City Council Minutes August 25, 2009

North Liberty City Council
August 25, 2009
Regular Session

At 7:00 p.m., Mayor Salm called the August 25, 2009 regular session of the North Liberty City Council to order. Council members present: Chipman, Donahue, Hoffman, Kuhl and Wozniak; absent – none.

Others present: Ryan Heiar, City Administrator; Scott Peterson, City Attorney; Tracey Mulcahey, Assistant City Administrator; Kevin Trom, City Engineer; Dean Wheatley, City Planner; Corinne Lemmage; Bill Mausser; Tom Palmer; Duane Musser; Mike Bales; Don Colony and other interested
parties.

Approval of the Agenda. Chipman moved, Kuhl seconded to approve the agenda. The vote was: ayes – Hoffman, Wozniak, Donahue, Chipman, Kuhl; nays – none. Motion carried.

Consent Agenda. Hoffman moved, Wozniak seconded to approve the Consent Agenda including: City Council Minutes, Regular Meeting, August 11, 2009; July Revenues; and the attached list of Claims. The vote was: ayes – Donahue, Chipman, Kuhl, Wozniak, Hoffman; nays – none. Motion carried.

Public Comment. Dawn Zacek, 215 Cambridge Way, spoke regarding the North Liberty Food Pantry. The sock and underwear distribution will occur in September. They are planning a Stone Soup Supper on October 18 from 4-8 p.m. at Southslope. Tickets are $10 for those thirteen and over. The event will have several kinds of soups made by members of community and community businesses and a vendor fair. The Food Pantry will involve schools to read the fable to the classes and Art classes will be doing art work. For additional information contact Dawn Zacek at Dawn.moore {at} mchsi(.)com. Council inquired about the event.

Brad Klaas, 215 N. Front Street, touched base with Council regarding traffic issues on Front Street. Heiar offered to have staff discuss the issues and brainstorm possibilities. Mayor Salm offered that Front Street is a collector street.

City Attorney Report. City Attorney Peterson will be out of state for next Council meeting. Erek Sittig will be available to Council and staff during that time.

City Engineer Report. City Engineer Trom reported on the following items:
• Trom has been working on applications for JCCOG with Wheatley for STP and enhancement fund projects.
• The ASR Well project is progressing. The contractor poured the driveway last week. They will finish up the driveway get seeding completed. The Parks Department will be planting trees on the site.
• The contractor on the Cornerstone project is moving forward quickly. They did finish the bridge and will be installing the stone in now rather than after trail is installed. Rathje will be onsite to install storm culverts and grading for the trail after the stone is installed.

City Administrator Report. City Administrator Heiar updated Council on the following items:
• Staff is working on a few grants in house. The City will be applying for Scales Bend/965 intersection project. This sis a $2 million project. The City’s Trails fund application is to
connect to County’s proposed Dubuque Street Trail and make the link through town.
• The City will be submitting a TIGER application. This program will not fund projects less than $20 million. Staff is drafting a joint application with Coralville for Highway 965 for $41 million.
• Heiar met with Rebecca Neades and Tyler Wilson from Loebsack’s office. Wilson indicated that Loebsack will fight to include Highway 965 project in the reauthorization bill.
• Heiar gave Wilson a tour of City Hall and the Police Station.
• Heiar sent an email regarding upcoming street projects. This will be an agenda item on the September 8 meeting. The total of all projects was $225,000 with all being of high priority. Staff proposes to leverage the $70,000 in IJOBS funds with an additional $175,000 in bond funds to be borrowed at a later date. The plan is to cash flow them internally now to get them completed yet this year.
• Heiar updated Council regarding the Highway 965 Project. Staff met with the consultant today. Heiar has been meeting with property owners adjacent to the project and discussing staging and access during construction. Property owners are excited. The project has now been split into two parts. Cherry Street project is set for November bid letting. It has to be under contract by January 10. The second part will go out for bid in January with a spring construction projection. This is a slow process with state and federal funds.
• The Auditor is in this week.
• Labor Day is September 7 and City offices will be closed.
Councilor Kuhl is happy to know staff is pursuing a lot of grants. Council Chipman asked for a work session to tour the new bridge and Parks Shop as they are completed.
Mayor Report. Mayor Salm attended the Clear Creek Amana ribbon cutting for new high school. The new high school will really help the school district.
Cedar Springs Subdivision. Duane Musser of MMS Consultants made the Applicant’s Presentation regarding the requested rezoning of Cedar Springs, Part 10 from RM-8 Multifamily to RD-10 Duplex and preliminary plat.
At 7:22 p.m., Mayor Salm opened the Public Hearing regarding proposed rezoning in Cedar Springs
Subdivision from RM-8 to RD-10. Information received from Jeff Manthey was introduced to Councilors at their seats. No other oral or written comments were received. The public hearing was closed.

