This week’s city council meeting saw updates on urban renewal bonds, the music enrichment and immersive center, a replacement UTV for the Clear Lake Fire Department, updates on city projects and preparations for the July 4th events.
City Administrator Scott Flory began the foray into “new business,” as he commonly does, by presenting a review of general obligation urban renewal bonds, series 2024B.
It brought up the motion to approve “Resolution #24-51,” a resolution authorizing and approving a certain loan agreement for the issuance of $5,085, 000 of general obligation renewal bonds and providing for the levy of taxes to pay the same. Additionally, the motion to approve continuing disclosure certificate and approval of registrar/paying agent Agreement by city council.
Following the approvals by the council, Flory introduced the music enrichment and immersive center project, one that has been talked about for a while and is finally reaching development.
The council also were given a presentation by members of Trivium Interactive and Electrosonic, the two companies that will be working to make this project a reality. More information on this can be found in the story on page 7A.
The next order of business was the purchase of a replacement UTV for the Clear Lake Fire Department. This was brought to the council by Fire Chief Doug Meyers.
Their current UTV was actually donated to the department in 2004.
“We solicited from three different vendors, three different brands, actually, trying to get a wide variety of capabilities,” Meyers said.
They had three options and in reviewing them, the Can Am and the Bobcat options had lower horsepower, lower ground clearance and lower capacity.
“The Polaris Ranger was mid-line in the bidding in 20,311.45,” Meyers said. “As you [the council] recall, during our budget planning sessions and workshops, that allocated up to $35,000 for this project.”
Last Thursday, the membership of the department agreed to fund a partial purchase of a water tank and portable pump unit that would go in the back of this UTV.
“That price was from a company out of California for $10,285,” Meyers said. “We realize that puts us over out $35,000 limit, so the volunteers and their fundraising efforts would offset that initial cost to keep it at that $35,000 budgeted amount.”
One of the other things talked about was what to do with the old unit and during their budget session, they found that the Parks Department was looking to purchase one also.
“So we felt that maybe transferring our existing unit to the Parks Department, they could keep the tank and the pump that’s in there,” Meyers said. “The parks department members would remove the warning lights and the signage and put on new ones.”
They would also be using some of the proceeds from their pancake breakfast to give it back to the community.
Following the fire chief was the police chief to give his biweekly report to the council.
Police Chief Mike Colby mentioned how the department was preparing for the 4th of July and other happenings.
“We had out department meeting, at the meeting we covered important topics. We had prairie ridge come in and give a 45 minute presentation and it was kind of a two way conversation back and forth for the entire staff of the PD on substance abuse,” Colby said. “And some of the things that Prairie Ridge offers and to lower stresses of our employees that are involved in with the first responders.”
The department has partnered with Prairie Ridge six to nine months and they’re doing a study on substance abuse and violence that CLPD has partnered with them to be a part of a data set that they are collecting for employers in the area.
“And then they’ll bring some of their information back here to the PD in about six months and maybe have some programs and stuff for those who wish to participate in. Free of cost for the city and the employees that do so,” Colby said. “Something we are trying to do with our partners that we partner with a little east of us here. Trying to make a better work environment and a better community as a whole.”
They also covered some legal updates, like an hour of Below 100, which is a non-profit organization dedicated to reducing line-of-duty deaths and injuries among law enforcement officers through innovative training and awareness initiatives.
“That covers wearing vests, driving, seatbelt and a bunch of different safety things that officers can do to limit their risk while their working in the line of duty,” Colby said.
During the department meeting they also gave three awards to three officers for their service.
One officer received a life-saving award for administering CPR to an individual in the community that was able to go to the hospital and return back home.
Officer Smith was given an award for fighting a fire in the middle of the night. Putting the fire out, evacuating the residences that were in danger of having the fire spread to it.
And Officer Hall was given a life-saving award for his administration of first aid to a gentlemen who was involved in a crash.
Finance Director Jacob Widman continued the evening, giving the council his updates.
He updated the council on FY 2025 ICAP property and casualty insurance renewal, a review of proposed Forfeited Vacation Buy-Back program, an update on filing of Annual Report with IEDA for Destination Iowa Project and review of proposal to update ambulance user fees.
“We’re looking at the buy-back policy for vacation that’s been forfeited. And so every employee in the city is given a certain amount of vacation allowance based on years of service,” Widman said. “I believe its anywhere from two weeks to five weeks an employee is alloted.”
