The Monona City Council held additional discussions on the Scout House. The city will look into costs of some of the improvements that are needed, including a damp basement, roof and electrical work. The city may look into doing a fundraiser to help pay for the improvements.
The Council will look at replacing three stop-signs that are brought out for school and replace them with Push Button LED Crosswalk Signs.
Jessie Soenksen was appointed to the Library Board.
CITY OF MONONA
Regular Council Meeting
Monday, September 16, 2024
The Monona, Iowa, City Council met in regular session Monday, September 18, 2023, at 6:00 p.m. in the Monona City Hall Council Chambers. Mayor Grant Langhus presided with John Elledge, Bridget Schlein, Preston Landt, Eric Friedley, and Timothy Wright present.
Guests Present: Jared Burkle (PeopleService), Ardi Kuhse (MCED), Jim Langhus (Scout House) and Brian Huinker (Assured Partners)
1) Approve Consent Agenda
Moved by Elledge, seconded by Schlein, to approve consent agenda as submitted. Carried Unanimously.
Agenda
Council Minutes ~ September 3, 2024
Treasurer/Budgetary Reports ~ August 2024
Library Report ~ August 2024
Little Bulldog Child Care Report ~ August 2024
Utility Billing Reconciliation ~ August/September 2024
2) Hearing of Delegations
MCED Director, Ardi Kuhse, talked about the upcoming city-wide garage sales weekend.
3) PeopleService Report
PeopleService operator, Jerad Burkle, discussed written Operations and Maintenance (O&M) reports for Water and Wastewater Departments for August 2024.
Water O&M
Completed TTHM and HAA5 yearly samples.
Found well #3 flow meter not working, called Northway Well and Pump.
Replaced windsocks at both wells.
Found broken chlorine feed line, replaced and also changed the pressure gauge at the same time.
Wastewater O&M
Kregal Electric found a broken underground wire that burned up and caused the sulfur dioxide pump to stop working. Pulled new wire, installed the backup pump, and ordered a new spare pump.
Fogged the clarifiers to get rid of the hatching midge flies.
Took clarifier #1 offline due to low flows and EQ basin being empty.
Replaced windsock at the wastewater plant.
Electric Pump installed the repaired jet mix pump.
Ammonia violation on the 13th due to end of draining.
4) Approve Well #3 Flow Meter
Due to mechanical issues with Well #2 flow meter and a new meter needing to be ordered. It was moved by Landt, seconded by Friedley to approve a new flow meter from Northway Well and Pump for $4,988.45. Carried Unanimously
5) Partial Pay Estimate #8 for $70,180.07
It was moved by Wright, seconded by Schlein, to approve partial pay estimate #8 for $70, 180.07 to Visu-Sewer. Carried Unanimously.
6) Approve New Library Board Member
Murphy Helwig Library Director, Heidi Landt, submitted a notice asking the council to approve Jessie Soenksen, to the Murphy Helwig board. She is replacing Pam Havlicek. It was moved by Elledge, seconded by Landt to approve Jessie Soenksen to the Murphy Helwig Library Board. Carried Unanimously.
7) Scout House
Jim Langhus went over the Scout House inspection report and stated he would like to focus on getting the tiling done (have most of the money for that) and then get some quotes and possibly do some fund raising to fix the roof ridge cap, the soffit and fascia on the roof and update the electrical. He also mentioned the toilet, handrail, windowsills, smoke detectors, and basement heater. It was also mentioned that we should talk to the school about the MORE program or a shop class helping with this project. It was moved by Wright, seconded by Elledge to approve getting quotes for some of the repair projects to see if fund raising would be an option to help pay for the repairs. Carried Unanimously.
8) 2024 Swimming Pool Update
Administrator Collins went over the revenue and expense figures for the swimming pool through September 11, 2024, and compared them to December 31, 2023. Currently the bottom line is coming in at a loss of $41,567.00 compared to a loss of $49,699.49 in 2023. There will be a few more months of utilities. The council also talked about hiring a person to be the pool CPO and having the public works employees as a backup. They felt that having the pool manager also doing the duties as the pool CPO would not be as beneficial as hiring an outside CPO. They also mentioned that the garbage cans need to be placed around the inside of the pool so guests can throw their garbage away without going back inside the pool house.
