City of Watertown, SD 2022 City Council Meetings, 6 Sep 2022

Previous Meeting Next Meeting

⏯

youtube image

►

From YouTube: City Council Meeting 09-06-2022

Description

City Council Meeting 09-06-2022

A

A

Call the order for the watertown city council meeting for september sixth of 2022, please rise while michael lasley of covenant reform church will lead us in prayer.

B

Good evening, everyone it's good to be here with you this evening. I will read a short passage from god's holy word this evening to begin with, comes from romans, chapter 13, verses, one, we'll just read one through seven, let every person be subject to the governing authorities, for there is no authority, except from god, and those that exist have been instituted by god.

B

Therefore, whoever resists the authorities resists, what god has appointed and those who resist will incur judgment for rulers, are not a terror to good conduct, but to bad, would you have no fear of the one who is in authority, then do what is good and you will receive his approval, for he is god's servant for your good, but if you do wrong be afraid, for he does not bear the sword in vain, for he is the servant of god, an avenger who carries out god's wrath on the wrong doer for the one.

B

Therefore, one must be in subject subjection not only to avoid god's wrath, but also for the sake of conscience.

B

For because of this, you also pay taxes for the authorities or ministers of god attending this very thing, pay to all what is owed to them, taxes to whom taxes are owed, revenue to whom revenue is owed, respect to whom respect is owed and honor to whom honor is owed.

B

My prayer, for you all this evening would be that you would recognize this about yourselves as servants appointed by god to your positions gifted by god, almighty, with all of your abilities that you have and that you would be extremely extremely encouraged in that to know that that you serve a good god, and I pray that you would. You would do that. Well, let us let us pray almighty, god and heavenly father.

B

We we do. Thank you so much for your order in this world. We have given order to all things. We we look at the creation. We see how it works. We know and learn from it about the order which you have made and lord you speak to us in the scriptures as well. Your very own words written by men as they were carried along by your holy spirit.

B

To reveal that you also give order to men and you order our lives lord. We we thank you for this. We thank you for speaking to us and revealing yourself revealing the order that you have made that we might have life by it and live for your glory and for the joy of all people.

B

So, lord, we pray your blessing upon the proceedings tonight. We pray for each and every member of this cabinet. We pray for those who are gathered here. We pray for those who are watching and we pray for the good of all of your people under the authority. This authority, in whom you have placed them. We ask your blessing and we ask your protection blessing upon them and their families as well as they go about your business lord, and we ask this in the precious name of our lord and savior jesus christ.

B

Of amen, united states of america and to the republic for which it stands, one.

A

Nation, under god, indivisible with liberty and justice for all.

A

Finance officer bob zeen, would you please call the roll.

C

Okay, bueller danforth helene paulson shetty here.

D

C

Vilhauer here, thank you.

A

Quorum is established with that. The chair will entertain a motion for the approval of tonight's consent agenda motion made by councilman tupper seconded by councilman buehler any discussion on that hearing. None. The motion is to approve the consent agenda. All those in favor, please say aye aye, any opposed, say, nay, motion carries.

A

Item six is public comments. If anyone is here to discuss something that is not on tonight's agenda, now is your time to do so.

A

See no one come forward. I'll close public comment open it up for a motion to approve tonight's agenda, so a promotion made by councilman vilhauer second by councilman danforth, all those in favor of approving the agenda say aye aye, any opposed, nay, motion.

E

A

Item a is an application for a transfer of ownership of a retail malt beverage in south dakota farm wine license and video lottery license from the guest house to commonwealth gaming and holdings company for more information. We'll go to our finance officer, christian bob zine.

C

Thank you mayor. um I'm going to talk about a and b just together, we'll solve the public hearings on them separate, but this is a transfer of ownership from the guest house to deuces casino you'll notice that there's two there are actually different suites, which is required for the video lottery portion of it.

C

These are both being held inactive at the time, so we did talk to the state, and this is fine as long as they're, both in separate suites and before we let these become active community development, as well as the finance office, will go to the location and make sure that there is a separate entry for each of these licenses, which is a requirement, but otherwise public notice was given and everything else is in order. So thank you.

A

Thank you very much. I will open up a public hearing. Is there anyone else who would like to discuss would like to talk on this item?

A

See no one come forward I'll close the public hearing open it up for council action. Do I have a motion to approve the application motion made by councilman shutty seconded by councilman tupper, open it up for questions and comments, councilman tupper.

F

I don't know who needs to answer this one, but are these being transferred or just the ownership transfer.

C

It's a transfer of ownership along with the location, so these were the guest houses licenses with the video lottery. So what they're doing is they're transferring the ownership but they're holding them inactive at this time, which.

E

C

Do but they have to be held inactive at two separate locations. You can't have two licenses at the same location.

F

Because the way I'm reading this- I don't see where they're being transferred to- I guess so so they are going to be inactive.

C

Yeah inactive to deuces casino.

F

Yep was all it says, is two uh commonwealth gaming and holding dba juices casino with no address so.

C

It's on the application. You just have to look at the attachment yeah.

F

C

A

Any further questions or comments, councilman, what's been paulson.

G

Thank you mayor. So, what's the difference between what does inactive I mean. Obviously I know that it's not being used at this point, but what's that have to I guess, can you explain that yep.

C

So essentially, because these are a previously owned license, um they there's actually been a purchase. You can see the affidavits attached to the purchase agreement so because they're not currently set up to operate them active. The only option they have is to complete the purchase of the license, hold them inactive and then they will have to activate them, which would then come back to the council and the state.

