Monday's City Council meeting opened with the Pledge of Allegiance, a prayer, and a consent agenda that included beer/liquor licenses for two restaurants.
There was a discussion of the possibility of bringing in an alternate waste contractor. Coincidentally, the Betterment group had also intended to raise the issue of changing sanitation companies.
From there the council moved on to approving the hiring of a new officer Michael Knapp, who was promptly sworn in. Officer Knapp was gracious in accepting the position, and thanking the council for the opportunity. Knapp said he had previously served on the Clarion police force, for a year and a half.
Officer Mark Hennigar then took to the podium to discuss the need for uniform, city owned sidearms for the officers, for a host of reasons ranging from personal liability to availability and cost of ammunition, especially in training and qualifying use. He proposed the purchase of a supply of glock handguns and accessories, including red dot sights, which Hennigar stated would increase night time accuracy by up to 30 percent. The council then voted to purchase the equipment. Presently, several officers are supplying their own sidearms.
The council then set a public hearing for the purchase of an Ambulance. That hearing is scheduled for October 17, at 6:30 p.m..
Then the council adjusted the wages and job descriptions in the EMS service to conform with new state rules, while also eliminating the bonus structure and the excessively low seeming hourly wages, replacing both with a more competitive standard wage structure.
From there the council moved on to its sixth planned agenda item,this year's 99th resolution, authorizing an employee sharing agreement with Eagle Grove Recreation. At this point, Tommy Yackle of the Betterment Committee group asked to be heard, and in a departure from more discordant recent meetings, the Mayor invited him to take the podium, which he did without hesitation. And then, in a much more reserved, non-confrontational manner than in recent meetings, Yackle addressed the Council with a list of questions drawn up by his group before the meeting.
Who is the employee? What will this person be doing? Have there been other applicants for this position? When was this 'employee sharing' idea presented to the council? (Was it before or after Mid-June when the Eagle Grove Rec board was established?) Is this person giving up their city position, and re-applying for the new 'shared" position? Is there a budget established for this person's pay scale, and benefit package? What is the city's budgeted amount? Does Eagle Grove Recreation have money to afford their half of the employee's cost? What is Eagle Grove Recreation's budgeted amount? Who does this person report to? Is there a committee made up of both the city + Eagle Grove Recreation who will periodically evaluate this person's performance?
To each of those questions the council offered answers, primarily by City Administrator Bryce Davis. Yackle seemed satisfied with the responses, for the time being.
To one more question, "Is there currently a sign at Greenwood construction site that informs us where the money for the project is coming from, the building permit, whom the engineer and all contractors working on this per State Labor Laws," the council was unable to answer on the spot. With Mayor McGrath asking Yackle if he knew the answer.
The whole exchange was decidedly more civil than has been recently seen, and very encouraging. And notably, future speakers took the podium as well, which seemed to encourage taking turns, and speaking politely, and purposefully.
From there the council went on to approve some Parks & Rec purchases, payments on pay applications regarding the Upper Story Housing Conversion project, totaling $88,821 to Torkelson Construction. Next the council approved renovations of two properties. After which the council discussed a change order to Heartland Asphalt in the amount of $34,949.60 and approving a pay application to Heartland amounting to $131,263.92.
The council heard from engineer Becky Schwab of SEH regarding the progress of work on Wright Street. Which included a discussion of shoddy asphalt work that would be redone, not at the city's expense.
The council then took care of some housekeeping, approving a resolution authorizing signatories on the city's accounts, in preparation for the eventual retirement of the city's current financial officer. Then the council made some adjustments to the city's alcoholic beverage control ordinance. Discussed "Beggar's Night" festivities, deciding to coordinate with the Chamber of Commerce, took action on an engagement letter for a new fiscal audit for the 2022 fiscal year.
Finally, the city held their department reports, which were scant, before entering into a closed session to discuss a land acquisition.
