Gilbert City Council Meeting

December 2, 2002

Index of items discussed:
Basic stuff   Gilbert wetland dam   The 2003-2004 city budget
	Baseball revenues Employee salaries Law enforcement Weather warning siren The budget process Grants to non-profit groups Parks and recreation Bookmobile Recreation trail
Employee benefits   Water line leak and float-switch repair   City newsletter   Vision 2000 report   Charlson request for land annexation   Time-line for comprehensive plan

Basic stuff:

The meeting began at 7:03 pm when Mayor Bob Jaquis asked Dianna Schmidt, the clerk, to call roll. All five council members were present: Craig Allen, Chris Benda, Lynn Henn, Jon Popp, and Peg Uthe. Other people present at the meeting included: a dozen students from the Gilbert High School senior government class; Helen Gunderson, who is a Gilbert resident and editor of the Gilbert Gazette; and Gary Steel, who is the town’s maintenance supervisor.

The consent calendar was approved.
 

Agenda item number one — open forum:

No one spoke during the open forum, which is a time during the meeting when citizens and other visitors can address topics not on the agenda. Council member Craig Allen suggested that the council welcome the visitors. Mayor Jaquis jokingly asked the students whether they wanted a short or long meeting. The students said they needed to be at the meeting for at least 20 minutes to meet their class requirement. The mayor then jokingly asked who was playing that night (presumably referring to what teams are playing Monday Night Football — a topic that is often joked about at meetings.)
  

Agenda item number two — the Gilbert Wetland Dam:

For background information on this item, refer to previous meeting summaries. Essentially, the Department of Natural Resources for the State of Iowa registered concerns with the City of Gilbert late this summer regarding the dam in Upstill Park that was built to create a wetland marsh as part of the Vision 2000 project. The council thought it had made progress on the matter, but apparently, there are still hurdles to clear with the DNR.

At 7 p.m. around the council table, but prior to the official opening of the meeting, Allen had asked the mayor about the issue. At that time, the mayor said David Dougherty had e-mailed him last night about the situation. David is an engineer with WHKS Engineering Company, which provides Gilbert with engineering services. At the end of that conversation, the mayor said David believes there is something going on behind the scenes (at the DNR) that is holding the agency back from clearing the city on the matter.

During the regular part of the meeting, when the mayor introduced the item about the DNR and the wetland dam, he said no action needed to be taken at the meeting. He reported on the detail of David’s e-mail letter. Apparently, the DNR is saying that the city is off .03 feet (or a third of an inch) in its study of flood levels created by the dam. The mayor said that David is working on a arrangement with the DNR to widen the channel of the waterway on property that the city owns south of a problematic lowland area owned by a Mr. Roth. Widening the channel supposedly will lower the flood plain level and alleviate potential flooding impact on Mr. Roth’s land. David is also working to arrange for the foot bridges in the park to meet the standard variances of the DNR for a 50-year flood. The mayor thought David was making progress in getting a couple of issues with the DNR worked out.

Council member Peg Uthe asked about Mr. Roth’s willingness to transfer his low land property to the city. The mayor responded that the city attorney, Frank Feilmeyer, had made another contact with Mr. Roth, but the mayor concluded by saying, "Who knows?"

The mayor also mentioned that an appraisal is being done for Gene Upstill’s property. The mayor did not explain what he meant. We assume he was referring to the land on the south side of town, on the east side of the railroad tracks. Members of the Upstill family gave the land to the city this summer at the same time they transferred property to Rich Lepper and his construction company for a new housing division. We do not know what the purpose is for the appraisal.
  

Agenda item number three — the 2003-2004 budget:

The mayor asked for comments on the budget. There were none. He then suggested going through it, item by item, beginning with the list of expenses.

