City Council - Regular Meeting

Evening ladies and gentlemen. Thank you who are tuning in at home. It is Monday, May 18th. This is a regular meeting of the city council of Waverly, Iowa, and we are called to order. Please join me in the pledge of allegiance. Pledge allegiance to the flag of the United States of America and to the republic for which it stands.

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passed unanimously. On to regular business. This is the time for the Waverly Public Library Board of Trustees annual report. I just had I don't have any slides tonight. It's a very short um presentation, but I did put something up on your screen. I wanted to share um some relatively new photos that the architects who worked on our renovation project um had posted on their website. And the first one um is a drone um view of so it gives you kind of a good view from above of the entire library and you can see some of the um parts that were renovated how the shelving in the center was lowered and you can see the new story tree with the amphitheater seating um and the new service desks. So, we 2025 was the first um full calendar year that we were in that newly renovated space and I really think people in the community are enjoying the space. Um I think as part of your packet, your board packet for tonight, you have a copy of each of the summer reading program brochures. That's the big news of what we're working on at the moment. This time of year, we're always gearing up for all the programs that we plan in the summer. And of course, there's a children's brochure, one for teens, and then for adults because um everybody likes to get involved with that. This year, the reading program is plant a seed, read. So, we've got kind of a garden theme going. um a few. I'm

not going to go through all the events because there are so many of them. Um look through those brochures. Um but there is an intergenerational book club that will be getting together together and reading the classic The Secret Garden. Um, we're having farm-to-table evenings um on Tuesday nights in July where we'll be choosing a main ingredient or two from the farmers market and then creating a meal out of that. Um and then of course the main purpose of the summer reading program as always um it started out as a program for kids who are learning to read to um prevent that summer slide that happens when school gets out. So um I wanted to talk just a little bit about our new strategic plan at the library. Last October, we we had a citizen f focus group come in, work with a consultant that we had from the state library and um talk about the needs of the community and what the library might do to help meet those needs. And some of you here were there at that meeting and I appreciate your time. Um there were a few themes that um came out of that night and one of them was um the need for an inclusive environment um encouraging community dialogue and creating connections between people. And so the kind of overall umbrella that was discussed as part of the library's ongoing plan for the next 5 years was to promote a resilient community. So the two pillars of how we're going to be working on that fall

under the categories of learning, lifelong learning and um connection, social connection. Um, so the staff right now is putting the finishing touches on goals for the next year. Um, and it's it with timelines and names attached as far as staff members who are leading up the efforts in different areas, but it has to do with digital literacy. Um, working with uh artificial intelligence and teaching that, having conversations about it. Um, in fact, our librarian, Ryan Webster, is um now offering AI an AI public forum every fourth Saturday morning at 10:00. And I think the last one they had was on the ethics of AI and they just had a really interesting conversation and a lot of people came. So, it's something people are are wondering about and looking for guidance on how to use it and when not to use it. Um, also under that learning category, we're taking on some basic life skills, um, classes like financial literacy, um, being a good renter, um, things in that category. Um, then as far as connection, we're hoping to do some new programs to really bring people together to share stories uh, with each other. Um there was a an idea that came up at the at the community focus group uh about speed friending and that was actually a session at our public library association conference on how you bring people into it's like speed dating except speed friending where you just get to meet a whole bunch of different

people in your community. Um and then focusing on library as a third space. Um that that place that belongs to everyone in the community where they can come and hang out and spend time. Um so you'll be seeing you'll be seeing a strategic plan that will be posted on our website very soon. Uh accreditation was something that came up for us this year. We had to put in an application with the State Library of Iowa, which we do every 3 years. Um, we did get accredited. We just found out a couple weeks ago, which we expected. Um, so we don't have to do this process again until 2029. But basically, we have to see how many of the 85 standards that the state library sets out do we meet? And there are some that are required standards and others that are optional, but we met all 47 of the required standards uh plus 34 of the 38 optional standards. And it covers everything from hours open to how many new items you add, how many you take out, um the how often your board meets, uh that they set policies, that you do financial reporting at every board meeting, all kinds of things like that. Um so one of the one of the benefits that comes out of that is that there are state funds um enrich Iowa funds which are still part of the state budget um where we are eligible then as a tier three library because we we were accredited at the highest rate. So that for us that means 9 or $10,000 a year

