A chilly and gloomy day is perfect for reading a council packet at my in-laws, while the rest of the family makes home-made applesauce with Grandma! In Monday night's council meeting, Council is being asked to approve the Master Plan for a big new business park between Highway 20 and Ridgeway at Hudson Road (Item #24). We also have several preliminary/final plats to approve, as well as roadway design projects. In the packet (Items 8 and 9), we also have the biannual reports of the College Hill Partnership and Community Main Street, to see the great things they're doing in their districts.
Before the council meeting at 5:50, we'll have a Committee of the Whole session to get an update on our parking changes, and on city pavement management. Hope you can join us for these meetings in person, via Channel 15, or streaming live on YouTube. Thank you for seeking to be informed and engaged residents!
Call to Order by the Mayor
Roll Call
Approval of Minutes
1. Regular Meeting of October 7, 2019. No questions.
Agenda Revisions
Special Order of Business
2. Public hearing on a proposed ordinance granting a partial property tax exemption to Broadstone BCI Iowa, L.L.C. for construction of an industrial use warehouse and production facility at 2900 Capital Way. This is the public's opportunity to comment on this item.
a) Receive and file proof of publication of notice of hearing. (Notice published October 11, 2019)
b) Written communications filed with the City Clerk.
c) Oral comments.
3. Pass an ordinance granting a partial property tax exemption to Broadstone BCI Iowa, L.L.C. for construction of an industrial use warehouse and production facility at 2900 Capital Way, upon its first consideration. Council previously approved this partial tax exemption for the property in September 2017. I believe that council has a duty to follow through on these kinds of agreements; it does seem a little strange that this would even come up for a vote. Wouldn't the city be in trouble if we didn't approve the previously-agreed-on exemption? I'll ask.
Old Business
4. Pass Ordinance #2955, amending Section 26-118 of the Code of Ordinances by removing property located in the vicinity of 1700-2000 Union Road from the A-1, Agricultural District, and placing the same in the R-1, Residence District, upon its third & final consideration. This new subdivision north of the new high school has been discussed in previous council meetings. No questions.
5. Pass Ordinance #2956, amending Chapter 19, Streets and Sidewalks, of the Code of Ordinances relative to monument mailboxes, upon its third & final consideration. Discussed in previous council. No questions. City staff and CFU have recommended against monument -style mailboxes being allowed in front of houses. Butlong as we make clear to residents that the city won't be liable for more than a nominal sum if the city has to remove it (for road/utility repairs, etc.), I don't believe the city should limit this kind of home accessory on private property.
6. Pass Ordinance #2957, amending Chapter 23, Traffic and Motor Vehicles, of the Code of Ordinances relative to establishing a 35 miles per hour speed limit on Ridgeway Avenue from Hudson Road east to Iowa Highway 58, upon its second consideration. Straightforward, no questions.
New Business
Consent Calendar: (The following items will be acted upon by voice vote on a single motion without separate discussion, unless someone from the Council or public requests that a specific item be considered separately.)
7. Receive and file the Committee of the Whole minutes of October 7, 2019 relative to the following items: Simply enters the COW minutes into the record as an accurate reflection what transpired a the meeting. No questions.
a) Census Update.
b) Creekside Technology Center Master Plan.
c) Bills & Payroll.
8. Receive and file the Bi-Annual Report of Community Main Street relative to FY20 Self-Supported Municipal Improvement District (SSMID) Funds and an FY20 Economic Development Grant. Community Main Street receives tax money from downtown businesses; this annual report shows what those taxes have been doing for that district, to help justify continuing that SSMID tax. No questions.
9. Receive and file the Bi-Annual Report of College Hill Partnership relative to FY20 Self-Supported Municipal Improvement District (SSMID) Funds and an FY20 Economic Development Grant. College Hill Partnership receives tax money from downtown businesses; this annual report shows what those taxes have been doing for that district, to help justify continuing that SSMID tax. No questions.
