January 8

CITY OF HIAWATHA

CITY COMMISSION MINUTES

MONDAY, JANUARY 8, 2007

5:35 P.M.

HIAWATHA CITY HALL

723 OREGON ST.

1.      Pledge of Allegiance/ Call to Order

The Hiawatha City Commission met in regular session at 5:35 p.m. on Monday, January 08, 2007, at City Hall with Mayor Gernon, Commissioner Gamble, Commissioner Collins, and Commissioner Shamburg present. Commissioner Schmitt was absent.

2.      Approval of minutes of the December 27, 2006 City Commission meeting.

Commissioner Collins made a motion, seconded by Commissioner Gamble to approve the minutes of the December 27, 2006 City Commission meeting. Motion carried. 3 ayes. 1 abstain. Commissioner Shamburg abstained.

3.      Presentation of petitions, public comments, memorials.

Old Business

 New Business

4.      Consider a Resolution Urging the Brown County Commissioners to Adopt a Household and Farm Hazardous Waste Program.

City Administrator Lynne Ladner told the Commission that the City of Horton has recently received a conservation grant for the restoration of Mission Lake. To aid in the improvements being made at this lake, the City of Horton is asking the Brown County Commission to adopt a Household and Farm Hazardous Waste Program. The City of Horton has also asked that other cities in Brown County join them in their request for this hazardous waste program.

This resolution will show the City of Hiawatha’s support for the City of Horton’s efforts to revitalize this lake as well as urge the Brown County Commissioners to adopt and implement a Household and Farm Hazardous Waste Program.

If adopted, this resolution would be known as Resolution 07-01.

Commissioner Gamble made a motion, seconded by Commissioner Shamburg, to adopt Resolution 07-01 urging the Brown County Commission to adopt a Household and Farm Hazardous Waste Program. Motion carried. 4 ayes.

5.      Consider Adopting a Revised Telecommunications Policy to Add a Cell Phone Policy for City Employees.

Administrator Ladner explained that in keeping with the process of bringing City policies in line with IRS requirements as well as to formally outline the City’s policy dealing with the use of personal or City issued cell phones, it is necessary to revise the City’s telecommunications policy. Currently, the City does not have any policy regarding cell phones, but does issue to employees City-owned cell phones. By adopting this revised policy, we will be able to better clarify our use policy as well as bring the City and the employees in line with existing IRS requirements.

For those employees currently assigned a City-owned cell phone, the stipend option of this policy would not go into effect until their existing contracts for cellular service expire.

Commissioner Collins asked who had cell phones.

Administrator Ladner said that only department heads had cell phones: Dave Grimm, Waste Water Superintendent; Rick Koenig, Water Superintendent; Dennis Hartter, Street Superintendent; Malcolm Grier, Code Enforcement Officer; Terry Smith, Recreation and Fisher Center Director; and Police Chief Evans Woehlecke has two cell phones which the Police Department uses.

She explained that they would have the option of having a taxable stipend added to their pay equal to what we are currently paying for their City-issued cell phone. This would allow them to use their personal cell phone for City business and be reimbursed for it. The other option would be to continue maintaining the current City cell phone accounts and do a monthly audit of the itemized bills and have each of the individuals sign a statement saying that none of the calls were personal calls. If they were personal calls, they would need to reimburse the City as a taxable expense.

She corrected her statement to say that the stipend would be half of what the City is paying now for the cell phone service, with the assumption that we would be paying for half of their personal cell phone bill.

Commissioner Collins asked how we would monitor this.

Administrator Ladner explained that the City would set a maximum as to what the monthly charge could be. The employee would be responsible for purchasing the equipment and the cell phone contract. They would be required to furnish the City with the cell phone number and have the phone available when they are on duty. In return they would be reimbursed for up to half of what their cell phone bill is, to a maximum amount yet to be determined.

Commission Shamburg asked if Rick Koenig would have to provide his personal cell phone to the Water Department and allow it to migrate to the on call department employees.

Administrator Ladner said that this is why there were two options. He would be able to keep the City cell phone and sign off each month for no personal calls.

Commissioner Gamble asked what the current cost of the cell phones was.