Unfortunately, some position aren’t able to use all that, ether because of things that are going on in the department, maybe they’re short staffed or maybe there’s just a lot of different things going on in the city and employees don’t feel like they have enough time to take off for vacation.
“We do have employees who forfeit vacation every year, some that have a lot of vacation every year,” Widman said. “And so we’re looking at a way that we could show those employees that we appreciate them, give them something as opposed to that vacation going away. And so that’s where the impetus of this policy came from.
“This policy would pay you back 60 cents on the dollar for anywhere between eight hours and 48 hours, is what we’re looking at,” Widman said. “To just provide a little bit of benefit to those employees. And looking at next time, we’ll probably bring it back to the council for approval.”
The Destination Iowa project has finally reached a time for an annual report.
“We’ve had some quarterly reports that we’ve been doing for the state, which we’re continuing to do,” Widman said. “But then we just had our first annual report on it that we had to submit to the state at the end of June.”
The report gave an update on where the project is at and updating cost figures on it.
“As Scott [Flory] mentioned before, there’s a lot of administration stuff involved with this grant and making sure we’re in compliance,” Widman said. “So, even with doing a report, there’s a couple of things that came out that decided a couple of things.”
Another report will be sent a year from now, when the project is further along.
Widman also brought up updating ambulance user fees, as they have not been updated since July 1, 2019, and they received a recommendation from a third party company to increase their rates.
“So, it’s been over five years now and you all know that in that time we’ve seen a ton of inflation,” Widman said. “So we’re just looking at doing a refresh on those rates, getting them up to date to those standard insurance rates.”
In other business, City Engineer Matthew Steding brought his usual project updates to the council.
These projects were City Hall (administrative side) security and accessibility, S. Shore Estates housing development project, Surf District Streetscape improvement, North 20th Street pickleball and basketball courts and the 2024 Alley Construction Project.
“Not to sound like a broken record, but we’re still waiting on casework,” Steding said of city hall updates. “That’s a real problem. So, waiting on that currently as well as the front entrance framework and ballistic glass for the reception area. Those two things are actually completed, waiting to ship until the casework is installed in the reception area.
“Everything’s been done short of busting down Leelan’s door. So, unless we want to go that route, which I don’t think Chief Colby want me to do, we’re gonna hurry up and wait a little bit for that.”
Moving on to South Shore Estates, units 29 and 30 are completed and Alliant is set to come in on July 6 to do the underground and set the transformers on the twin home unit, weather permitting.
“Some of the single family lots, that I believe have been sold or are currently in the works of being sold, they’re looking to break ground on the foundation portions on those early August, weather permitting,” Steding said. “And shortly after that, they’ll be also finishing up those twin homes that are looking to be completed there.”
The driveways and the sidewalks have been completed all the way through the twin home area and then stopped until the residential portion of the single families get developed out.
Surf District Streetscape is making some good progress.
“I’m sure everyone has seen the sidewalk pavers starting to take place,” Steding said. “We actually just opened up the sidewalk from the east side of the surface entrance all the way to Buddy Holly [Pl.] in front of the Surf side, so that sidewalk’s been completed.”
They will continue down North Shore in front of the Surf this week and hopefully starting to get some of those next few pieces completed.
“I’m currently working with Jaden Electric, we’re going along the south side of North Shore right now, doing some hydro backing going down where they’re going to set light pole bases,” Steding said. “So those are going to be getting set throughout this week and then we’re going to move and go along Seventh Avenue and get those light pole bases set as well.”
Weather permitting to most of the pieces of this project currently.
The pickleball and basketball courts are 50 percent complete, with the basketball courts painted and ready to go.
“We have the concrete banding completed around the exterior of the pickleball courts, Public Works did that,” Steding said. “And then they had the fence set around three sides, so the east, west and south side of the pickleball courts and then set. The basketball court has been painted, and completed and the hoops are up, so anybody who wants to challenge Scott [Flory] or I in a game, we’re up for it.”
Acrylic Surfacing is working in Garner currently, having faced some setbacks with weather, but they are set to come in next week, weather permitting, to start the acrylic surfacing of the pickleball courts.
Then Public Works can get in and finish the concrete portion.
The Alley Reconstruction Project is all but completed as of the council meeting.
“Everybody, every family. Tourists, guests, everybody will be able to cross those with strollers and everything without a problem,” Steding said. “So that project is pretty well wrapped up and everything went well.”
Stacy Doughan gave her update on the preparations for the Fourth of July to wrap things up and then the meeting was adjourned.