10. Approve the following applications for beer permits and liquor licenses: City Council is the approving authority for all alcohol licenses and permits. No questions.
a) Aldi Inc., 6322 University Avenue, Class C beer & Class B wine - renewal.
b) Pablo's Mexican Grill, 310 Main Street, Class B beer - renewal.
c) Fareway Store, 4500 South Main Street, Class E liquor - renewal.
d) Fleet Farm, 108 West Ridgeway Avenue, Class C beer & Class B wine - new.
e) Fleet Farm, 400 West Ridgeway Avenue, Class C beer & Class B wine - new.
Resolution Calendar: (The following items will be acted upon by roll call vote on a single motion without separate discussion, unless someone from the Council or public requests that a specific item be considered separately.)
11. Resolution of support for Community Main Street, Inc., and approving and authorizing execution of a Main Street Iowa Program Agreement with Community Main Street Inc. and the Iowa Economic Development Authority for the purpose of continuing the Main Street Program in Cedar Falls. (Begins Page 76). This is the bi-annual agreement that allows Community Main Street to operate as part of the Main Street Iowa program. It's my first time seeing this as as a council member; through this document I learned that Community Main Street has an extensive checklist of requirements to follow to retain certification -- some of the items in Item #8 above are "must-do's" for this certification. So this doc helped me understand that some of CMS's activities are non-negotiable...they have to be done to be part of Main Street Iowa. Fascinating! No questions.
12. Resolution approving and authorizing execution of an Agreement for the Use of State or Local Overtime and Authorized Expense/Strategic Initiative Program for Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETF) for FY2020. This item allows the city accept $2K in federal funds to offset the costs for a Cedar Falls police officer to serve in the Tri-County Drug Task Force. This has also been done in previous years. No questions.
13. Resolution approving and authorizing execution of Supplemental Agreement No. 1 to the Professional Service Agreement with Snyder & Associations, Inc. relative to the Cedar Heights Drive Reconstruction Project-Viking Road to Greenhill Road. This agreement allows Snyder up to $87.3K to design the upgraded corridor on Cedar Heights from Viking to Greenhill. I have questions about the value of adding landscaping to roundabouts; this is being proposed for the existing Cedar Heights/Viking roundabout, and a new roundabout at Cedar Heights and Huntington. I question whether landscaping and other 'features' inside the roundabouts add value, or if they're an unnecessary (and potentially distracting) luxury. No other questions.
14. Resolution approving and authorizing execution of a Storm Water Maintenance and Repair Agreement with James V. Sands relative to a post-construction stormwater management plan for Lot 6 of Prairie Springs U.M.C. Minor Plat. A standard agreement for how this property will shed stormwater runoff. No questions.
15. Resolution approving and authorizing execution of Supplemental Agreement No. 10 to the Professional Service Agreement with Snyder & Associations, Inc. for 2019 Engineering Services relative to the West Viking Road Reconstruction Project-Production Drive to South Union Road. Provides $216K in TIF funds to allow Snyder to design a new roadway for Viking Road east of Union Road, in preparation for a new Industrial Park area to be developed to the south (the city purchased these greenfields a few months ago for this purpose.
16. Resolution approving and authorizing execution of Supplemental Agreement No. 11 to the Professional Service Agreement with Snyder & Associations, Inc. for 2019 Engineering Services relative to Floodwall/Levee System Record Drawing Services. Provides up to $39K in flood mitigation grant money to have Snyder do the necessary survey & recording work for all the improvements to our Downtown area flood levee, for submission to the Army Corps of Engineers as required. No questions.
17. Resolution approving and accepting completion of public improvements in Wild Horse Ridge Fourth Addition. Seeks council approval for water, sewer, utility and road improvements along Blair Ridge Road in the Wild Horse subdivision. No questions.
18. Resolution approving a Central Business District Overlay Zoning District site plan for façade improvements at 116 West 4th Street. Little Prairie Girl is seeking to replace shake shingles with a metal overhang and signage. City Council is the approving authority for facade improvements in the downtown district. No questions.
19. Resolution approving and authorizing execution of an Addendum to Developmental Procedures Agreement with Greenhill Estates, Inc. relative to public improvements in the vicinity of the Greenhill Road and Coneflower Parkway intersection. The developer has paid $101,833 for necessary improvements to the Coneflower Parkway / Greenhill Road intersection, which will be turn lanes on both Greenhill and Coneflower. This agreement allows the improvements to be carried out as part of the larger Greenhill Corridor design, for efficiency's sake. No questions.
