Belle Plaine, Iowa
October 2, 2024
The Belle Plaine City Council met on October 2, 2024, at 6:30 p.m. in the Council Chambers at Belle Plaine City Hall with Mayor Lyle Morrow presiding. Present were Councilpersons Judy Schlesselman, Charmaine Wickwire, Mitch Malcolm, Garrett Landuyt, and Dillion McGrane. City Administrator Stephen Beck, City Attorney Gage Kensler, and City Clerk Sandy Walton were also present. The Pledge of Allegiance was recited.
Motion by Schlesselman, seconded by Malcolm to approve the Consent Agenda, Council Minutes of September 18th, receiving and filing of the minutes from the August 27th meeting of the Belle Plaine Community Library Board of Trustees, and bills received. On roll call vote, all voted aye, motion carried 5-0.
Resident Comments: None
Kyle Parizek presented the fire department’s proposal for an additional change order of the new fire truck from Toyne by changing the engine. This would reduce the total cost of the truck. Motion by McGrane, seconded by Wickwire to approve moving forward with the Change Order. On roll call vote, Schlesselman, Wickwire, Malcolm, and McGrane voted aye; Landuyt abstained due to being on the fire department. Motion carried.
Elise Lohrer provided additional details on Halloween Fest activities. Motion by Malcolm, seconded by Landuyt to approve the closing of 12th Street from 9th Ave to 10th Ave (library and museum area) on Sunday, October 27th from 2pm to 5pm for Halloween Fest activities. On roll call vote, all voted aye, motion carried 5-0.
Dave Hrabak gave the quarterly report from the Community Center. There is fresh paint on the doors and around the windows and the floors are being redone. New thermostats are being installed and new tables are being purchased. The rental agreement is also being updated.
April Kressley presented a report from the Parks & Recreation Department. Sound Park has had a full restoration. The Franklin Park Bathroom project has been completed with only a minor touch-up to the floor yet needed. The pickleball courts at Franklin Park should be done in the next week or so. The new website is up, and we are still working out the kinks. Fall participation numbers in volleyball and flag football have been very good. She extended a special thanks to all the volunteer coaches! This year’s pool season is complete.
The City Council was given an update on the progress of sidewalk completion from letters that were sent to residents this spring. There was also a discussion on sidewalk liability. A few suggestions on making next year’s process work a little more smoothly will be utilized in the spring.
The City Council discussed possible changes to the Employee Handbook relating to Employee Leave. Comparisons were made with policies from several surrounding communities to ensure that we are being competitive. The City Clerk will create a revised draft of “Section 4. Leave Benefits” for the council’s official approval at the next meeting.
Due to the fact that very few people take advantage of extended hours for the Clerk’s Office on Thursday evenings, the Clerk’s Office in City Hall will close at 5:00pm starting on November 1, 2024. Regular office hours will be 8:30am to 5:00pm Monday through Friday. This will be revisited again next spring.
Motion by Wickwire, seconded by Schlesselman to approve a 2024-2025 tobacco permit for October 2024 through June 2025 for Country Foods, 1206 7th Ave., Belle Plaine, Iowa (ownership change). On roll call vote, all voted aye, motion carried 5-0.
Motion by Landuyt, seconded by Wickwire to approve an ownership update of a Class E Retail Alcohol License with Sunday Sales for Country Foods, 1206 7th Ave., Belle Plaine, Iowa. On roll call vote, all voted aye, motion carried 5-0.
The City Administrator, Steve Beck, gave several updates. The property at 1502 6th Avenue has changed hands. The bank has hired a crew to finish updates to this property and work is in progress. Steve has been working with Nate from Fehr Graham on water stuff, grants, mapping, and quotes. The well levels have improved compared to where they were last year at this time, but still lower than preferred. We will be trying to flush more hydrants this fall. We are working on either a 0% SRF Planning and Design Loan or a GO Bond to be in place before December 1st. Steve has been speaking with the DOT about raising highway 21 south of Belle Plaine to help with spring flooding concerns. There is no timeline yet for this project as the state is working on project funding.
The mayor reported on the landfill meeting he recently attended. He also asked the council members to determine a date that will work to hold an Airport Workshop. The council selected Wednesday, October 23rd at 6:30pm for the joint meeting between the City Council members and the Airport Commission. Meeting will be held in the City Council Chambers.
Correspondence: Notice has been received regarding the immediate Revocation of Teamsters #238 Certification for the police union.
Old Business: The burnt garage continues to be a nuisance at 1512 2nd Avenue. The City Council is having our attorney issue a final 10-day notice to the owners that the garage must be torn down or the owners will be cited.
Resident Comments: None
In Committee of the Whole, the city council discussed possible changes to the Urban Renewal Plan for Tax Abatement. Some direction has been given to how they think they would like to proceed; however, they would like to see what nearby communities have for policy. The City Clerk will bring that information to the next meeting for consideration.
Information was given to the city council regarding the city possibly supporting the NLC Service Line Warranty Program. They would like some additional information before making a decision on whether to participate. Also, the potential agreement will be forwarded to our City Attorney for review. This will appear as an agenda item at a future meeting.
An initial discussion on Zoning Regulations was held. The council had many questions as to where to start making changes. We will need to look at the state code to see what items are within the council’s power to affect. The City Clerk will also prepare a more detailed listing of the many properties that are too small and therefore non-conforming. The council members will address this again at the next meeting.
Motion by Landuyt, seconded by Schlesselman to adjourn the meeting. All voted aye, motion carried 5-0. The meeting was adjourned at 10:15 p.m.
Lyle Morrow, Mayor
Attest: Sandra Walton, City Clerk
Transcribed by the City Clerk subject to Council approval.
Jim Magdefrau 