Administrator Ladner said that the primary lines are $59.99. Based on that, we would reimburse the employees $30.00 each. The City has add-on lines at around $11.00 each, but we are only allowed up to four add-on lines at that amount. Therefore there may be additional cost. However, it would still save the cost of monthly auditing of the phone calls and would allow the City to operate under the IRS guidelines.

Mayor Gernon asked if there was a possibility of using pagers for the water department.

Commissioner Collins said we should like have more research on this.

Mayor Gernon said to figure out what we are spending now. He said he thought we should have only one option except for on-call employees.

Commissioner Shamburg thought that the stipend option would be the best.

Commissioner Gamble wanted to know the actual cost.

The Commissioners decided to put the policy on hold until next week.

6.      Consider Approval of a Payment to BG Consultants, Inc. in the Amount of $3,199.75 for Post Lantern Street Light Construction Observation for the Month of November.

Administrator Ladner explained that this was mainly for costs associated with the pre-construction meeting, contract documents, engineering hours, etc. We are still waiting on a final document from BG Consultants for inspection service recommendations.

She said that this was the last payment until we give Brian Kingsley [with BG Consultants] the go ahead.

Mayor Gernon questioned why the invoice indicated this was for Observation Services.

Administrator Ladner explained that she thought that was simply a typo, a “cut and paste” error.

Commissioner Gamble made a motion, seconded by Commissioner Shamburg, to approve the payment in the amount of $3,199.75 to BG Consultants for Post Lantern Streetlight Project Services. Motion carried. 4 ayes.

7.      Consider Approval of a Payment to BG Consultants, Inc. in the Amount of $11,460.85 for Downtown Streetscape Construction Administration for the Month of November.

Commissioner Gamble made a motion, seconded by Commissioner Shamburg, to approve the payment in the amount of $11,460.85 to BG Consultants for Downtown Streetscape Construction Project Services for the month of November 2006. Motion carried. 4 ayes.

8.      CONSENT AGENDA

1. Appropriation Ordinance #1110 for 2006 in the amount of $18,360.21.
2. Appropriation Ordinance #1111 for 2007 in the amount of $9,979.56.
3. Payroll appropriation #1074 in the amount of $34,040.36.
4. Approve Contractor License Renewals (2), Electrician License Renewals (2), and Plumber License Renewal (1).
5. Approve Monthly Municipal Judge Report for December 2006.

Commissioner Collins made motion, seconded by Commissioner Gamble, to approve the Consent Agenda as presented. Motion carried. 4 ayes.

9.      Lynne Ladner, City Administrator.

Administrator Ladner informed the Commission that there was a Landlord Committee meeting Tuesday, January 9 at the Fisher Center at 7:00 p.m. They will be going over the Holton ordinance.

The Citizens Community Property Committee will be meeting Wednesday, January 10, at 5:30 p.m. at City Hall.

She reminded everyone that City Hall will be closed for the Martin Luther King Holiday on Monday, January 15. The Commission meeting will be on Tuesday, January 16. She asked if the Commission would be available to meet that evening. Mayor Gernon said that he would probably not be able to be in attendance. Commissioners Gamble, Shamburg and Collins all said that they would be able to attend.

10.  Mayor Gernon.

Mayor Gernon told the Commission that the City had been turned down for the Community Block Grant for which they had applied. He asked Administrator Ladner to investigate this and find out where the City of Hiawatha fell short.

11.  Com. William Collins.

Commissioner Collins asked when the traffic lights would be installed. Administrator Ladner replied that it was her understanding that they are to be installed on Thursday, January 11.

Administrator Ladner also noted that the crew from Torgeson Electric plans to start the streetlight project the end of January.

12.  Com. Curtis Gamble.

13.  Com. Marianne Schmitt.

14.  Com. Steffen Shamburg.

Commissioner Shamburg noted that the Hemisphere GPS building makes an impressive entrance to the City.

15.  Adjourn.

Commissioner Shamburg made a motion, seconded by Commissioner Gamble, to adjourn. Motion carried. 4 ayes. Meeting adjourned at 5:58 p.m.

16.  Work Session on the Municipal Code.