C

So did that answer your question? Okay,.

A

Any further questions or comments hearing none the motion is to approve the application and transfer all those in favor. Please say: aye hi, any opposed, nay motion carries item b is an application for transfer of ownership of retail, malt beverage and south dakota farm wine license and video lottery license from the guest house to deuces casino, we'll go back to our finance officer, kristen bobzien. For a very brief recap. I would imagine yes.

C

Thank you mayor, so this is the exact same thing. It's just. The second license that's being transferred. Thank you.

A

All right, I'll, open up a public hearing is there. Anyone who would like to talk on this item see none motion. uh Chair will entertain a motion to approve the application motion made by councilman tupper second by councilman shutty any questions or comments council hearing none. The motion is to approve the application and transfer all those in favor. Please say: aye aye, any opposed, saying, nay, motion, carries.

A

Item c is an approval of resolution 22-42, levying assessments of the water service improvements installed in conjunction with the 10th avenue north reconstruction project. We will go to our finance officer, kristen bobzien, for more information.

C

A

Had you had kristin done? Yes,.

C

A

Kerfluffle here.

H

A

Our public works director, heath von nai.

H

Thank you mayor. Take it away kristen, no! uh So this this is follow-up to uh the tenth avenue reconstruct project. Obviously, council could recall we um not too long ago, formally approved levying assessments for the wastewater and sidewalk improvements for those property owners that had those improvements related to their properties.

H

This is a sole assessment for one individual property located at 15, 10th avenue north and is related to water service line work.

H

It was found during construction that this property needed to replace this water service line, and we went ahead and incorporated that work in the project and per the uh property owner's request processed it through the assessment process, which we can do for public improvements.

H

This gives the benefit of the property owner being able to pay the the cost back over a number of years through their property tax assessment, rather than paying for the cost all up front to the contractor.

H

With that being said,.

H

I believe the total assessment amount is uh about eleven thousand five hundred dollars and they'll have the standard terms and conditions, as are other assessments for the wastewater and the sidewalk.

H

With that I'll stand by for questions our assistant city, engineer, justin peterson's, in the crowd, along with the project engineer, marcie luno, who helped administer this this project.

A

Thank you very much. I will open up a public hearing if there is anyone who would like to talk on this item, see no one come forward I'll close the public hearing open it up for council action. Is there a motion to approve of the resolution motion by made by councilman bill our second by councilman, buehler, open it up for questions and comments, council, councilman shutty? Thank you.

E

Mayor a quick question for you, heath most likely um as far as the the the value the amount they're being charged for that. Is it a different? If, let's see, if there wasn't construction done and they had to do it, is there a discount because we're already digging into the ground there and or is it the same price as if they'd have done it without any construction work being done.

H

Yes, councilman shetty, so had this work had to uh occur on their own time. Let's say outside the project it likely would have been fairly higher because of the cost of the pavement, the curb and gutter things like that they would have had to cut into to accomplish the work. All those things were paid for under under our project, because we had to remove them anyway uh to reconstruct 10th. So there you could look at it as though there was a savings to the property owner by doing it in conjunction with our project.

E

Follow-Up yeah yeah cause, I'm just I'm surprised it's eleven thousand dollars. um I guess I haven't had to do one at my own house, yet thank goodness, but um so you're saying it would be more money than that. If someone just had to do it on their own. Okay,.

H

Correct how they likely all.

E

A

You any further questions or comments.

A

Hearing none the motion is to approve the resolution, all those in favor, please say aye.

I

A

Any opposed saying a motion carries item d is a first reading of ordinance number 22-21 authorizing the finance officer to certify the property tax levy to the countington county auditor. Our finance officer, kristen bobzien, will tell us more.

C

Thank you mayor before the council is actually the first reading of the property tax levy for 2023.. It's a little bit different. Now that we've switched our budget schedule, you'll always see the property tax levy separate. So this is the first reading on the property tax levy for the general fund. This year is set to be 4 million hundred ten thousand four hundred and twenty dollars. That is an increase of 179 thousand twenty dollars.

C

um What we do with that is we take our cpi, which was slated at three percent, and then we take our growth. I receive the growth amount from the county auditor cindy, so this is what we can levy against the property taxes for 2023.. If there's any other questions, I can try to answer them. Thank you.

A

Thank you very.

C

A

Any questions or comments, council, councilman, vilhauer.

J

Thank you, mayor, kristen and correct me. If I'm wrong, we would excuse me we would have the ability if we wanted to or needed to to levy an additional assessment or amount correct.

C

That's correct: it's a little bit of a different process process. It actually has to start at the beginning of the year, but there is um laws that kind of govern that process as well, but.

J

But this this did not go down that road. This.

C

Did not the other thing that the citizens won't see is the general obligation bond was actually going to be paid off this year and because we kind of had a little bit extra, I haven't had to take on an additional property tax levy to pay for that go bond. Okay,.

A

Thank you. Thank you. Councilman tupper.

F

This is for finance officer bob zee, so this is pretty standard. The amount pretty standard. What we see every year I mean in the in the tabulation of it.

C

Right so every year I'm notified of what the cpi is, and that is said actually by the state. So once we receive that, then we kind of have to wait for the growth. The growth is based off of those what property values we added to our tax roll and that does come from the county auditor. So but since I've been here, we've kind of always taken our standard cpi, plus growth.

F

It's great that we can just do that and not have to reach out and try to try to grab more. I mean they're going to pay enough so.

A

Any further questions or comments.