Bill Mausser reported that the Planning and Zoning Commission recommended approval of the rezoning with no conditions and the Preliminary Plat with the condition that the final plat includes a landscape easement and landscape plan for the Cedar Springs Drive frontage, with construction and maintenance provisions to be included in the Developer’s Agreement. Wozniak moved, Hoffman seconded to approve the first consideration of Ordinance Number 09-10, An Ordinance Amending the Zoning Ordinance to change the use regulations on property owned by Cedar Springs Partners, LLC, located in North Liberty, Iowa to those set forth in the North Liberty Municipal

Code for the RD-10 Duplex Residential District with the condition recommended by the Planning and Zoning Commission. After discussion, the vote was: ayes – Wozniak, Chipman, Hoffman, Kuhl, Donahue; nays – none. Motion carried.

Wozniak moved, Hoffman seconded to approve Resolution Number 09-102, Resolution Approving the Preliminary Plat for Cedar Springs Subdivision, Part 10, North Liberty, Iowa with the Planning and Zoning Commission’s recommendation. After discussion, the vote was: ayes – Kuhl, Hoffman, Wozniak, Donahue, Chipman; nays – none. Motion carried.

City Property Disposal. Donahue moved, Chipman seconded to approve Resolution Number 09-103 Resolution Authorizing for disposal of a pool table and foosball table owned by the City of North Liberty, Iowa. After discussion, the vote was: ayes – Chipman, Wozniak, Donahue, Kuhl, Hoffman; nays – none. Motion carried. Council encouraged the public to consider making offers on the property rather than having it landfilled.

Autumn Ridge Property Disposal. At 7:33 p.m., Mayor Salm opened the Public Hearing regarding disposal of property. No oral or written comments were received. The public hearing was closed. Donahue moved, Kuhl seconded to approve Resolution Number 09-104, A Resolution Disposing of Certain Real Estate and Approving Issuance of a Deed. The vote was: ayes- Hoffman, Wozniak, Donahue, Chipman, Kuhl; nays – none. Motion carried.

Trails Plan. Wheatley presented the proposed Trails Plan. The plan shows eight foot wide sidewalks in proposed trail network, four and six feet wide on major streets and four feet wide on all other streets. Staff used a Cost/benefit analysis to determine which areas should be trails. City will maintain the trail network of eight foot wide sidewalks only. The remainder of the sidewalks will remain the responsibility of the adjacent property owner. Mowing will continue to be the responsibility of the adjacent property
owners. Connections and loops were attempted to be made.

Paul Hanson, 830 Kiowa Drive, offered that the proposed trails plan will provide no direct benefit to the children in his neighborhood. He recommended that the plan should be changed to include his neighborhood. Review the route to NCJH to ensure that a safe route is provided for students.
Council discussed the proposed trails plan. Council requested a public hearing at the next meeting to seek additional input from the community regarding the plan.
Donahue moved, Kuhl seconded to approve Resolution Number 09-105, A Resolution Approving the Trails Plan for the City of North Liberty. After discussion, the vote was: ayes – Donahue, Hoffman, Kuhl, Wozniak, Chipman; nays – none. Motion carried.

Parks Plan. Wheatley made the presentation of the Parks Plan. Council discussed the proposed plan and requested for a public hearing to be held at the next Council meeting for additional public input. Kuhl moved, Chipman seconded to table Resolution Number 09-106, A Resolution Accepting the Parks Plan for the City of North Liberty. The vote was: ayes – Wozniak, Donahue, Chipman, Kuhl, Hoffman; nays – none. Motion carried.

Building Code Amendment. Hoffman moved, Donahue seconded to approve the third consideration and adoption of Ordinance Number 09-09, An Ordinance amending Title 15 of the North Liberty Municipal Code entitled “Buildings and Construction” by repealing Chapters 15.01 and 15.03 and Adopting in lieu thereof new Chapters 15.01 and 15.03 to adopt the latest Building and Fire Codes to be utilized by the City of North Liberty, Iowa. The vote was: ayes – Kuhl, Wozniak, Hoffman, Chipman, Donahue; nays – none. Motion carried.

Adjourn. At 8:00 p.m., Donahue moved, Kuhl seconded to adjourn. All ayes. Meeting adjourned.