This week's City Council Meeting will be the first of several to be held via videoconference and call-in. The staff and I have been getting comfortable with Zoom, and hopefully the meeting will run as smoothly as our Special Meeting did on March 20th. Check the agenda for instructions on how to connect.
As you can see from the agenda, we have quite a few routine but time-sensitive items on the agenda, and one item of special interest is #12, a discussion of a proposed "Safe at Home" request that the chair of the Black Hawk County Supervisors is seeking to send to the Governor with the supervisors and mayors as signatories. The Black Hawk County Director of Public Health, Dr. Nafissa Cisse-Egbuonye, will be joining us for that item.
We won't have a Committee of the Whole on this night (we're limiting the number of new initiatives during this public emergency). So hope you can join us by Zoom, phone call, or watching along on CFU Channel 15 and YouTube. Thanks for working to be an informed and engaged resident, especially in this unprecedented time.
Call to Order by the Mayor
Roll Call
Approval of Minutes This simply enters the minutes into the record as an accurate reflection of what transpired at the meeting; it is not the time for debating the merits of the items themselves.
1. Regular Meeting of March 16, 2020.
2. Special Meeting of March 20, 2020.
Agenda Revisions
Special Order of Business
3. Public hearing on the proposed vacation and dedication of a storm sewer easement on the northeast corner of the property located at 312 West 1st Street. This would allow storm sewer access in front of Community Bank; this is the public's opportunity to comment on the item.
a) Receive and file proof of publication of notice of hearing. (Notice published March 20, 2020)
b) Written communications filed with the City Clerk.
c) Staff comments.
d) Public comments. (Continue hearing to April 20, 2020) This item will be continued to the next meeting; no vote will occur on it tonight.
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.)
4. Receive and file a proclamation recognizing April 19-25, 2020 as Administrative Professionals Week and April 22, 2020 as Administrative Professionals Day. Admin professionals are the glue that holds organizations together. I'm happy to recognize their work and look forward to treating my admin staff to lunch once the restaurants are re-opened!
5. Receive and file the resignation of Brian Wingert as a member of the Planning & Zoning Commission. In appointing a new commission member, I will be seeking candidates without direct ties to the development community -- preferably one with previous experience on city boards and commissions. If you're interested in applying, let me know at rob.green@cedarfalls.com.
6. Approve the recommendation of the Mayor relative to the appointment of Paul Lee to the Civil Service Commission, term ending 04/01/2024. Thanks to Paul Lee for his willingness to continue in this important position.
7. Receive and file the Committee of the Whole minutes of March 16, 2020 relative to the following items: This simply enters the minutes into the record as an accurate reflection of what transpired at the meeting; it is not the time for debating the merits of the items themselves.
a) Cedar Heights Drive Update.
b) Bills & Payroll.
8. Receive and file Departmental Monthly Reports of February 2020. As always, these reports are a great way to see what's happening day-to-day in government. Anyone interested in civics -- especially elected service -- should be generally familiar with the contents.
9. Approve the request of The Space 109 for a temporary sign at 109 East 2nd Street. A straightforward request to place a "sandwich board" style street sign; no questions.
10. Approve the application of Prime Mart, 2728 Center Street, for a cigarette/tobacco/nicotine/vapor permit. City Council is the approving authority for tobacco permits. Quit smoking now - every try counts.
11. Approve the following applications for beer permits and liquor licenses: City Council is the approving authority for all alcohol permits.
a) Godfather's Pizza, 1621 West 1st Street, Class B beer - renewal.
b) Jorgensen Plaza (Table 1912, Diamond Event Center and Gilmore's Pub), 5307 Caraway Lane, Class C liquor, Class B wine & outdoor service - renewal.
c) Luxe Nail Bar, 5907 University Avenue, Class C liquor - renewal.
d) Mary Lou's Bar & Grill, 2719 Center Street, Class C liquor & outdoor service - renewal.
e) CVS/Pharmacy, 2302 West 1st Street, Class E liquor - renewal.
f) Prime Mart, 2728 Center Street, Class E liquor – 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.)