A

Thank you very much. Moving on to item e, an approval of a resolution on a contingency transfer, our finance officer will tell us more about this.

C

Thank you mayor um before the council tonight is a resolution 2243. This is a actually a transfer from the contingency account I'll go over them. The first one was actually at the last meeting. The forty thousand dollars was where the council approved the bid for the street department's dump truck, so that's just giving that budget authority to that department.

C

The second one is to the cemetery department. I think it was discussed, but it looks like it was kind of missing from the department uh budget. The cemetery is requesting the twelve thousand dollars to finish out the foundation um strips that sit under the monuments and you'll see that going forward that they're trying to do that each year is to get a section kind of done and that's where the monuments sit. um So I know that the our parks manager talked to amanda to verify that she was good, so we're kind of pushing this through.

C

So this that's the piece that wasn't discussed before um what that does then is it brings that contingency account down to 241 000 left for the rest of the year to kind of cover some of those other overages. So if there's any questions, I can try to answer them.

A

Thank you very much chair will entertain a motion to approve the resolution made by councilman shutty second head back councilman danforth any questions or comments. Council.

A

None the motion is to approve the resolution. All those in favor, please say aye aye, any opposed saying a motion carries item f, is an approval of a facility agreement between the watertown school district and the watertown park and recreation facilities for more information. We will go to our city manager, amanda mack,.

K

Thank you mayor. What you have before you tonight is a recommendation from the park board that met last week. We have, in the past, entered into an agreement with watertown school district for use of the auditorium for different sports and recreation programs. uh This would be a year-long lease um in the past. I believe we've done eight or nine months. This would be a full full year, lease um an amount of eighteen thousand dollars, and uh I can stand by for any questions and we have josh mogg here with uh park and rec as well.

A

Thank you very much chair will entertain a motion for the approval of the agreement made by councilman paulson seconded by councilman. Is it danforth, yeah, okay or day shetty? Fourth, okay, open it up for questions or comments. Councilman danforth.

L

Having read through this, uh I know: we've got the the agreement in there. It's you know for basketball and volleyball. How does this differ from that? I, what does this mean for them to lease this building for a year, but I didn't quite see what the terms were within other than a year and whatever the dollar figure was. What does that mean? What does that give them the right to? Are they renting the whole building? Are they just renting certain hours?

L

What are they actually getting for that annual agreement.

K

I'll have josh speak to that. um If that's okay mayor, he and I believe, jeremy with park and rec- were pretty intimately involved in the discussions uh with the school district. So.

A

Josh mog josh. What is your official title.

M

Facility operations supervisor.

A

All right there, you have it people.

M

All right all right. Thank you, mayor um to answer your question. uh Councilman danforth it'd be the gym in itself and it'd be the course of the whole school year. According to the agreement, it states september 1st through august 31st of 2023, so it would be the gym. We would still utilize the basement, our art pottery rooms for rentals, our classes, programs, those things there, so it mainly take the gym over the course of the year.

A

L

So they have complete, say of that gym, 24 hours a day for a year correct, seven days a week. Yes, your programs or no other city.

L

Involvement outside of the school district would occur in that gym unless they said it was allowable.

M

Yes, yeah and we've worked with craig boyans kind of to get a template of a schedule set forth through the year.

M

Obviously, the winter time is going to be very busy with gymnastics basketball season, those things in that off season time kind of do some rearranging with some equipment, storage, things, obviously through their construction process, that they're going through not only with the high school and then the new complex addition as well to on our end, our programming that was very easily to to get moved to schedule to our other facilities, obviously having the field house the wellness center, so our programming side of it was there and the school district has offered to accommodate any of those rental groups that we have had in place set forth, whether that's in the arena auxiliary, gym middle school, intermediate school, so they've been very accommodating to work with us to work with this on this agreement,.

A

Any follow-up councilman.

J

Vilhauer, thank you mayor, I'm not quite sure who to address just a little bit confused on one page. We see a listing of what five different amounts then the next page which says um eighteen thousand, so that is it eighteen thousand, in addition to the amounts on the previous page, correct.

M

J

M

Yep, the first, the first page there came out, I believe it was august eighth and then they came back about two weeks later august 22nd, with the addition of the 18 000 for the full year, um adding in what they have down for for basketball and what was listed on that first page for softball. Okay, thank you.

A

Councilman buehler.

I

Thank you mayor a couple questions for you. um First off, I understand we're going to continue to pay utilities for that facility. Correct. Okay, do we know we have an idea. What that dollar amount would be to support that for a year.

M

I know with this agreement set in place roughly at about 2 200 a month. This would be the biggest revenue year that we would project from the auditorium that we've ever had in the past. As far as utility wise, we would come out ahead with the rental agreement based on the rate that's set and proposed tonight. Okay,.

I

And I guess my the next question have we approached them at all to see if there's any interest in purchasing that building.

M

Not that I'm aware of at this current time, um I think it's a discussion to have and.

I

I think that might be worth looking at in the future. If we're just going to continue to do this, you know they obviously are interested in using it all the time. So, thank you.

A

Councilman tupper no councilman paulson, okay,.

G

Mayor, have we ever done this before? Is this going to conflict, create conflicts with any other.

G

Activities that have gone on there in the past that would possibly go on there in the future.

M

Right, thank you. Thank you. Councilman paulson, um like amanda, said it's been. This is just an extension. Last year was just about a nine month lease. This would just extend to a full year, um there's going to be a few things, but with our other facilities and the agreement with the school were very open to accommodating any and all things shouldn't be an issue going forward.