that we get from the state of Iowa to use just for the library operation um in any way. So that's that's a very good um a good benefit on top of just knowing that we're upholding professional standards for the public library. Um, the last thing I was going to bring up is that uh we are we're very fortunate in that our libraries foundation has something called a special projects fund that um people on staff or people in the community can request funds from for various library purposes. And this year, the special projects fund paid for all seven librarians to attend the National Public Library Association conference in Minneapolis at the beginning of April. And that was a really a really neat thing. It I think it had been 15 years since they had been in Minneapolis last time, so won't be anything we get to do anytime again soon. But there were just I just wanted to give you a couple examples of the sessions that were there. Um how to empower and inform communities using media literacy and information literacy. Um fostering connections, building babies brains across a community. How to build a bike maintenance clinic at your library. Um how to set up teen library internships. um supporting independent and self-published authors, how Gen Z use and don't use public libraries, and then AI and digital literacy for older adults. So, those were just a couple examples of the kinds of sessions that we had to choose from at that conference. And I we've been reporting

to the library board about that experience. Um, the last thing that I'll leave you with is that uh we had a speaker at that conference. His name is Brian Stevenson. and uh he's an attorney who uh works uh for an organization, a nonprofit called the Equal Justice Initiative where he uh works to overturn wrongful um incarcerations or wrongful convictions. and he talks a lot about how public libraries are uniquely positioned to make an impact in their communities because of how embedded they are in their communities that we see everyone come into the public library and there are so many people that need that in-person um in-person interaction every day. Um, one of my board members just told me the other day that he was coming in for a meeting to the library and came in uh behind a kid who was on a bike and parked his bike and then came in and the staff at the front desk knew him and was talking to him about he was telling them about some experience that he had had. But that was just notable to that board member because he was a teenager and he was known by them and he was sharing some story with them. Um, but Brian Stevenson talks about um how important it is for the libraries to continue to be the truth tellers in our society as far as having having materials that represent all of the viewpoints and making that available to the community and knowing our communities. That's all I had.

Keep up the good work. Thank you. Is for sure. Yeah. Yeah. Very good. Thank you. Thank you. That brings us to resolution 26-115, a resolution appointing MB Bank NA of West De Mo, Iowa to serve as paying agent, bond registar, and transfer agent approving the paying agent and bond registar and transfer agent agreement and authorizing the execution of the agreement. Council, do I have a motion? I'll move approval of resolution 26-115, a resolution appointing UNMB bank NA of West De Moines, Iowa to serve as paying agent, bond registar, and transfer agent, approving the paying agent and bond registar and transfer agent agreement and authorizing the execution of the agreement.

Second. Any discussion? Roll call vote, please. Yes. Rocky, yes. Wolf, yes. Harman, yes. Jones.

Yes. Resolution 26-116, a resolution authorizing and providing for the issuance and securing the payment of 2 million $2,600,000 local option sales and service tax revenue bonds series 2026B of the city of Waverly state of Iowa under the provisions of the code of Iowa and providing for a method of payment of the bonds approval of the tax exemption certificate and continuing disclosure certificate. Council, do I have a motion to approve? Move to approve resolution 26-116, a resolution authorizing and providing for the issuance and securing of the payment of $2,600,000 local option sales tax and service tax revenue bonds series 2026b of the city of Waverly state of Iowa under the provisions of the code of Iowa and providing for a method of payment of the bonds approval of the tax exemption certificate and continu continuing continuing disclosure certificate. Second. Any discussion? Roll call vote, please.

Yes. W. Yes. Jones.

Yes. Yes. brings us to resolution 26-117, a resolution approving and authorizing a form of loan and dispersement agreement by and between the city of Waverly, Iowa, and the Iowa Finance Authority and authorizing and providing for the issuance and securing the payment of 2,561, Sue revenue capital loan notes series 2026 C of the city of Waverly, Iowa under the provisions of the code of Iowa and providing for a method of payment of said notes and approving the form term of the tax exemption certificate. Do I have a motion? I move approval of resolution 26-117, a resolution approving and authorizing a form of loan and dispersement agreement by and between the city of Waverly, Iowa, and the Iowa Finance Authority, and authorizing and providing for the issuance and securing the payment of $2,561,000 sewer revenue capital loan notes series 2026 C of the city of Waverly, Iowa under the provisions of the code of Iowa and providing for a method of payment of said notes and approving the form of the tax exemption certificate.

