Friday, February 25, 2011

News Items - February 28, 2011

1. NEXT MEETING: The next council meeting is March 7 at 6:00 pm.

2. REFERENDUM: A reminder to vote on March 1.

3. SOUTH Y: Thus far there have been 20 voluntary assessments turned in to the Clerks Office. There are a total of 57 properties.

4. STORM WATER UTILITY: The utility begins in March and in the packet are the “administrative” rules that staff has been following. These rules have evolved over the last 4 months as new issues arise.

Properties that do not use the city’s storm water system (drainage ways, culverts, curbs, intakes, etc.) are exempt per a 1998 court case. In the packet is a list of exempt properties.

5. I&I: Per discussions at the February 22 council meeting, the $70 non-compliant fee will take effect on July 1, 2012 for properties that have been non-compliant for 2 years or more. Notification letters will be sent by next week.

6. SEWER OPERATOR: Sanitary Sewer Operator Marty Marriott plans to retire on March 31, 2011. Marty has been with the city since September 11, 1978 and will be missed. Congratulations to Marty and wishing him the very best.

7. TAX REVENUES: Tax revenue thus far this year is about even with this time last year. Good news!

8. HEALTH INSURANCE POOL: The pool balance is about 1.1 million. Good news!

9. SOUTH LIFT STATION: Council member Berry suggested elected officials tour the South Lift Station equalization basin expansion project. If interested, we can schedule March 14 at 5:30 pm as the time and date.

10. SURVEY CREW: Forrest Aldrich said there will be a survey crew on E Girard (east of 9th) possibly this week or next for the storm water project. The crew may also be on W Boston (1500 Block) and W Iowa (just west of L) for those repairs as well.

11. SNOW ORDINANCE: Chief Steve Bonnett reports there were 21 tickets and 12 impound during the snow storm Thursday night.

12. COMMUNITY SURVEY: The city conducts a community survey every 2 years and the last one was in 2009. Information Technology Manager Kurt Ripperger contacted Jeff Schott at the University of Iowa to again receive and tabulate the results along with developing the power point presentation for elected officials. The fee is $2,500 (same as 2009) and budgeted.

In the packet is the ‘09 survey for your review and comment. The recommendation is to keep the ’11 survey as close as possible to get a good comparison on the direction citizens prefer by comparing similar questions. 740 surveys (35% responded) were mailed in ‘09 and we anticipate a similar number in ‘11. Surveys will be mailed randomly at the end of April and due back the middle of May.

13. POOL EXPENSES: The average monthly expense for the pool is $2,069 of which $1,700 are scheduled transfers. The remaining $369 is for phone, utilities and insurance.

14. ONLINE UTILITY BILLING: Billing clerk Lindsey Offenburger reports 1,118 customers are signed online to view their accounts and 885 are paying online monthly. That means 885 less stamps, envelopes and bills (a savings of $375/month) and represents about 14% of our customers.

Friday, February 18, 2011

News Items - February 22, 2011

NEWS ITEMS


TO: Mayor and Council
FROM: Tim
DATE: February 18, 2011


1. PRESIDENTS DAY: A reminder most city offices will be closed Monday the 21st in honor of Presidents Day.

2. INDIANOLA GO GREEN: The April 2011 activities planned by Chris Longer and Mindi Robinson include:

• Chamber of Commerce Breakfast will be held Thursday, March 3rd at 7:30 a.m. at The Village at 1203 North “E” Street. Chris Longer and Mindi Robinson will present all of the activities planned for the month of April.
• The city’s brush facility/hazardous waste collection and e-cycling drop off opens for the season on April 2nd. (Enclosed is the 2010 facility report)
• The Indianola Chamber Bike/Walk to Work Challenge runs from April 4th to April 29th. Leave your vehicle at home and bike/walk to work for cash prizes. Register with the Indianola Chamber each week by emailing the office at whatsup@indianolachamber.com. One name will be drawn each week for $25 cash!
• Simpson College students will be in the community on Wednesday, April 6th to assist local residents and organizations with “green” services.
• The Iowa DNR Mobile Education Exhibit will be at Hy-Vee on Wednesday, April 13th from 11:30 a.m. - 1:30 p.m. The exhibit will demonstrate how household waste and habits affect Iowa.
• A free drop off of e-cycling products and appliances will be Saturday, April 16th from 9:00 a.m. - 4:00 p.m. at the Indianola Brush Facility located at the corner of Kenwood Boulevard and West Iowa Avenue. Used televisions, computers and other electronics and appliances will be accepted for recycling free of charge (same as last year).
• The city’s annual curbside cleanup program runs Monday, April 18th through Friday, April 22nd. Items will be picked up on neighborhood recycling days. Appliances will not be picked up from the curb and must be taken to the e-cycling facility on Saturday, April 16th for free drop off.
• Earth Day is Thursday, April 22nd. Residents will be encouraged to plant a tree, unplug an appliance and do something green to help protect the environment for future generations!
• The Indianola Sustainability Fair will be April 22nd from 11:30 - 1:30 p.m. at the IMU line shop at 110 South “B” Street. The event is open to the public and free lunch will be provided. “Green” vendors will be on hand to promote their green products and services.
• Indianola Park and Recreation’s Spring Fun Fest will be held at the Warren County Fairgrounds on Saturday, April 30th from 10:00 a.m. - 12:00 p.m. Committee members will be there promoting sustainability and fun activities for our younger consumers!

