City Council Meeting Regular Session
Tuesday, August 13, 2024, at 6:30 p.m.
City Hall Council Room, 480 Third Avenue, Atkins, Iowa, 52206

Minutes
Mayor Bruce Visser called the meeting to order at 6:30 pm.
Present were Council members EJ Bell, David Fisher, Jim Koehn, Samantha Petersen in-person and Trevor Dursky by phone. Absent: none. Also present was Interim City Administrator Sandi Fowler and members of the public.
Petersen moved to approve the agenda. Koehn seconded. Council member Dursky requested to amend the motion to consider removing item #5 regarding the purchase of a service vehicle. Bell seconded. Discussion indicated that the item would be back on a future agenda. The vote on the amendment to the motion was held with Ayes: Petersen, Dursky. Nays: Koehn, Fisher, Bell. The motion to remove the item failed.
The vote on the original motion to approve the agenda: Ayes: Petersen, Koehn, Fisher, Bell, and Dursky. Nays: none. Motion carried.
Koehn moved to approve the consent agenda. Petersen seconded. Consent agenda items included Council Minutes for July 18, July 23, July 29, and August 6, 2024, List of Bills for Approval, and Resolution 2024-08-01 authorizing payment of contractor’s pay request 6 in the amount of $159,412.17 to Ralston Eco Homes LLC of Shellsburg, Iowa per IEDA CONTRACT 20-DRH-013. Ayes: Fisher, Koehn, Petersen, Bell, and Dursky. Nays: none. Motion carried.
List of Bills:
CITY OF ATKINS – ACCOUNTS PAYABLE RUN
CLAIMS REPORT 08.13.24
VENDOR REFERENCE AMOUNT
TREASURER STATE OF IOWA WET TAX JULY 2024 2,360.95
RICK BRAMMER/ABSOLUTE SCIENCE SUMMER READING-FOAM BLASTER 375.00
ALLIANT ENERGY UTILITY EXP 18,826.19
ATKINS LUMBER CO. INC. SUPPLIES 192.12
BADGER METER ORION CELLULAR 93.11
BAKER & TAYLOR BOOKS 39.92
CATERPILLAR FINANCIAL SER LEASE FOR EXCAVATOR 3,079.76
CHEM-SULT, INC. CHEMICALS 3,111.05
CRAWFORD QUARRY MINUS 540.80
Creative Technologies SUPPORT FOR SEPT, OCT, NOV 1,018.00
D P PROPERTIES CLEANING -JULY 24 948.00
ECICOG CDBG-DR GRANT 3,637.50
FOWLER PUBLIC SECTOR CONS CONSULTING 071524-080224 7,812.50
GAZETTE COMMUNICATIONS, Inc. MINUTES 7/23 164.60
HARN R/O SYSTEMS3 VITEC 500 LB DRUM 2,536.00
HI – VIZ SAFETY SIGNS 812.00
LARRY FRANCK TRUCKING LLC HAULING 228.29
MIDAMERICAN ENERGY UTILITY EXP 78.94
OVERDRIVE BRIDGES E-BOOK CONTENT 793.44
ROXITEK LLC RADIO INTERFACE CABLE 227.50
THE DEPOT EXPRESS FUEL-JULY 2024 893.37
U S CELLULAR CELL PHONES 252.72
WASTE MANAGEMENT GARBAGE COLLECTION 16,605.00
Accounts Payable Total 64,626.76
Payroll Checks –
REPORT TOTAL 64,626.76
NO FUND ASSIGNED
GENERAL 30,309.54
ROAD USE TAX 5,435.79
CDGG-DR HOUSING GRANT 3,637.50
WATER 13,447.96
SEWER 11,795.97
TOTAL FUNDS 64,626.76
Fisher moved Resolution 2024-08-02 approving Upfitting of Fire Department Ram 2500 Vehicle with Racom for a total amount of $24,067.75. Petersen seconded. Ayes: Fisher, Koehn, Petersen, Bell, and Dursky. Nays: none. Motion carried.
Koehn moved a Resolution approving the purchase of a 2024 Chevrolet Silverado 2500HD 4WD Double Cab 162” Work Truck from McGrath Fleet and Commercial for $61,463, and outfitting with safety lights and plow mount from Future Line Truck Bodies for $6,747.06 for a total purchase price of $68,210.06. Fisher seconded. The Council discussed the agenda item, asking for tours of City facilities, equipment, and operations, and requested time to see the first quarter of the fiscal year budget. Petersen requested to amend the motion and requested to table the agenda item, seconded by Dursky. The motion to amend the agenda passed: Ayes: Petersen, Fisher, Bell, and Dursky. Nay: Koehn. Motion carried. The original motion amended to table to the item passed: Ayes: Petersen, Fisher, Bell, and Dursky. Nay: Koehn. Motion carried.
Koehn moved Resolution 2024-08-03 approving Bankers’ Bank Business Card Application for the City of Atkins. Dursky seconded. The Council discussed the need for a City credit card use policy to be in place for this action. Ayes: Fisher, Koehn, Petersen, Bell, and Dursky. Nays: none. Motion carried.
A presentation regarding a Tax Increment Financing Proposal and Timeline for Stone Ridge 5th Addition was made by Interim City Administrator Sandi Fowler and a timeline outlined for the process. Petersen moved Resolution 2024-08-04 authorizing an engagement letter with Speer Financial, Inc. for Tax Increment Financing Services. Koehn seconded. Ayes: Fisher, Koehn, Petersen, Bell, and Dursky. Nays: none. Motion carried.
Bell moved Resolution 2024-08-05 approving an agreement with ToMoRrow’s Solutions for Public Sector Employer’s LLC, Teresa M. Rotschafer to provide financial consulting services. Petersen seconded. Discussion requested an annual $25,000 maximum added to the agreement. Ayes: Fisher, Koehn, Petersen, Bell, and Dursky. Nays: none. Motion carried.
Fisher moved Resolution 2024-08-06 approving an agreement with ESG Professional Accountants to provide payroll services. Bell seconded. Ayes: Fisher, Koehn, Petersen, Bell, and Dursky. Nays: none. Motion carried.
Fowler presented information regarding proposals received for Executive Search Services. The Council discussed the services offered and agreed to hear presentations from the two responding firms, indicating that they are interested in a search for the city administrator position only at this time.
Mayor Bruce Visser reported that he attended recent Benton County Conservation and REAP meetings, and that Watermelon Days was a success last weekend.
The Council thanked Fire Chief Dan Rammelsberg for submitting the Fire Department’s quarterly report, and asked that it would be helpful to also see comparison data from last year regarding calls for service. Fire Chief Rammelsberg was congratulated on his 25 years of service to the department.
There were no Council reports.
The Council discussed future agenda items, requesting that a policy regarding the use of ATVs be developed and that agreements such as the recent golf cart rental be considered by the City Council. Interim City Administrator Fowler indicated that she would add these two policy requests to the City’s projects list.
There was no public input, and no written correspondence received.
The next regular City Council meeting will be held on August 27, 2024, at 6:30 p.m. City Hall/Library, Council Room, 480 3rd Avenue, Atkins, IA.
Fisher moved to adjourn the meeting. Bell seconded. Ayes: Fisher, Koehn, Petersen, Bell, and Dursky. Motion carried. Meeting adjourned at 8:50 pm.
Sandi Fowler, Interim City Administrator
Bruce Visser, Mayor