Belle Plaine, Iowa
December 2, 2020
The Belle Plaine City Council met on December 2, 2020 at 6:00 p.m. in the council chambers with Mayor Dave Fish presiding. Present: Mary Pech. Judy Schlesselman, Mitch Malcolm, and Garrett Landuyt all were present by Zoom and Mark Tegeler who arrived on Zoom at 6:11 p.m. Also, present: City Administrator Stephen Beck and City Clerk Jacki McDermott, and Assistant City Attorney Gage Kensler by Zoom.
The Pledge of Allegiance was recited.
Motion by Landuyt approve the consent agenda consisting of the council minutes of November 18, 2020, and bills received, seconded by Malcolm. On roll call, all voted aye. Motion carried.
Residents Comments: None.
Chief Hudson was present to talk about four nuisance complaints and the backlog of court cases. City Administrator Steve Beck is to write letters to each of the residents cited about the following council votes. Motion by Landuyt, seconded by Pech to send an encouragement letter to Shawn Arey that he still has stuff to do yet and he needs to be finished by March 1, 2021, or the city will take legal action. On roll call vote, all voted aye, motion carried. Motion by Malcolm, seconded by Schlesselman to send a letter to Johnny Hardy that he needs to register or junk the green 1996 Chevy truck and the Dodge Caravan by March 1, 2021, or the city will take legal action. On roll call vote, all voted aye, motion carried. Motion by Pech, seconded by Tegeler to send a letter to Zerba Rentals and his renter that although they were granted an extension due to the renter’s surgery, he needs to be finished with nuisance abatement by March 1, 2021, or the city will take legal action. On roll call vote, all voted aye, motion carried. Motion by Malcolm, seconded by Landuyt to send a letter to Ricki Cassill that she has until March 1, 2021, to abate her nuisance or the city will take legal action. On roll call vote, all voted aye, motion carried.
In the Committee of the Whole, the council discussed the role of Belle Plaine Community Development for the future. They will meet with BPCDC in January at the Community Center to discuss the future of Main Street Iowa program, the application of the Business Incentive Grant program, and what is the role of BPCDC and the City of Belle Plaine.
The City Administrator, Stephen Beck, notified the council that he is still working with the attorney’s office and Dorsey Whitney on a development agreement for Hilltop Apartments. He met with Garling Construction regarding bidding on projects. He also has been meeting weekly with Sandy Walton (Project Manager) and EMC insurance representatives concerning damaged to city property. He has professionals from Blue Valley from Missouri coming on December 14th to look at the damaged sirens. He reported that the trial with Karm Webert on the trailers near the elementary school has been continued until January. It is a possibility that the school might buy the lots once they are empty but the costs to create empty lots will be much higher than originally projected because no one factored in the removal of the water and sewer lines to the property.
The City Clerk reported that the waterways that had storm damage will be submitted to FEMA for consideration and that all Emergency Expenses and volunteer labor from the derecho have been submitted to FEMA. The brush grinders have returned and continue to remove debris.
Schlesselman asked about the Building Inspector and Steve Beck reported that two inspections have been done, one on Hilltop Apartments and one on a property that the city is trying to obtain on 16th Street.
Mayor Dave Fish reported that Assistant City Clerk interviews will start tomorrow (December 3) and they have seven candidates to interview from 28 who applied for the job. He hopes to be able to make a job offer by next Wednesday morning.
Bob Ausberger from Jefferson, Iowa, has asked to be on the agenda regarding the Herring Hotel. The mayor urged the council to make it clear to him what is expected concerning the hotel. Most of the council believes that to consider any kind of rebuild project it will take a million dollars up front and a complete business plan for the property. Unless those specific issues are addressed, the city will be filing paperwork for a grant to tear the building down in February.
Most of the mayor’s recent meetings have been by Zoom including the Benton County Landfill Board, Benton County Emergency Management and the East Central Iowa Council of Governments (ECICOG).
Resident Comments: None.
Old Business: None.
Correspondence: Mosquito Control of Iowa wrote to explain their spraying last year and did cut their bill because there were fewer sprayings because of the drought after the derecho.
Motion by Tegeler to adjourn the meeting, seconded by Landuyt. On roll call, all voted aye. Meeting adjourned at 7:20 p.m.
____________________________
Dave Fish, Mayor
Attest: _____________________________
Jacki McDermott, City Clerk
| Claims Approved by the City Council on December 2, 2020 | |
| $11,470.28 | Alliant Energy (electic & gas utilities-all depts) |
| $137.15 | Avesis (vision premium) |
| $739.40 | Belle Plaine Hardware (supplies – all depts) |
| $459.25 | Belle Plaine Hardware (Derecho expenses) |
| $4,534.80 | Benton County Solid Waste (landfill gate fees) |
| $700.00 | C&L Holzwarth (rehab debt repayment-2019 & 2020) |
| $2,606.25 | Chelsea Savings Bank (interest on water loan) |
| $1,800.00 | Clapsaddle-Garber Associates (Professional svcs-NPDES permit) |
| $808.95 | Countryside Vet Clinic (animal control) |
| $120.00 | Dennis Kithcart (mowing) |
| $11,500.00 | Dorsey & Whitney LLP (legal services for refunding bond 2020A) |
| $407.00 | Drahn Insurance (add 2011 Dodge Grand Caravan-airport) |
| $627.00 | Ehlen Plumbing & Heating (sewer repairs) |
| $150.00 | Fleming Irrigation (ballfield irrigation winterization) |
| $700.00 | Furler Utility Service (contractual services) |
| $87.89 | Galls (police clothing) |
| $925.48 | Goodwin Tucker Group (comm ctr dishwasher repair) |
| $959.38 | H & L Repair (dump truck repairs) |
| $1,924.00 | Iowa Dept of Rev & Finance (WET & sewer taxes) |
| $108.90 | Iowa One Call (one calls) |
| $679.44 | Jason Kaplan (reimbursement for staff development) |
| $1,470.00 | John Carlson (tear out/replace city sidewalks from storm damage) |
| $230.00 | Karl Chevrolet (police computer mount) |
| $1,796.01 | KMDE LLC (solar charges) |
| $75.00 | Lynn O’Neil (refund of comm center rent) |
| $357.26 | Manatts (ice control sand) |
| $3,170.75 | MidWest One Bank (Loan interest) |
| $4,320.00 | Mosquito Control of Iowa (mosquito control 2020) |
| $311.52 | Municipal Supply, Inc. (water supplies) |
| $10.00 | Petty Cash (power wash equipment) |
| $825.00 | Pickering Backhoe Service Inc (storm damage cleanup-wellfield) |
| $324.68 | Postmaster (water bill postage) |
| $110.12 | Storey Kenworthy (office supplies) |
| $264.24 | TASC (FSA Plan) |
| $393.75 | Thomas Company (emergency siren batteries) |
| $189.15 | UNUM Life Insurance Co (life insurance premium) |
| $7,147.82 | United Health Care (health insurance premium) |
| $830.00 | USA Communications (phone service-all depts) |
| $2,343.17 | VanWall Equipment (Plow truck repairs) |
| $80.02 | Verizon (police cell & data usage) |
| $566.18 | Wellmark (dental insurance premium) |
| $6,349.92 | Wendling Quarries (rock) |
| $72,609.76 |