3. SOUTH Y: The meeting was attended by 28 residents and an overwhelming majority was there to support the project. Preliminary assessment schedules were provided along with voluntary assessment papers. The same were mailed and asked to be returned by March 2. The tentative project schedule follows:

March 7, 2011 Preliminary resolution for construction
Resolution fixing value of lots
Resolution adopting preliminary plat & schedule, etc.
Resolution of necessity

April 4, 2011 Public hearing on the resolution of necessity
Resolution adopting resolution of necessity
Resolution directing preparation of plans, spec, etc
Resolution ordering bids, approving plans, specs, etc

April 27, 2011 Receive bids

May 2, 2011 Public hearing on the adoption of plans, spec, etc.
Resolution adopting plans, specs, etc
Consideration of bids and resolution approving contract and bond

June-August 2011 Construction begins

September 2011 Project completion

Note that construction is scheduled for June thru August to minimize traffic from farm equipment, school buses etc. due to weight limits being placed on the temporary access road. Community Development Director Chuck Burgin has also contacted refuse haulers to provide temporary service during construction.

4. INFILTRATION/INFLOW: The Sewer Dept is getting ready to move into two I&I areas. The first is NW Service Area #5. It is a 35 home area that includes homes on Scott Felton, North G, and sections of Sunset Cir and Sunset Dr. The second area is NE Service Area #1. It is a 194 home/business area. It includes East Clinton, East Boston, a section of North Jefferson, and the north and west corner of the square. We will be holding the neighborhood meeting for both areas on Thursday, March 3rd, at 6:00 pm in the council chambers.

5. DEMO: Chuck Burgin sent “request for proposals” to 4 companies to remove the Cottage Inn and house immediately south. Quotes will be received on March 15 and the work must be complete by May 1. A recommendation will be on the March 21 council agenda.

The asbestos has been removed.

6. SAFETY REPORT: Mike Metcalf injured his foot during a recreational activity and is unable to appear at the council meeting to provide the quarterly report (see packet). The 1st quarter safety report will be presented with the second quarter’s report in July.

7. TRAIL: Just received word yesterday that the sub-committee of the Central Iowa Regional Transportation Planning Alliance scored the Jerry Kelley Trail (Phase 2) highest of the four projects reviewed. Formal certification by the CIRTPA Board will be on March 10. Funds will not be allocated until October 2011.

8. WINDFIED SOLUTIONS: In the packet is a letter from Winfield Solutions, 1601 N. 14th, that they are closing and moving their operations to Story City. Very unfortunate.

9. SOUTH SEWER LIFT STATION: In the packet is a letter from IDNR’s Dan Cook summarizing the site assessment for lead contamination (gun range). V&K is working with IDNR and Supt Dan Miers to complete the assessment and possible mitigation as soon as possible.

10. ONE STOP: There has been some discussion about the property where the One Stop business was located regarding options (pocket park, re-construction) for its use. The P&R Commission is considering the concept at their March meeting and will have a recommendation in several weeks for council consideration.

11. GUN PROHIBITION: This excerpt was taken from the Des Moines Register: “Johnson County, Iowa, has approved a ban on weapons in county-owned buildings and other facilities following the new state law that gives sheriffs less discretion in denying permits to carry guns”. The ban was unanimously approved on Thursday, and Board Chairman Pat Harney stated "the county isn't trying to take away someone's rights, but it is trying to make a safe environment. Harney says stickers and signs warning of the gun ban will be posted at county-owned buildings, facilities and parks." While some residents have argued "firearms have no place in government buildings," local gun rights groups "have threatened legal action if local authorities try to limit the scope of the law."

12. BEST PRACTICES CERTIFICATION: As part of the recognition for “Best Practices” the IMWCA (Iowa Municipal Workers’ Compensation Association) staff would like the City to host a small reception with employees and elected officials. We are therefore “planning” the event for Monday, March 7th at 5:30 pm (prior to council). Please mark your calendars and plan to attend. Refreshments will be served. An awards presentation will be part of the agenda that evening.

13. BRUSH FACILITY UPDATE: During 2010 the facility was open for 35 weeks and had 4,917 vehicles pass through the gate compared to 5,059 in 2009 (does not include free dumping due to storms). Over 2,370 different households used the facility for brush, garden waste, e-cycling or household chemical drop-off. Revenue generated was $15,239 compared to expenses of $19,289. The ending balance was ($4,050) compared to ($8,626) in 2009 even though there were free weekends due to summer wind storms. No changes in fees or hours of operation are recommended for 2011.