M

We did it. Last year, like I said it was almost nine months by the time they they moved in and got everything in and utilized it, and we were still able to use it in the summer and then going forward. We can like said, set those times aside where, if we absolutely do need it, but we've done our scheduling our program and all of our other facilities to pick up and even gain more events, programs, leagues, tournaments and so on.

A

Councilman tupper.

F

Get this to work here, I know at one time when the city was talking about possibly demolishing that building. There was a lot of. We heard a lot from the public. Put it. That way. Is there still people that go over there and walk every day? Yes,.

M

We have a number of walkers I'd, say a handful throughout the course of the year, mainly during that that cold winter time you know now they're out walking. Obviously, today.

J

Like today, being.

M

90 degrees, they're, all walking, we've been really checking it. You know we have. We do have a couple that are very adamant about that walking and we have other options available for them and and we're going to get those fully finalized with the school district pending approval, as.

F

Long as we, you know, communicate with those people, because I know that was a big issue before when we talked about maybe just getting rid of the building, but so let's communicate with them and make sure that we're keeping it open. So.

A

Thank you very much any further questions or comments hearing none. The motion is to approve the facility agreement. All those in favor, please say aye aye any opposed a motion carries item g is an approval of a professional services agreement with stockwell engineers for the performance of a citywide parks master plan and to allow the city manager to sign all applicable documents, and we will go to said city manager for more.

K

Information, thank you mayor, said, city major. I don't even call that anymore. um Thank you mayor. uh What you have before you is an agreement with stockwell engineers. You may remember: uh discussion might have been back in late winter early spring about this. This is included in in the 2022 budget.

K

What stockwell would provide for us is the creation of a citywide master park plan and an update to the recreational trails plan. The park board did recommend this. Like I said, it's been included in the budget. I'd be happy to answer any questions. We also have david locke with stockwell engineers online and we'll stand by for any discussion or questions you might have.

A

Thank you very much chair will entertain a motion to approve the agreement motion made by councilman tupper second by councilman, buehler, open it up for questions or comments. Council councilman paulson thank.

G

You mayor, um I want to start by saying I think this is probably unnecessary, um as some of you may recall not that long ago I did say something on this aspect that maybe we need to start looking at doing less parks, because we don't have the staffing to maintain them most of the complaints.

G

I'm sorry I get as a council member is park related either maintenance of parks or maintenance of our trail facilities, and you know they're trying to do everything it can, and I know that this should play into that. But it's, I think it's a huge first step to start looking at that and how we need to address parks going forward.

A

Thank you, councilman buehler,.

I

Thank you mayor uh just a couple comments. You know as the liaison park and rec for the last few years. I guess um I highly recommend we move forward with this. I think I feel very strongly that it's time and it's overdue, probably for us to reevaluate our park systems to see what we have that we maybe don't need- maybe things that we do need and to give us some guidance according you know, certainly on the recreational trails and those kind of things moving forward.

I

So I just I want you to know that, and I know I've been hailing this whole process now for a couple of years, and I I think it's time we move forward with it and get her done thanks.

A

Thank you, councilman councilman bill hauer.

J

Thank you mayor. Does this incorporate future parks? I know, for example, planning commission there's a going to be a discussion about annexation uh for the property that will entail some park land. So does this also include an analysis of future parks in uh as we grow.

K

I think david can probably speak to that a little better than I can, but it will incorporate uh what we currently have and what is projected right. So what we don't know um about future development.

E

Probably, wouldn't.

K

Be wouldn't be included. One thing that I um I was remiss in saying in my in introduction of this is so this this will be my my third opportunity to work with stockwell, specifically on master park plans and and a thing for the public to take away is that this is an incredibly public process. They do a very good job of working with potential user groups, members of the general public.

K

When we did a park plan in a previous community, we made sure that the daycares were invited, and uh they do a very nice job of making sure that that everyone has an opportunity to to say their piece uh and take all of that information and data and help build a really great plan um that is phased very nicely. So they'll provide some great recommendations on here's.

K

Here's how you could uh appropriately phase this over the next 10 years, 15 years, whatever it um comes to be so that that is part of why. um I would recommend that that we work with stockwell is because of their public participation piece of it.

N

Thank you amanda. That was, this is david with stock. Well, um that is a good overview in regards to laying the foundation for that plan as public input.

N

It's very important that you know we hear from the public, the different user groups, and we use a variety of different uh avenues to do that, as well through stakeholder meetings uh through a public survey that we'll put out online to encourage people to to give feedback through public meetings.

N

This. This is a plan that needs to reflect the community and is a good approach that we've developed over working with many communities, such as yourselves to get feedback from an existing condition. Standpoint proposed improvements and also future locations. So we will look at future locations. uh Part of what we do is look at the level of service of your existing parks to determine where there may be gaps in your community.

N

That parks are needed within the existing city limits, but as the city grows in certain areas where those future parks should be located as well.

A

Thank you, councilman danforth is next. Thank you mayor.

L

Excuse me, I'm going to throw this out to to either amanda or or david. uh I understand you know that we will analyze what we have and what our conditions are and try to understand. You know the level of use and type of use. That's occurring that and you know I like the fact that there'll be a lot of public input as we go, but when it's all said and done, there's a philosophical and a conceptual aspect of this that ultimately has to come from this body.

L

Where does that happen? We're going to go through all this work, which I don't disagree with, because for years, I'm kind of with bruce that for years the whole park thing has been.