Council member Jon Popp asked about the item for baseball revenues. The mayor said those were not under the control of the council. He said that Mike Adams administers the summer baseball program, and it channels its funds through an a city account. The program collects the fees and expends the funds, without supervision from the city. Popp referred to changes in which the schools are no longer going to offer youth baseball and softball programs. There is a possibility the city might take up those programs. Popp asked if the council can count on the current dollars in the budget for running such programs or if it should provide more funding. The mayor said that when the discussion comes around to the Parks and Recreation Commission budget, the council would "need to bump it up for baseball and whatever other programs we offer." The mayor also told how the parks and recreation program during the summer uses money from two different fiscal years. (The city’s fiscal year begins on July 1.)

The next item in the budget was that of employee salaries. The mayor said the council would need to wait "until we have that discussion which we should have before too long." (We’re not sure what the mayor means when he referred to "that discussion." Does he mean a routine salary discussion? If so, then he could have said that was what he meant and indicate when the discussion will be held. Or did he mean something else? None of the council members asked for clarification.)

Next the council discussed the building permit portion of the budget. Then they talked about budgeting for law enforcement. The mayor didn’t know if the Sheriff’s Department would be making any changes in its fees. He added that the jump in funds this year for law enforcement was partially because this was the first year using new census information, and Gilbert had 200 more people than before. Therefore, the town had to pay increased law enforcement fees for the 200 additional people. The jump in funds was also due in part to a rate increase by the Sheriff’s Department. The mayor says he has a meeting tomorrow night with other mayors who contract with the Sheriff’s Department for law enforcement services.

The council then discussed fire protection and electricity. The mayor noted that the city had not spent as much as anticipated in the budget for electricity. At one point, the mayor looked up at the group of visiting students and said, "Sorry if this is boring."

There was discussion of the weather warning siren and talk of obtaining a second one. The mayor said the city staff had made some attempts during recent years to locate a used siren but with no luck. He had heard estimates that a new one could cost up to $10,000. He added, "It’s never going to happen (getting the new siren) unless we bite the bullet and do it." Uthe jokingly replied that he could "keep an eye on E-Bay." Her remark got a few chuckles.

The next budget item was insurance.

The mayor then tried to explain the budget process to the visiting students. He said a city is required to prepare a budget ahead of each fiscal year and that the next fiscal year begins on July 1, 2003. One student asked how much money the city had to work with. The mayor said that for the current fiscal year, the budgeted income is $547,000 and the budgeted expenses are $451,000. He also listed the sources of income. Council member Allen, in a paternal manner, looked at the woman who asked the question, nodded his head several times, and said, "Good question. Good question."

Next on the budget was the category of human development. The first portion had to do with a list of non-profits groups who receive money from the city. The clerk said she had already received two letter. Allen asked if the letters were thank you notes or requests for more money. The mayor explained that the organizations on the list that provide services to people in Gilbert that the city cannot provide.

The next portion of the human development budget was for the Parks and Recreation Commission. Popp asked about the jump a few years ago in funds earmarked for Parks and Recreation. Helen Gunderson, who is a previous member of the Parks and Recreation Commission as well as a previous council member, responded. She explained that the increase in funds was mainly to develop a prototype summer recreation program a couple of years ago. She talked some about the challenges in creating the program and the reasons there has not been a follow-up program. The discussion about Parks and Recreation programs evolved into some talk about how some of the maintenance funds Parks and Rec could be channeled into programming efforts. Then someone asked about whether any progress was being made with the drainage problem in Lion’s Park. The mayor said that David Dougherty has been calling Ames Trenching regularly to get the company to provide a price quote for the job. (The problem has to do with poor drainage in the box culvert under Dunn Street at the east end of the park.)

The council then discussed the budget item for utilities for the Bookmobile and two parks. Council member Lynn Henn asked how things were working for the Bookmobile in its new location. (The Bookmobile used to park near the elementary school during school hours. However, the school administration voiced concerns this summer about access to restricted videos on the Bookmobile, so the Bookmobile's schedule was changed in order that it not be on school property during school hours.) The mayor said, "I haven’t heard any complaints." There was some discussion of the cost of a new electrical hookup if the Bookmobile was ever forced to move to a new location. There was an estimate that a new hookup could cost $10,000. The mayor suggested the council not budget for such a change but said instead, "we’ll wait (to find funds for it) until it is upon us." Some one noted that the fee for the library services (from the Ames Public Library who provides the Bookmobile) was up. Uthe asked if the amount of total hours for Bookmobile to be in Gilbert had stayed the same (as opposed to decreasing due to the change in hours). Council members seemed to think the total number of hours had stayed consistent, but there had been a shift to some Saturday hours rather than having the Bookmobile in town only during school hours.