12. Resolution endorsing a communication from the Black Hawk County Board of Supervisors to the Governor of Iowa relative to the issuance of a "Safe at Home" order in response to the COVID-19 pandemic. Council will have the opportunity to discuss a proposed letter from the Black Hawk County Supervisors to the Governor, which would advocate for a state-wide "Safe at Home" order. Because other area cities have expressed a desire to sign on to this document, it's important that the City Council has an opportunity to discuss the pros and cons of adding Cedar Falls as a signatory. Other Black Hawk County city councils will also be discussing it early this week.
13. Resolution approving and adopting a job classification for the position of Sales & Marketing Coordinator in the Visitors & Tourism Division. This position has already been included in the approved FY21 Budget at pay band 9; approval will simply formalize the job description so that we can begin the hiring process. It makes sense to me to have a dedicated marketing specialist in the tourism bureau, as we seek to attract events, conventions and other large gatherings to Cedar Falls.
14. Resolution approving and accepting from the Municipal Electric and Gas Utilities the permanent transfers of $3,126,580.00 to the General Fund and $30,000.00 to the Economic Development Fund of the City of Cedar Falls. CFU makes this payment annually to the City, as a long-standing agreement since, as a public entity, it does not pay property taxes. No questions.
15. Resolution approving and authorizing expenditure of funds for the purchase of a water tanker/pumper apparatus. This will commit $230K in taxpayer funds to the purchase of this new water tanker for the Public Safety Department. No questions.
16. Resolution approving and authorizing execution of a Red House Studio Lease relative to the use of 224 West Seerley Boulevard as artist studio space, in conjunction with the Hearst Center’s Visiting Artist Program. Allows a selected artist-in-residence to use the space, per a $3K UNI sponsorship. No questions.
17. Resolution approving and accepting the contract and bond of Benton's Sand & Gravel, Inc. for the 2020 Permeable Alley Project. Allows the contractor to move forward with the $208K permeable alley project for 2020.
18. Resolution approving and accepting the contract and bond of Peterson Contractors, Inc. for the 2020 Street Construction Project. Allows the contractor to move forward with the $3.385M in street construction work this year.
19. Resolution approving and authorizing execution of Supplemental Agreement No. 1 to the Professional Service Agreement with Terracon Consultants, Inc. to complete an Iowa DNR Tier 2 Report, in conjunction with the West 1st Street Reconstruction Project. Commits $10,525 in taxpayer funds to this required soil and groundwater analysis survey as part of the 1st Street rebuild.
20. Resolution approving and authorizing execution of Supplemental Agreement No. 1 to the Professional Service Agreement with Snyder & Associates, Inc. relative to the Oak Park Blvd. Sewer Replacement. Commits $2800 in Sewer Rental Funds to arrange and execute right-of-way agreements for this previously approved project.
21. Resolution approving and authorizing execution of a Professional Service Agreement with Robinson Engineering Company relative to the Black Hawk & Black Hawk Southwest Subwatershed Assessment Project. Allows the contractor to move forward with a DNR-required watershed study, at a cost of $53.6K from the Stormwater Fund.
22. Resolution certifying to the Treasurer of the State of Iowa the actual population of territory annexed to the City of Cedar Falls. This is a state-required administrative follow-up to a previous city application to annex property just west of the existing West Viking Industrial Park, just east of Union Road.
23. Resolution setting April 20, 2020 as the date of public hearing on a proposed ordinance amending the boundaries for wards and precincts within the City of Cedar Falls to incorporate recently annexed territory. No questions about the hearing date.
24. Resolution setting April 20, 2020 as the date of public hearing on the plans, specifications & form of contract for the Cedar Falls Recreation Center - Locker Rooms Renovation Project. No questions about the hearing date.
Allow Bills and Payroll
25. Allow Bills and Payroll of April 6, 2020. No questions about this item.
City Council Referrals
City Council Updates
Staff Updates Staff will provide an update on the city's actions and changes in response to the COVID-19 public health emergency.
Public Forum. (Speakers will have one opportunity to speak for up to 5 minutes on topics germane to City business.)
Adjournment
| Council Packet Link | |
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| Meeting Date | 04/06/20 |