L

I I think we've been going down a good road, but not the right road, so I agree with it. But where does the philosophical and conceptual aspect and the ability to afford these things? Where does that come into this process, with the work that they're going to be doing.

K

Well, there's a cut, there's several components of this where the council would be intimately involved in it. First they'll take input from the council just like they will on uh from the community perspective as they're phasing their their the plan out and building the recommendations that'll get shared along the way. Ultimately, the council will be the decider, the approver of the final plan, um whatever whatever that plan looks like traditionally how I've used park plans is that's how you build your master, your master cip over the next five to ten years.

K

Everyone's agreed that this is phase one when you approve it, so you just build it into your cip. So nothing is a surprise when we get to budgeting each year now we may have to make some decisions based on numbers in in any given year, but that's largely how I've I've seen and worked with councils through this process.

K

The council is the ultimate decision maker on on what stays in the plan, what what gets cut from it um and how how it's appropriately phased for the community and for the organization david may may want to chime in more.

N

I agree with everything that was said. It's just. As you know, we involve the public, the council.

N

uh We want them to be intimately involved with this as well so attending the stakeholder meetings, the public meetings once we gather all of that feedback, we'll have a findings meeting where we say: okay, here's what we've heard from the public from stakeholders from users, but here's also what we've observed in terms of the condition of your existing parks, some improvements that we may see or some ways that we may see to ease some maintenance concerns as well, and so we'll include all of that as a part of um our process and including the council uh as we go through it, because we certainly don't want any surprises when this gets presented to the park board at the end when we come through and we have a phased plan and document put together, it'll go before the park board and the city council, and so we'll want to make sure that you guys are fully briefed on everything that will be in that report and and gather your feedback as we continue to move forward.

A

Thank you. I know that we have councilman paulson and councilman buehler who would like to speak, but I also know our city manager and our public works. Director would like to say something. So perhaps I will have them speak first, so city manager, mac.

K

Thank you. I just wanted to add, and david touched on it, that the park board also plays a really big role in this entire process.

K

We'll lean on them pretty heavily to engage with user groups, the public in general get them get them to meetings and they'll help guide that discussion and, as david mentioned they'll be involved in um you know preparing what what is presented in these in these progress progress meetings. um So it's it's a great partnership. It's also a really great opportunity. um Once we make those those park board changes that we've talked about to really engage the board in that um advisory capacity. They're advising this process they're helping guide guide us through that.

A

Public works director, heath von nai.

H

Thank you mayor just to help with councilman danforth's question. I would liken the results of this master plan with our transportation master plan or pavement management study, where staff have a tool in the tool block box to build that capital improvement plan and bring recommendations forth to the council. As far as the budget amounts are concerned, in that cip, that was the first thing came to my mind when they build those recommended.

H

Improvements for the park system might be no different than our transportation master plan recommended improvements in our payment management study recommended improvements that we carry out from those.

A

Thank you, councilman paulson,.

G

Thank you mayor.

G

I just want to clarify that I'm not against parks and that I think parks are great for the community, um but just looking at it from a budgetary and staffing standpoint is this: we need to do one or the other, and I think that this is a good step to figure out exactly what those needs are going forward, whether that means adding staff or how to appropriate funds to help take care of these facilities.

A

Councilman biehler.

I

Thanks again mayor um just you know, I think that's a real key component in the scope of work is to understand what we have for resources to operate and maintain our park system. You know, and I would I would certainly expect- that we would get some information in that regard moving forward, but you know especially bike trail. I mean that's uh that just seems to be ongoing, maintenance and and there's been a plan to continue to add to that bike trail.

I

The whole layout, I guess throughout the community, but one thing I think just david to make you aware of is there is a uh there was a great deal of of time, put into a study and and to a a master plan for a bike, trail system or recreational trails, and- and I I don't know if you're aware of that, but it's it was done with our first district board of governments here in in watertown, and I attended many many of those meetings and so there's a lot of work.

I

That's been done that I think may might be beneficial to you in this process. So just wanted to make you aware of that. Thank you.

A

Councilman tupper yeah, oh david, did you want to.

N

I was just going to say yeah, sorry, I, um yes, we are aware of that plan and um the one of the first steps when we have our kickoff meeting, will gathering all of the uh past and current plans that have been developed to use that as a foundation. We certainly don't want to. You know, reinvent the wheel, so to speak uh with with work or studies that have been done, and so we will certainly be utilizing those as uh the beginnings of developing the this updated plan.

A

Thank you, councilman tubber,.

F

I don't know where this goes to. Maybe david probably mine's totally a little bit off the pace of talking about this part of it. But my question is: every time we do a development agreement with a developer to put in a new development x amount of percentage of that's got to be set aside for parkland. That's part of our ordinances. My question: are we going to look at those ordinances at the same time and see if they're proper?

F

You know that I mean there's a lot of times. It goes back to the developer and then back to the park and rec board. Then they decide if they want to put in a park or do they want to donate x amount of dollars to the city? I don't, I don't think that's a good plan in the way we do it uh we'll won't any of that be studied. At the same time,.

K

That's not specifically included in this in this plan. I'm sure that david and his team can can give us some guidance on what we might want to look at for language, but that would be up to us internally.

K

Community development would probably lead that process in conjunction with parks and and bring some recommendations forward.

F

You see where I'm coming from, though a lot.

K

F

That gets kind of confusing when one developer puts in a park the other one donates x amount of dollars, and we really don't have a good smooth way of of uh determining that. So.

A

Councilman yeah david.