Second. Any discussion? Roll call vote, please. Wolf, yes. Armen, yes. Jones, yes. Mackey, yes.

Yes. brings us to resolution 26-118 a resolution appointing MV Bank NA of West Demo Iowa to serve as paying agent bond registar and transfer agent approving the paying agent and bond registar and transfer agent agreement and authorizing the execution of the agreement. Do I have a motion? I'll move to approve resolution 26-118 resolution appointing UMD bank NA and West Point Iowa service paying agent bond registar and transfer agent approving the paying agent and bond registar and transfer agent agreement and authorizing the execution second any discussion call

yes

yes Yes. Resolution 26-119, a resolution authorizing and providing for the issuance of $1,925,000 general obligation bonds series 2026A and amending the levy of taxes to pay said bonds. Approval of the tax exemption certificate and continuing disclosure certificate. Council, do I have a motion to approve? I'll move approval of resolution 26-119, a resolution authorizing and providing for the issuance of $1,925,000 general obligation bonds series 2026A and amending the levy of taxes to pay said bonds, approval of the tax exemption certificate and continuing disclosure certificate.

Second. Any discussion? Just for the listening office uh audience, this is for a variety of projects including pavement of the cemetery roads, 13th Avenue, 10th Avenue, um and some new trucks. So, a wide variety of purchases. Roll call vote, please. Jones, yes. Mackey, yes. Rafie, yes. Wolf, yes. Harmon,

yes. brings us to resolution 26-120. A resolution approving a plat of survey creating partial NN, partial O, partial PP, and parcel QQ located at 10616th Street Southwest Waverly, Iowa. Do I have a motion to approve? I move approval of resolution 26-120, a resolution approving a plat of survey creating parcel NN, parcel O, parcel PP, and parcel QQ located at 10616th Street Southwest. Second.

Any discussion? So, I just had a couple of questions. Um, looks like there's going to be an entrance uh on Bremer Avenue across from I think it's 18th. And then what is this going to be zoned? Is it going to be zoned commercial or um do we know that yet?

How is it? Well, I know part of it and some of the gentlemen are here from uh LSI as well. There is a section of it will be for residential housing. Um, there will be a section that will be commercial as well. Whether or not it's all one zoning with an exception or split that different way, that I'm not 100% sure. Okay. Let's see if it mentions it in here. I didn't see the answer. I'm not seeing it either. And I guess it's just the original plat to get this set up. Okay. It'll still have to go back. That can be determined later. Okay. Other questions, discussion? Roll Pavo, please. Mackie, yes. Roie, yes. Wolf, yes. Harman, yes.

Jones, yes.

Resolution 26-121, a resolution approving and accepting a temporary construction easement and approving and accepting a public utility and access easement for the Eastgate lift station and force main. Do I have a motion? I'll move approval of resolution 26-121, a resolution approving and accepting a temporary construction easement and approving and accepting a public utility and access easement for the Eastgate lift station and force main from Russell Bruns and Nora Bruns. Second. Any discussion? Roll call vote, please. Roie, yes. Wolf, yes. Herman, yes. Jones, yes. Matthew. Yes.

Resolution 26-122, a resolution approving task order number 003, agreement with Bolton and M, Inc. for zoning and subdivision code update. Do I have a motion? Move to approve resolution 26-122, a resolution approving task order number three, agreement with Bolton and Bank Incorporated for zoning and subdivision code update for $49,872. Second. Any discussion?

So, we've been trying to do this for years and years, trying to get this funded. Um, you know, parts of the zoning code have been changed, parts haven't. when we adopted pseudos. We're not sure if we have conflict with some of that. So, this is really to clean up that entire area of the code to get it compliant, accurate, and not have any conflicts that might give issues going forward. And it'll kind of get us in line with what other communities are doing. So, somebody wants to come and develop knows exactly what they do and don't have to do here cuz right now it is kind of hit and miss. And again, we just have hodge podgeed together best we could. This will do a comprehensive review and it's been needed for a number of years. We're finally going to get this done. So that's what we're doing.

Is that where the erosion control comes in? A little bit of everything.

Roll call, please. W. Yes. Herman. Yes. Joan, yes. Becky, yes. Yes. This is the second reading of ordinance 1179, an ordinance amending the Waverly Municipal Code Streets to add chapter 89, maintenance of rightway. Council, do I have a motion? I move to approve the second reading of ordinance 1179, an ordinance amending the Waverly Municipal Code Streets to add chapter 89, maintenance of rightway. Second. Any discussion? Roll call vote, please. Harmon, yes. Jones, yes. Becky, yes. Rafie,

yes. Yes.