20. Resolution approving the final plat of Wild Horse Ridge Fourth Addition. This accepts the proposed property lot boundaries so that the lots can be made available for sale & homebuilding. The Background and Analysis sections of the report (pages 138 to 140) are very interesting...it's helpful from a historical perspective to understand how land goes from being a field to a subdivision of homes. Worth reading if you're into urban planning!
21. Resolution approving the preliminary plat of The Pointe at Henry Farms.This would allow the large commercial/retail area being built at the Southwest corner of Ridgeway and HWY 58 to be platted for the sake of building out any infrastructure like utilities and roadways. No questions.
22. Resolution approving the final plat of The Pointe at Henry Farms. This follows up on Item #21. Since no new public infrastructure is required, the lots can move right to the final plat stage, which will allow those lots to be turned into site plans for construction of retail and other HWY-1 zoning-compatible buildings.
23. Resolution approving and accepting a Storm Water Easement Agreement, and approving and authorizing execution of a Storm Water Maintenance and Repair Agreement with Vereit Real Estate L.P., relative to a post-construction stormwater management plan for 400 West Ridgeway Avenue. A standard agreement for how The Point at Henry Farms (#22 and #23 above) will shed its stormwater runoff. The idea is to not overwhelm neighboring properties with watershed, by providing on-site detention basins. No questions.
24. Resolution approving the Creekside Technology Center Master Plan. I spent quite a bit of time studying this very detailed and expansive report, which was briefed as a presentation in a Committee of the Whole session earlier this month. The plan provides for two large business park campuses just north of Highway 20 at Hudson, on city-owned property. In addition to the proposed schematics and artboards, the plan delves into many assumptions and data analyses for why the consultant wrote the plan as it did. I found the information worth reading, and encourage you to check it out (begins page 290) . The explanations made sense.
One concern I brought up with the consultant was that the notional buildings seemed somewhat imposing and impersonal to me. The consultant stated that the City Council can make specific design requirements later on in the process. I'd like to see the buildings be more visually appealing and welcoming to pedestrians along the sidewalks. No questions.
25. Resolution approving and authorizing execution of a Contract for Economic Development Website Services with Brand Acceleration, Inc. This approval would invest $23K in taxpayer funds to have a specialist company create a standalone economic development website consisting of roughly 16 pages on the Wordpress platform. I have a question about the RFP process; were multiple bids not required due to the cost? Also, I'm curious why the contractor is charging the city $400 for "Insurance" (Page 330). Finally, I didn't see what the cost would be for continued development services after launch; would staff be expected to make future upgrades and enhancements using the Wordpress platform? I'll ask.
26. Resolution approving and authorizing execution of six Agreements for Professional Services relative to use of Community Development Block Grant (CDBG) funds, in conjunction with the FY19-20 Annual Action Plan. This would forward an aggregate $38K in Federal funds to six area non-profits (the list is on Page 345). $38K is the max that the city can grant. These funds will go toward assisting low-to-moderate income families in Cedar Falls. No questions.
27. Resolution setting November 4, 2019 as the date of public hearing on a proposed lease with the Black Hawk County Conservation Board relative to City-owned property at 1501 East Lake Street. No questions about the date.
28. Resolution receiving and filing, and setting November 4, 2019 as the date of public hearing on, the proposed plans, specifications, form of contract & estimate of cost for the 2019 Sanitary Sewer Rehabilitation Project. No question about the date.
Allow Bills and Payroll
29. Allow Bills and Payroll of October 21, 2019. No questions.
City Council Referrals No referrals.
City Council Updates No updates at this time.
Executive Session
30. Executive Session to discuss Legal Matters per Iowa Code Section 21.5(1)(c) to discuss strategy with counsel in matters that are presently in litigation or where litigation is imminent where its disclosure would be likely to prejudice or disadvantage the position of the governmental body in that litigation, following Public Forum.
Public Forum. (Speakers will have one opportunity to speak for up to 5 minutes on topics germane to City business.)
Adjournment
| Council Packet Link | |
|---|---|
| Meeting Date | 10/21/19 |