N

Sorry we can, we can certainly uh you know, take a look at that and- and you know, provide recommendations and examples of of what other communities have done um and yeah work with staff on on what maybe some of those changes could be.

N

A

You councilman danforth.

L

I have a question, but I also have a comment um and hopefully amanda, don't think I'm speaking out of turn here, but I remember when amanda first came to town we met and I just asked amanda. I said: what's your first impression of town great community, she said, but the one thing I really have noticed is: your parks are not well maintained.

L

Well- and she was right- I mean she's right and that's not that's not anything against the people in the park and rec department. It's just that. We we aren't funding them like we are, and we don't to me that was that's the outside eyes come into our community and I don't disagree with her and I think um you know colin, I think, you're hearing that same thing from our people in our communities. You know so so we have room for improvement and I think this would be a good basis for that. That's that's my comment.

L

I I amanda I hate to put you on the block with that one, but that was your observation and I agreed with her so but here's my question.

L

My question is: when we talk about parks, we're talking about the open spaces, we're not talking about it that if they have their community input that somebody said we should have an indoor gun range or if we weren't doing ice right now. They said that we should have an indoor ice facility, that's different than what we're going to be doing here. Correct nope,.

K

That's all inclusive.

L

That's so when we're talking about we're talking about.

K

We're talking about.

L

Recreation, open spaces.

K

Right so now that doesn't necessarily mean that a final recommendation would include in indoor gun range. But if that comes up through public discussion and it's it's a pretty consistent thing, they may include that hey. This is what we're hearing from the community we'd, really like an indoor gun range, and then you can build it into you know. Whatever, whatever plan that you want, um an ice arena could come up so.

L

It's about all our spaces, it's.

K

L

The outdoor parks, as we do as we find it in you, know community area parks. It's all our assets.

K

It's all of the park and rec assets.

L

K

um In a previous community that I worked with stockwell, they did a nice job of looking at the existing parks and talking about how you could transform them, transform them, one in particular I'm thinking of was, I think it just had a slide right and a picnic shelter. They said. Well, you could turn this into like a pollinator park.

K

Yeah, you know without you, gotta keep your park land, but there's a way to transform it, so that not every park is the same, so you're not competing with one another for for users and a way to create sort of some destination spaces anyway. That was my that's. My last comment.

A

Someone has a phone or something going off: okay, all right, um any further questions or comments.

A

F

Tupper, if I go back and think about probably about six years ago, we did the same thing with downtown watertown with a charrette. You know, and there was a lot of great ideas that came out of that and we've accomplished a good share of them. So basically you know that was bringing in some people that were professionals on that type of thing and and uh really got the community involved, and basically that's what this is going to do whatever we call it a study, whatever we call it.

F

It's basically the same thing since that six years ago, look at what's happened to our downtown, it thrived and a lot of those ideas came out of that study. So I strongly support this so.

A

Thank you any further questions or comments hearing none. The motion is to approve the professional services agreement. All those in favor, please say aye aye. Any opposed saying motion, carries item h is an authorization for the police department to open and award bids for two patrol cars not to exceed fifty thousand dollars per vehicle for more information, we'll go to our chief of police, tim toomey.

D

Hi good evening, mayor city, council, uh today we come to you for uh kind of an odd request. We've been approached by our car dealers ford and dodge and been informed if we don't order our 2023 vehicles by this friday, we won't get them next year. So we're kind of putting the cart before the horse and asking for permission to open the bid and accept a bid pending uh cip approval in the budget. At the end of the year we do have a we a back out.

D

The dealership said that we could back out if we're not awarded the cip, like we requested, so we're asking just to award the bid all right.

A

F

A

uh Just a second, I need to open it up for an action first, so thank you. Chief uh chair will entertain a motion to approve or to authorize the opening made by councilman biehler seconded by councilman paulson now councilman tupper, okay, oh.

F

Yeah, I should have noticed this earlier. I will recuse myself from this vote.

A

Thank you very much questions or comments. Council.

A

Councilman vilhauer.

J

Thank you, I guess all the directors to our finance officer anything unusual about this. From your perspective, kristen.

C

uh No, actually, I've worked with the police department to make sure that we could facilitate this. So I think the the motion to not only bid the the two cars but then to award it in the same time finance has it set to be opened and with the back out clause just because they won't be here till next year. um I think I think it's appropriate just because the car market is a little bit off. We had to do a similar thing with the one that was damaged, so I think it's okay.

A

Thank you thank.

C

A

Thank you any further questions or comments hearing none. The motion is to authorize the opening uh and of the bids, all those in favor, please say: aye aye, any opposed, nay, motion carries item. I is authorization for the city manager to sign a two-year contract with clark county in the amount of 13 000 roughly annually for non-emergency police dispatching for clark county we'll go back to our chief of police, tim toomey for more explanation on this. Thank.

D

You mayor uh this is a another contract developed by our troy van. It's simply a contract for them to pay for services that they were already receiving, so they joined hamlin and grant for paying contract for non-emergency dispatching.

D

A

You chair will entertain a motion to authorize the contract motion made by councilman tupper second by councilman paulson, open it up for comments or questions councilman paulson.

G

Thank you mayor. um I guess I just have a concern or at question. One is: why is it two-year term.

D

That's a good question. I don't know why they have a two-year term, but we have a six-month back-out clause in the contract. So if any party wants to terminate the contract, they can okay.

G

And then because my second question related to that was, does that I mean the second year would not include any inflationary or gas price increase, or you know those type of things. That's why typically on things like this, I don't know if a two year is appropriate or not, but.

