Snow removal for businesses discussed by Waukon City Council

by Dwight Jones
 
The Waukon City Council met in regular session the evening of Monday, December 21. The full Council was in attendance.
Under the Public Comments portion of the meeting, Rose Ward returned to question the mayor and Council on complaints she had against the Police Department for their handling of an alleged assault against her. Ward claimed to have asked that charges be filed, but nothing had been done. Mayor Keith Schroeder explained that the issue had been reviewed, and that Police Chief Clark Bollman would contact her with more information .
Moving on to Regular Business, the ongoing discussions regarding snow removal by businesses once again surfaced.  Local businessmen Jack Sweeney and Dave Stilwell were in attendance questioning why some businesses, especially those downtown, have their snow hauled away for no charge by the City while others, including themselves, have to pay to have it done.  Schroeder again offered the concept other cities, including Decorah, are using by charging businesses with parking lots a one-time, flat fee of approximately twenty cents per square foot  and the City would remove the snow throughout the winter under that agreement.
Councilman Joe Cunningham had many questions, including if the proposed cost was enough, if the City was possibly “asking for more than it could handle” in terms of the amount of additional work it could generate, etc…  The Council seemed to be in agreement that some sort of terms would need to be determined, involving reviewing the amount, what if businesses do not pay the bill, and so forth.
City Attorney Jim Garrett reminded the Council that there is currently an ordinance that states that neither businesses nor individuals can push, shovel or blow snow into a city street. The Council agreed to start enforcing that ordinance February 1, 2010.  Cunningham agreed to contact the businesses that are currently having their snow removed by the City to inform them of the change. Additional discussions on the subject will likely continue in the future.
Moving on, the Council approved two utility easement agreements for the Ninth Street SW project, involving the possible annexation into the city of Innovative Ag. Additional easements are needed before the project can continue and are currently being discussed.
Next, City Engineer Lyle TeKippe explained a suggested change by the State of Iowa involving the ongoing updates at the city airport. The change would involve adjusting the grade approximately 10 feet beyond the edges of the runway at a cost of $6,000. The State agreed to cover this under the same terms as the original grant at 70/30 funding. The City will move forward with the change in the spring.
Mayor Schroeder then updated the Council on proposed repairs and changes at First Street SE near the hospital and the Waukon Golf and Country Club. He explained that he was unable to locate any clear documentation detailing property lines. The issue will continue to be discussed.
The Council then discussed the current agreement between the City and the County regarding the property that City Hall sits on, which is owned by the County. No action was taken.
Several transfers of funds were then approved. Next, Stephanie Perkins was appointed to the Waukon Wellness Center board, replacing Dennis Lyons. Schroeder then updated the Council on a couple of issues, including ground contamination testing at the former C-Mart property.
This was the final regular council meeting for Schroeder, who served two years as mayor, and long-time councilman Rod Peterson, who has served 13 years.