Resolution 26-123, a resolution approving Bolton and Bank, Inc. task order number five to the agreement for professional services and approving a proposal and standard fee schedule for HRS surveying for the site survey. Do I have a motion? I move to approve resolution 26-123, a resolution approving Bolton and Mink Incorporated task order number five to the agreement for professional services, excuse me, for $28,000 and approving a proposal and standard fee schedule for HRS surveying for the site survey for $5,500 for 13th Avenue Southwest between 4th Street Southwest and 3rd Street Southwest. Any discussion? Roll call vote, please. Jones,

yes. Mackey, yes. Rocky, yes. Wolf, yes. Carmen, yes.

Resolution 26-124, a resolution approving a quote from BNB Lawncare, Inc. for installation of irrigation at the north end of Coleman Park and authorizing the leisure services director to sign the quote. Do I have a motion? I'll move to approve resolution 26-124, a resolution approving a quote from the BNB Lawn Care, Inc. in the amount of $4,42242 for installation of irrigation at the north end of Coleman Park and authorizing the leisure services director to sign the quote. Second. Any discussion?

Just had a question maybe for Garrett. Looks like they're going to try to get this done fairly quickly this summer. A couple of weeks. Have you talked to the Chamber of Commerce about whether the band concerts will move during that time? It it'll it'll be after Oh, are they done by then? Correct. Oh, okay. Yep. Yep. It'll be um we've got a plan for vans. Okay. Before October. Mother Nature permitting. Okay. Thanks. Uh, roll call vote, please. Maggie, yes. Roie, yep. Wolf, yes. Harmon, yes. Jones, yes.

Council, you've received the reports from boards and commissions. Is there any discussion? That brings us to staff updates. All right. So, I do have a few about uh flowers, garden stuff, and trees. Uh we'll start with the flowers. The uh planters have all been planted uh thanks to volunteers uh from the uh chamber staff, uh chamber staff and city staff. Uh they got those all planted. They're red, white, and blue this year for the 250th. Um, we have uh hanging planters coming later this week for uh Coleman Park as well. Uh, we got the courthouse trees, the other 12 planted there a couple of weeks ago. Uh, so those are all in now. We had a planting last week with the middle schoolers. Uh, that was 52 trees between the cemetery, the library, and at Waverly Utilities. And then we got 30 new uh trees for the golf course, which uh special thanks to Councilman Jones. Uh he went and picked them up for us, brought them back to the course. Um so, thank you, Brent. Thanks to Baja Trucking for uh doing that for us. That saved us a lot getting those here that way. And I got to add, too, they are very large trees that are going to the golf course. They're about uh anywhere from 12 to 15t uh tall starting out. So, they're good trees starting out there.

Uh then, let's see.

We got the uh community gardens planted. Uh that would have been two Saturdays ago on May 9th. Uh so, the community sharing gardens are all uh ready to go and hopefully producing a lot of food uh this summer. And then I'm sure uh some of you have seen the work being done on the amphitheater. Uh three of the ribs were removed and uh we've got the new ones up there. Uh they're just doing some finishing touches on that and then the whole amphitheater will be stained. So we've got a uh we've got that in the works as well. Uh we're still waiting on the glass to get in that goes between the ribs, but uh they're having a little problem uh getting the glass in, but we'll get that taken care of as well. I think that's all I've got for you tonight. A quick update on the damn lights. They are up and operational if you all have seen them. Um this weekend we're supposed to be running the red, white, and blue for Memorial Day weekend or this coming following weekend. Um, so if you got any any issues or anything, forward them on to us. We're constantly adjusting them. Uh, they they took a little more tweaking than what we thought they would, so we have gotten down to a good good level right now. I'd like to follow up with the issue we had out at the brush dump. I want to thank all the first responders in other cities that helped out uh reacting to that fire. Um, we are fully operational now. Uh, everything's back up and running. We're hauling mulch. Um, minimal damage surprisingly on the stuff that we actually wanted to keep. Um, the fires are actually out right now. They were smoldered for a little bit, but everything's back up and going. And you wouldn't believe how many people actually used that because we had a lot of phone calls when it was closed for a few days there. Thank you everyone.