G

Is it just calls, or do you actually dispatch.

D

It's just calls followed.

G

Also, there's not money yeah. I thought that there was cars.

A

Our finance officer, christian bob zine, has something to offer. Thank.

C

You mayor, I think the only reason that you're, probably seeing the two-year is the timing they're, probably within their budget right now and they're, trying to kind of plan their next budget cycle and the counties are a little bit different with that. So that's the only reason I could think that it would be a two-year, but.

A

Councilman tupper.

F

uh How many counties aren't playing this right now? I know uh director uh 911, director of anderson has been trying to get this all squared away and- and I know, there's still a couple of them- I mean they've all been receiving these services for a long time without paying for it. So.

D

Yeah, that's a great question: uh these are the three top ones that use our resources, so there won't be any further counties approach, because the calls are so minimal that it's hard to put a number to okay.

F

I compliment officer van duzen for getting this taken care of, so thank you.

A

Councilman vilhauer.

J

Thank you mayor um just to spark something. I know a couple years ago when we tried to or when we passed on a relatively small amount for ambulance service to uh outlying communities and townships. We got some pretty strong pushback and those are small dollar amounts. uh We're in I mean what I think. Everything's worked out now from my understanding, but we're not getting any pushback from these counties and all of a sudden we're now assessing them for something that we had been doing for nothing.

D

No, they uh they've been really receptive and understand the value of it and troy has done an excellent job, attending their city council meetings and.

A

Talking to them so, okay, great good process. Thank you, city manager, mack,.

K

I was just going to comment that that this is not an assessment like the the fire. These are voluntary agreements that the counties are entering in into.

J

But yet we are still asking them to pay for it.

K

Yeah we are, but it's not a requirement that they pay for it.

A

Councilman tupper.

F

This is above and beyond our 911 service writer emergency service. That's correct!.

D

They they pay for that through their surcharges. Yeah. That's what I thought so thank you.

A

Any further questions or comments seeing none the motion is to authorize the contract. All those in favor, please say hi any opposed, say, nay, motion, carries item j is to appoint lisa carrico as interim city attorney and authorize the city manager to sign all applicable documents.

A

We will go to our city manager, amanda mack. Thank.

K

You explain this. Thank you, as you all are aware. uh City attorney, matt roby left us last week for different pastors, I won't say greener, but different pastures for him uh and as we uh determine you know how to fill that position and the timing of filling that position. We do need to have uh an attorney on board with us to to help help guide us through all all of the things that an attorney does.

K

Lisa has served as an interim attorney before in this capacity for the city uh and uh was a recommendation of former city attorney, matt roby. So with that I'll stand by for any questions, and I'm sure lisa would be happy to answer any as well.

A

The chair will entertain a motion to appoint lisa carrico motion made by councilman vilhauer seconded by councilman paulson, open it up for comments or questions councilman villarreal. Thank you mayor.

J

uh I I see the agreement does not specify a term what what are we envisioning? I guess I'm looking both at city manager and at least.

K

Yeah, um it is open-ended um I'd like to uh at least have lisa on board through the end of the year and um and and then look at uh either hiring a new city attorney at the beginning of 2023, or enter into formal into a formal agreement with either lisa's firm or whomever. If we put out an rfp for contracted services,.

A

Thank you, councilman paulson,.

G

Thank you mayor. I do see in the letter that she's asking for a flat rate per month instead of an hourly rate, and I I agree with that. I think that that's a good way to go, and I appreciate her doing that because it does save us an hourly rate. um So I I appreciate her services and I'm glad she's here.

A

Any further questions or comments lisa, would you like to say anything to the people.

O

Of watertown, I wasn't going to get off that easy.

O

No I'm happy to serve um matt approached me um like I said: I've done it before, um and the fee agreement was similar to the one that I had done with under mayor thorson. So we're ready to go. We've I've met with everyone, and I think we have. There will be a first month of trying to ire out everybody's processes.

O

I will be in the office occasionally in the mornings, probably but otherwise I'll be working out of my office on camp. So thank you.

A

How long did you serve in this capacity under mere thorson.

O

uh At least six months, I believe yep.

A

All right, thank you very much.

A

Any further questions or comments. Hearing down the motion is to appoint lisa carrico as interim city attorney. All those in favor, please say: aye aye, any opposed, saying a motion carries item k is an approval of a bid award for snow removal, equipment for the watertown regional airport to mb companies contingent upon buy american waiver approval and receipt of an faa grant offer and authorizing the city manager to sign all applicable documents.

A

Our public works director, heath von. I will explain more about this.

H

Yes, thank you mayor. I do need to make one correction on the bid amount in lieu of the 1.83 million. The actual bid amount should be for 1 million 685 618 dollars. Again, that's one million six, six. Eighty five, six! Eighteen, um this this item goes hand in hand with the next item, which is a grant application uh for the following item.

H

But this particular item is a bit award contingent upon that grant application being successful as part of the uh the typical grant process that we cycle our capital improvements and uh capital purchases through the faa grant program.

H

This this bid award is for two separate units, one of which will be purchased with the grant that's being applied for pending the next item on the agenda. Here this fall and then the second one will be purchased under grant application that will come after the first of the year.

H

So it's a little bit unorthodox from what we're accustomed to, but we are able to hold these bid values per the faa guidelines and process. Both purchases through those two separate grant applications. So again, the total of both pieces of equipment is a little over 1.6 million uh one will be purchased or be ordered here.