The council discussed the $5,000 earmarked for a recreation trail. The mayor said this could be for either maintenance of the current trail or an extension. If the $5,000 is not spent during its budgeted year, it goes into a reserve fund for those purposes.

The council ended its budget discussions with the animal control and city ball program items. The mayor suggested the council pick up at the next meeting on the policy and administration category.
 

Agenda item number four — employee benefits:

Council member Chris Benda asked how much the cost for employee benefits (presumably health insurance) had gone up this year. Dianna Schmidt, the clerk, said the cost (presumably premiums) had gone up $73 per person. The mayor asked the council if it wanted to keep the same plan. Council member Chris Benda asked if the staff members liked the current one. Maintenance supervisor, Gary Steel, said the plan was working OK for him, but he left open the option of looking around for better plans for the same amount of money or less. The mayor said it looked like any changes in the policy needed to be requested within 60 days of paying the new premiums. Popp asked again if the current plan was OK with the employees. Uthe said that comparing benefit insurance was like comparing apples and oranges. Popp asked how long the city had gone with the current insurance company. The mayor said it was administered through Reno and Associates. Steele thought it had been in place for five or six years and was begun when the previous clerk, Barb Bettis, was on staff. Schmidt said that the Wellmark Dental plan was less expensive than the Delta Dental plan. There was a long silence. Some council members and the mayor studied papers in front of them. Others simply stared across the table. Allen suggested that next year, the council and staff research the benefit plans further in advance so they would have more options. Steel reiterated that the current plan is working. Allen (half-jokingly) told the staff to call the mayor with any complaints. Uthe said that what is important is the service that the employees are getting from the insurance company.
 

Agenda item number five — general discussion among council members:

The mayor reported that there is a water line to a house at 212 First Street that has a leak. The leak is on the homeowner's portion of the line. For financial reasons, they would like to wait until January to fix the leak; however, they are also willing to let the city do the repairs now if they can wait and pay later. Steel said that if a mere patch would solve the problem, it could cost $300. But he said there could be greater costs if they have to make repairs all the way to the water main. Uthe said that the job should be done as soon as possible. The mayor said that the woman who owns the place is willing to get the job done. Allen said, "Let’s do it and set up a payment schedule." Steel said the house is an old one and that the water line is a galvanized one. He also said that the municipal rules have changed regarding responsibility for water lines. He said it used to be the city’s responsibility to maintain the line from the water main to the curb stop, but now the property owner is responsible for maintenance all the way from the main to the house. There was more complex talk about technical stuff. The consensus of the council was to give Steel the latitude to fix the leak and use his best judgment.

The mayor also reported a mal-functioning float switch in the pump house that was allowing water to overflow. He said the replacement part costs about $800 and the labor about $400. There will also be the cost for an electrician. He said the work could be paid out of the maintenance fund for the water plant. Steel said it would take two weeks to order the part and have it arrive. Uthe asked if there needed to be a motion. The mayor said there did not need to be a motion, and if someone wanted a motion, the matter would have to be placed on the next agenda. His point was that he was authorized to pay for the part and the repair, but he wanted the council’s support.

The mayor said he thought a newsletter should be published this month and asked for items to put in it. The council suggested he put in about the city being approved for a loan for a new well. It was also suggested he announce the need for new members for the Parks and Recreation Commission. Allen suggested that the mayor could publish an introduction to the city staff in the newsletter. There was some jesting about the newsletter carrying a photo of Steel wearing an elf outfit. The mayor also said (half-joking) that to include an introduction to the staff in the newsletter would challenge his writing ability. (Note: there has not been a city newsletter since last June, and most, if not all, of the newsletter during the current mayor’s tenure have been very terse.)