9) Employee Vision Insurance Renewal
It was moved by Landt, seconded by Schlein to approve the $2.56 monthly increase. Carried Unanimously.
10) Employee Dental Insurance Renewal
It was moved by Friedly, seconded by Schlein to approve the $41.37 monthly increase. Carried Unanimously.
11) Employee Health Insurance Renewal
Assured Partners representative, Brian Huinker, talked to the council about the 7.2% increase in the city’s current Wellmark Bronze policy and funded plan. He also talked about the Wellmark Silver plan and the difference in co-pays and deductibles and how close the premiums are. He said that the city could offer the employees two different plans. After some discussion, Brian said he would gather some more information and bring the latest information back to another meeting.
12) Monona Police Report
Chief Amsden reviewed the August police report. She talked about the 271 calls for service. Three arrests were made, seventy-one follow ups, and interviews and fifty-five agency assists made up a sizable portion of the calls. The police department is still accepting applications for the open police officer position.
13 Pedestrian Crossing Signs
Councilman Landt went over the estimates for replacing the three stops signs that are manually put out and back two times a day by the police and public work departments. Landt talked about replacing the stop signs with a Solar LED Rapid Flashing Beacon that would be activated by a pedestrian as needed. This upgrade would eliminate the police and public works employees having to stop what they are doing twice a day to put out and then put in the stop signs while school is in session. It would also allow pedestrians to cross the two locations on Main Street and one on Iowa Street all year round. It was moved by Elledge, seconded by Friedley and move forward with the purchases of the necessary items to cover the locations of Main and Kregel, Main and Davis and Iowa and West streets. Carried Unanimously.
Mayor/Council/Administration Notes:
Mayor Langhus is planning to attend the 75th anniversary of Effigy Mounds National Monument on Saturday, October 26, 2024.
City wide Garbage Amnesty Day and Appliance Dropoff will be Wednesday, October 2nd from 2 p.m. to 6 p.m. at the gravel Community Center parking lot for Monona City residents.
Hearing no further comments, Mayor Langhus declared the meeting adjourned at 7:36 p.m.
Next regular council meeting is scheduled for Monday, October 7, 2024, at 6:00 p.m. at the Monona Community Center.
____________________________
Barbara Collins, City Admin/Clerk
Monthly Revenues for August:
ACCOUNT TITLE | BALANCE |
GENERAL TOTAL | 30,696.21 |
LIBRARY TOTAL | 393.40 |
ROAD USE TAX TOTAL | 15,488.45 |
TRUST & AGENCY TOTAL | 358.60 |
LIBRARY MEMORIAL TOTAL | 1,475.00 |
MONONA PUBLIC GARD & TRL TOTA | 215.00 |
PHASE IV BTRAIL HARDSURFA TOTA | 750.00 |
REUSSER IMPROVEMENT TOTAL | 2,518.08 |
WATER TOTAL | 30,544.62 |
SEWER TOTAL | 58,298.97 |
21/22 SEWER LINING FUND TOTAL | 128,652.00 |
AIRPORT TOTAL | 6,340.16 |
GARBAGE TOTAL | 18,733.98 |
GV - REVENUE FUND TOTAL | 6,278.00 |
LITTLE BULLDOG - SINKING TOTA | 1,058.00 |
LITTLE BULLDOG - RESERVE TOTA | 106.00 |
MONTHLY REVENUES | $301,906.47 |
Monthly Expenses for August:
ACCOUNT TITLE | BALANCE |
GENERAL TOTAL | 88,104.36 |
LIBRARY TOTAL | 10,182.73 |
ROAD USE TAX TOTAL | 34,170.48 |
TRUST & AGENCY TOTAL | 12,185.92 |
MONONA PUBLIC GARD & TRL TOTA | 166.17 |
WATER TOTAL | 9,672.92 |
SEWER TOTAL | 43,037.64 |
21/22 SEWER LINING FUND TOTAL | 5,976.78 |
GARBAGE TOTAL | 21,489.60 |
LITTLE BULLDOG - SINKING TOTA | 2,116.00 |
HEALTH TOTAL | 6,343.75 |
MONTHLY EXPENDITURES | $233,446.35 |
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