14. SEWER PLANT UPDATES:

• South Lift Station Pumps: We continue to have pump problems but have determined they are not related to electrical issues so the pumps will be repaired under warranty.
• The sewer treatment plant experienced higher flows on Sunday evening and the cold water temperatures resulted in a partial washout of solids in the treatment system creating higher effluent solids in the effluent sample. The plant therefore will not meet the total suspended solids 7 day average for this week. Supt Dan Miers called IDNR on Tuesday to discuss the issue and was told to note the issues in the Monthly Monitoring Report. The plant was adjusted to handle the flow on Monday morning and has improved settling.
• V&K initiated design on a new sewer main to serve 1107, 1103 and 1101 Ann Parkway (see map attached) to eliminate a shared service. Bids will be accepted in March and a recommendation provided in April.
• The televising camera became stuck during a point repair on the south side of East Girard and just west of North 12th street on the 16th. Vanderpool Construction was called and opened the main to remove the equipment. Staff reviewed the patch procedures and tested the camera system and found that when the heater is used in the van’s control room, there is a slight voltage drop (intermittent) which may have caused the camera to fail. The camera was used to make a second patch repair on the 17th and was successful. It will be monitored.
• The department is scheduling a neighborhood meeting with residents in NW Service Area #5 and NE Service Area #1. The meeting is scheduled for 6:00 pm, March 3rd at City Hall.

Friday, February 11, 2011

News Items - February 14, 2011

1. POPULATION: The census numbers are in and Indianola’s new population is 14,782. This compares to the following year:

2005 Special Census 14,156
2000 population 12,998


2. REPRESENTATIVES: Representative Glen Massie and Senator Kent Sorensen are scheduled for the February 22 council meeting.

3. TRAIL GRANT: Glen Cowan presented the Jerry Kelley Trail project to the Central Iowa Regional Transportation Planning Alliance sub-committee on the 9th. There is about $450,000 available and well in excess of a million in grant applications.

An award announcement will be made in March.

4. PRESIDENTS DAY: Another reminder council meets on Tuesday the 22nd due the Presidents Day on the 21st. City offices will be closed.

5. AQUATIC CENTER: In the packet is the 13-year revenue/expense history of the Memorial Pool/Aquatic Center. Note that only 4 of the 13 years have a negative balance and 2 of those years are 08/09 and 09/10. Note also that overhead costs are increasing with the facility’s age.

6. DC TRIP: Randy Gathers and Pete Berry are unable to attend.

7. SPRING CLEANUP: The city’s annual cleanup will be held April 18-22 (one week) with McCoy Sanitation. It does not include appliances!

However, appliances (stoves, refrigerators, washers, dryers, etc.) can be dropped off at the Brush Facility on April 16 free of charge! Midwest Appliance Recycling Recovery will pick up and haul away.

FYI-In 2010 Midwest picked up appliances at curbside for no charge but cost became an issue so they will only haul them from the Brush Facility.

Also the free spring leaf and organic yard waste disposal will be April 18 – May 1 at the Brush Facility during normal hours of operation.

The event will be advertised in the bi-monthly update, weekly flyer, Record Herald and Channel 7 and 86.

8. ALLEY CLOSING: We have received a request from The Garage (118 E. Ashland) to close the adjacent north/south alley for the months of April – September. Chuck Burgin has spoken with Terry Barger, owner of The Garage, and he plans to submit a request to purchase the alley within the next few weeks.

Friday, February 4, 2011

News Items - February 7, 2011

1. PRESIDENTS DAY: A reminder that Presidents Day is February 21 so the council meeting will move to Tuesday the 22nd at 6:00 pm.

2. COUNCIL PAPERS: Papers have been turned in for the March 1 election as follows:

At-Large Ward 2

Jody Miller John Sirianni
Pam Pepper Richard Sindric
Ivan Richart

3. SNOW REMOVAL: I received a call from a resident praising the snow removal efforts by our Street Dept with assistance from the Electric, Sewer and Water Depts. Dealing with 7-8 inches is difficult but the gusty winds really create havoc. Good job to all!!

Steve Bonnett reports 4 tickets and 3 tows during the 48-hour period.

4. E GIRARD: The residents on E Girard have been invited to the February 14 meeting to receive V&K’s storm water review. The W Boston (1500 block) and W Iowa storm water projects will also be discussed and a joint project will be recommended.

5. D&D: There was a request for a D&D purchase in the 900 block of N Howard. After calculating the estimated revenues/expenses, the home does not fit the D&D criteria of reimbursing the city’s expenses over a 10-year period (includes city, county and school tax revenues). Community Development Director Chuck Burgin will monitor the home to see that sidewalks are shoveled, lawn it mowed and other maintenance/nuisance issues.

6. BEST PRACTICES CERTIFICATION: IMWCA (Iowa Municipal Worker’s Compensation Association) has awarded the City of Indianola certification for successfully implementing practices to proactively manage its worker’s compensation exposures. The program was developed to recognize and reward members for meeting “best practices” in the areas of underwriting, claims and loss control.

7. SUSTAINABLE EVENT: In your packet is a memo from the Sustainability Committee requesting $400 in funds for their annual April 2011 events. I have authorized the request.

8. SOUTH ‘Y’: The assessment schedule is near complete so an information meeting will be scheduled in the next 2 weeks to discuss the project, the assessments and papers for voluntary assessments.