moved. I think we're just going to continue with with planting what's what's needed there and then if if somebody is ready to dig, just pay a little crop damage on that as opposed to leaving it here and let it get get weeded and and things like that. So, but yeah, it's

Yeah, good good question there. So, take a Okay, thanks, Mark. Brett, no thank you. Your own restaurant now by your house or by your by your work? Yes. Did he pay you to do that or it's dangerous? I will warn you now. Yeah, they used to be next door. It's dangerous. Yeah, exactly. It's good. Window Park just looked so beautiful. So, thank you to everybody who put hard work there. Agreed. Did I? Nope.

Um, I would reiterate everything about the the weekend with Windmill Park. Um, it will be just just such a nice centerpiece and foundation. There was a lot of people there, although it was really hard. Everybody was in their had their hoods up and their coats on and it was cold. But um it was good to see um a lot of support for that and it worked really well. Mike did a great job of coordinating that and getting everybody together. And I was fortunate to go to I to also speak at the lunchon and I was sitting at the table with um uh President Christie and uh Drew and Jean and it the overwhelming collaboration. They are so thrilled to both of them thrilled to be in Orange City and to work with the city and the council. They just think highly of all of you. So that was kind of nice to to hear and and just to have a good conversation and and working with both schools. It's it's it's a big deal. It's a big deal. And then but before that, I think it was Tuesday, I got I was privileged to go to the daycare and read to three 103 year olds. They were so good. They were so good. I just And so I had to read the Brown book or Brown Bear book or whatever. It was good. So, I had a nice um it was all of seven minutes or something, but it was fun to be there. Um they're feeling staff's feeling much more positive this year. Um feel like they're getting their weight list down and they wanted to thank the city council for their support and um just are hoping that they're on the right end. And then of course after Saturday too, then we had um a nice dedication out at the baseball field for Darren's son Aiden. beautiful bronze plaque on the concession stand. Just take a day, go out there and look at it. It's beautiful. He's Aiden was the epitome of

of Orange City. So, it's a nice way to honor him and and his family. So, that's all I have. Motion to adjurnn. So work all in