Benda brought up some Vision 2000 business. He asked Allen to tell about his son’s (Jeff Allen’s) Eagle Scout project to put mileage markers along the Vision 2000 trail. Allen described his son's project. Steel said he would like Allen to avoid putting in posts to mark the trail because, in Steel’s words, "it already looks like a picket fence around this town." Steel also wanted a marker system that would be maintenance and lawn mower friendly. Benda added that Vision 2000 was planning some signage for the trees in Upstill Park and was putting feelers out to see if other Eagle Scouts would be interested in park projects.

Benda then reported that a Micky Charlson had called him last night. Charlson owns the land south of Gilbert between the railroad tracks on the west and Gretten Avenue on the east. (It is directly south of the land that Rich Lepper plans to develop over the next 10-20 years.) Benda said that Charlson would like to annex 120 acres of his land to the city and that Charlson has a developer lined up. The mayor said there was not much that could be done in response to Charlson’s request until the city got its comprehensive plan completed. Popp asked if there was a process that Charlson could go through. The mayor said that Charlson could approach the Planning and Zoning Commission. Popp said he was worried (if Gilbert didn’t annex the land soon), that Charlson would go to the Story County Planning and Zoning Commission for permission to develop the land, and then Gilbert would have another development like Squaw Valley nearby. The mayor said that if the council wanted to discuss the matter, it should put it on the agenda for a meeting. Allen suggested putting a positive spin on the situation and not shutting the door on Charlson. The mayor talked about the risk of authorizing Charlson to annex (without taking into account the comprehensive plan), because then there would be other people wanting exemptions for annexation and pretty soon Gilbert would have taken in some additional 300 acres.

Someone asked the mayor what the time-line was for finishing the comprehensive plan. He said it should be done next summer. (Note: at the November 4 joint meeting of the council and PNZ, the consultants for the comprehensive plan said it is scheduled for completion in April. We don't know why the mayor said it is scheduled to be done this coming summer. Interested persons may wish to note the tentative time-line the consultants proposed for for finishing the plan. We would advise the mayor, council members, and PNZ commissioners to push to keep the planning process on schedule.

If the Charlson land were annexed and developed, there is a strong possibility that part of the property could be one more link in Gilbert’s bike trail system. We hope that some day there will be a direct, relatively unencumbered, bike trail between Gilbert and Ames on the east side of the railroad tracks and rail company right of way. The bike trail, in and of itself, is one strong reason to talk seriously with Charlson about his plans. Also, the bike trail has often been talked about in discussions leading to the comprehensive plan.

We know that the best kind of development involves a process where a town discerns its needs, develops a plan, and then works hand-in-glove to implement the city's vision. So, yes, waiting is good in some respects. In other respects, city officials should not dilly-dally or otherwise delay the planning process in a way that protects the town's only current developer and frustrates or maddens area landowners who wish to develop their land and have their projects be part of the city.)

The meeting adjourned.
  

This unofficial summary provided by Gilbert Gazette editor, Helen D. Gunderson. When the minutes of a  meeting become available (after they are approved at the next council meeting), we will post them. You may also wish to look for the minutes in the fine print of the legal notices in the Ames Tribune about 14 days after a council meeting. 

If someone has an eye for proof-reading and finds typos, mis-spelling, grammar, or other errors, please let us know so we can make corrections. It's difficult and time-consuming to prepare the summary, and although it would be wise to find a copy editor before posting the summaries, we feel it is important to make the essence of the material available to the public as soon as possible.

Also, the city council tape records each meeting, and the clerk maintains the cassettes for use in writing the minutes and clarifying future questions about meetings. As far as we know, those tapes are part of the public record (unless the a city uses the tapes only for preparing minutes then destroys the tapes). And as far as we know, citizens and other persons may arrange with the clerk to listen to the tapes at city hall.