That's all we have tonight. All right, city council comments. Council person Rothy.

Um, I want to thank everybody who came out and played Saturday morning at the golf course for the Exchange Club annual golf tournament. It's one of our biggest fundraisers. They finally had great weather and the course was in beautiful shape though. So, thank you to everybody who participated. Um, and thanks to Justin for communicating with one of the neighbors to Coleman Park about the lights shining at her house and they've been adjusted and um, she's much happier. Um, I just want to make comment about Brewood. I think, you know, progress happens. There's going to be a lot of changes on that corner. Um, and obviously that's a what a valuable property. But I I feel a little sense of grief grieving that it's going away or has gone away. Um you know that was first an orphanage and then a residential treatment center for troubled youth and those troubled youth have not gone away. They've not disappeared. Now there just is no place here in town to treat them. And I think um you know staffing a facility like that is difficult. Finding qualified staff is difficult. But um you know I just want to put in a plug that that I think um insurance companies uh the government and people need to support treatment of those kids cuz uh trauma and severe mental illness uh are not disappearing. If anything they're uh increasing. So I just want to thank all the staff that have worked there over the years. I know they had some troubles at the end and I thank the police department and other first responders who helped out there, but I just don't want us to forget the good work that happened there.

Council person Herman, nothing tonight. Council person Jones,

Council Person Mackey. Hey, I'd just like to say a big congratulations to the uh Waverly Historic Preservation Committee Commission, excuse me, for the terrific program that they put on at the um right between Suby Depot and Western Dorfs Auto, which they kind of got both properties involved there. It was their annual May um event and they had great pictures. They had a speaker from Charleston. So he come down who's evidently knows more about railroads than anybody probably in the planet and he gave about a 20 30 minute uh speech with all just stories and everything. It was truly fascinating. Had a decent crowd probably 40 50 people there and it was yeah it was well done and well presented and just really quite fun and the uh pictures that Ed put on his um windows are still there. So if anyone wants to go by and take a look, it's worth going over and saying he's got some neat things.

Thank you, Council Person Wolf Mill tonight. And our guest council person, I want to say thank you for letting me hang out with you guys. Um I might sound a little unusual, but I had fun. So thank you. And I, as someone who's lived here for almost 6 years, I'm really excited, looking forward to what town has to offer this morning. So very excited. Well, thank you. We're glad you could join us. Um, so my comments, I went on Friday to a middle school and they were practicing civil discourse and they had a discussion about ebikes that I got to sit in with and I think it was seventh graders. They did such a good job understanding and asking questions and they have asked in the fall if we would do a little more of a collaboration because they're changing how they'd run classes if the class periods are going to be longer. So, I'm just throwing that out there now. I said I I said I would be willing to help and I would um put it out there for counsel if anybody is interested in the fall as we're figuring out what that looks like to collaborate with seventh and eighth graders. I think it's awesome that we have kids that age who are interested in what's going on. They ask intelligent questions. The way they spoke with one another and they had practiced, their teacher told me they had practiced, but it was very very um a it was very cute and b it was very nice to see that kids were moving in that direction. So that is all I have for my comments at this moment. Um, okay. Talking about executive session to discuss the purchase of sale or sale of particular real estate only where premature disclosure could be reasonably expected to increase the price of the governmental body would have to pay for that property or reduce the price the governmental body would receive for that property as provided by section 21.51J of the code of Iowa. Do I have a motion?

I move that we enter into executive session to discuss strategy with council in matters that are presently in litigation or where litigation is eminent where its disclosure would be likely to prejudice or disadvantage the position of the governmental body in that litigation as provided by section 21.5C of the code of Iowa. Second. That is the wrong session. Oh, sorry. Did I have a comment? No. Mayor's comments is the correct one. Oh, okay. Under you want me to repeat them, may yours? Yes. Okay. Sorry about that.

It's okay. Um to I move we uh enter into executive session to discuss the purchase or sale of particular real estate only where premature disclosure could be reasonably expected to increase the price the governmental body would have to pay for that property or reduce the price the governmental body would receive for that property as provided by section 21.51J of the code of Iowa. Second. Any discussion? Roll call vote please. Rocky. Yes. Wolf. Yes. Armen. Yes. Jones. Yes. Matthew. Yes. Okay. So, at this point, we're moving into close se session. Um, everybody out.