With the ongoing coronavirus pandemic in Keokuk County and across the nation, this City Council Meeting was a little different than most. Because of the Governor’s proclamation to avoid gatherings of more than 10 people, they decided to have us in the lobby with the option to rotate in and out as we needed to observe items that were important to us and to speak when we needed to report, with full minutes available in the future.
I elected not to stay for this meeting, because I didn’t want to risk unnecessary contact with other residents and I wanted to make things easier on the police officer who had to stay late to ferry us in and out of the meeting room.
Below is the agenda and I’ll upload the final Minutes when they’re published in the Sigourney News-Review.
Table of Contents
City Council Agenda Items
Consent Agenda
- Approval of a Consent Agenda
- The Consent Agenda included the approval of the minutes from the previous meeting, the Council Accounts Payable, the Library Accounts Payable, the City Clerk’s Financial Report, Payroll Expenses, Miscellaneous Expenses, ACH and Monthly Transfers, and Approval of the Credit Card Report
Public Hearings
- None this meeting!
Additional City Business
- Discussion and Possible Approval to Proceed with Vacating West Half of East-West Alley East of North Warren Street Between East Jackson Street (Highway 92) and Ringgold Street
- This item was a holdover from the previous meeting. Perhaps the resident who wasn’t able to speak previously has been located.
- Discussion and Possible Approval of Purchasing a GPS Receiver up to $3,000
- Discussion and Possible Approval of Purchasing an iPad and Accessories for GIS Usage
- Sigourney Area Development Corporation (SADC) Report – luckily we had nothing to report at this time.
Parks and Recreation
- Discussion and Possible Approval of Sigourney Ball, Inc. to Proceed with Updates at the Legion Park Baseball/Softball Fields
- This was the formal agenda item that related to the stairs they wanted to install, that they spoke about last meeting
- Discussion and Possible Approval of Resolution 2020-03-05 re: Hiring Pool Personnel for the 2020 Pool Season
- Discussion and Possible Approval of a Display Ad for Pool Pass Discount Advertising in the Sigourney News-Review
- Discussion and Possible Approval to Postpone Soccer Until Further Notice
Street and Sanitation
- Discussion and Possible Approval to Bid Out Mowing for the Summer of 2020
- Discussion and Possible Approval of Proposals for Street Projects / Patches and Financing
- Discussion and Possible Approval of LL Pelling Co. Proposal for Street Projects and Financing
- Discussion of Work Within City Right-of-Way and Easements Ordinance and Permit Application
Water and Wastewater
- Nothing on the agenda this meeting
Public Safety
There were going to be several properties of concern in town that would be discussed at this Council Meeting, it looks like those items have been postponed. The items on the agenda included:
- Discussion and Possible Approval of Postponing Rental Inspections Until Further Notice and Authorize Mayor and Rental Inspector to Consider Exceptions
- Discussion and Possible Approval of Submitting a sTEP Application Through the Governor’s Traffic Safety Bureau / Iowa Department of Public Safety
- Discussion and Possible Approval to Remove Trees in City Parking Lot
Finance
- Discussion and Possible Approval of a Merchant Agreement with AllPaid, Inc. dba GovPayNet and Authorize the Mayor to Sign
- This related to the agenda item last meeting where the city wants to allow credit cards to be accepted for payment of utility bills, with the processing fee of 2.65% being added to the person’s bill
Human Resources
- Discussion and Possible Approval to Authorize the Mayor to Make Decisions Regarding City Departments Closing and Operations
City Clerk
The next meeting will be April 1, 2020.
Public Input
I wasn’t there this meeting so I’m not sure what public input might have happened. Darn!
Conclusion
I’m looking forward to the next meeting, hopefully the looming threat of coronavirus will have declined a bit.