H

This fall pending the success of the grant application and then the second one will be ordered after the first of the year after the subsequent grant application uh airport manager, todd cyrus in the crowd with me here, rob sorry, not todd. I had the last name right.

H

I was telling myself don't don't mix up the last names and there I mixed up the first names. So um rob is in the crowd with me here tonight and uh we'll be glad to discuss any details or questions you might have.

A

Thank you. It is the chair's decision that, since there was no motion made yet that we do not need to adjust through an official action, the amount of the dollars we will just read in that dollar amount of instead of one point: eight three million one million six hundred and eighty five thousand six hundred and eighteen dollars. That will be the motion, and with that said, the chair will now accept that motion motion made by councilman tupper seconded by councilman vilhauer, open it up for questions or comments, councilman bill hauer. Thank.

J

You mayor so, as I understand it, that there's a chance that we could get one grand buy one piece of equipment and this, but the second grant does not come through, for whatever reason we would not we're not committing ourselves to going to purchasing. The second piece is that am I understanding it correctly correct, okay, okay, thank you, and this does come as a recommendation from the airport board. Is that a correct statement.

O

A

Any further questions: councilman tupper when.

F

We replace these are these going to be additional or replacements of the older ones.

D

They should be replacements for the other ones.

F

So what will happen to the other ones? They'll become surplus of the city or we'll find a department to pass them down to or.

K

A

Any further questions or comments.

A

As it says in the bible, let your yes be, yes, and you know me no, but all right, villarreal.

J

Thank you very, you know it might be worth pointing out, and maybe it's evident based upon the grant amount verges versus the purchase amount, but the the actual city's outlay on this is relatively minimal uh for each piece of equipment. If I, if I'm understanding how this whole process works, so maybe it wouldn't hurt to if one of you general would like to just point that out.

D

The city is on hold for 2.5 percent of the total price.

M

And the state is the 2.5.

D

J

Okay, so so we're getting uh some new equipment at a relatively small small dollar outlay by the city.

H

J

If the grant goes through correct, okay, thank you.

A

Any further questions or comments hearing none the motion is to approve the bid award, all those in favor, please say: aye aye,.

I

A

Opposed nay motion carries.

A

Item l is an approval of the submittal of an faa grant application for snow removal, equipment and cultural and aquatic resources; survey expenses required for future airport development authorizing city manager to execute applicable documents. Our public works director heath von. I will tell us more.

H

Thank you mayor, as mentioned in the previous item. This is the formal grant application that allows us to move forward with the likely the potential funding for the snow removal equipment also included in this grant. Application is a reimbursement for the already completed cultural survey on the airport property and the yet to be completed aquatic resources, survey or a wetland determination for potential future development and capital improvements on the airport property.

H

So those three things combined make up this particular grant application and we'll stand by for any questions.

A

Thank you very much chair will entertain a motion to approve this uh application.

A

Motion made by councilman shutty seconded by councilman danforth, open it up for questions or comments.

A

Seeing none. The motion is to approve the application. All those in favor, please say aye aye, any opposed, nay motion carries item m is an approval of a revocable right-of-way encroachment agreement with westland manufacturing llc for property located at 400 airport drive heath von. I, our public works director, will tell us more.

H

Thank you mayor. We have a property on the north side of the airport that would like to construct some improvements on their property to better, allow and accommodate for truck turning movements and backing into their loading dock.

H

In order to do so, their preferred improvements would include some flat work or some concrete work onto and into the city's right-of-way. This is a portion of right-of-way that used to um that used to include east airport drive that portion of east airport drive was terminated and torn out from the airport improvement project that we just recently completed.

H

So staff does not have a concern with this encroachment by city. Ordinance. Encroachments like this uh should be brought forward to the council for formal approval and um staff's recommending approval of this to note. We would hope that in the future there's a potential that the staff would also support, actually vacating abortions right away to this adjacent property owner. We can't do that yet until the formal land release has been approved for this particular area.

H

On the north side, that's been pending at the faa level for quite a little bit of time now, but we're waiting to see that finalize and once it is, we would likely bring forth a recommendation to vacate a portion of this right away that we no longer need for our roadway. I wanted to make sure that was known too.

H

This is a revocable like all of our right-of-way encroachment agreements. It is revocable. We can request these improvements, be removed from the right of way at the developers cost if we ever were to determine. That was a need with that I'll stand by for questions.

A

Thank you, chair will entertain a motion to approve the agreement motion made by councilman paulson seconded by councilman danforth questions or comments.

A

Seeing none the motion is to approve the agreement. All those in favor, please say aye aye, any opposed, say, nay, motion carries. Is there any old business.

A

Any new business.

A

Any liaison reports.

A

Any announcements, city manager, mac.

K

Thank you mayor. I have a few first. The municipal league annual conference is coming up here at the beginning of october, it's being held here in watertown. If any of you are planning to attend, please coordinate with lindsay and she will get you registered a reminder that we have a special counsel meeting scheduled tomorrow at 3 30 at the new ice arena site.

K

We recommend that you use 31st to access the site, not willow, creek, drive and it'll, be in the northeast corner at 4 pm we'll do the groundbreaking and naming rights reveal on the ice arena.

K

I sent you all an email last week asking for some input on potential city logos. If you've not uh shared your thoughts with me. Please take a look at that, so that we can move forward with that and then. Lastly, on friday, starting at 9 00 a.m, the fire and police department are doing the 9 11 memorial stair climb at the stadium you're welcome to join and observe or participate. So that is all I have.

A

Councilman villarreal thank.

J

You here um some of you were involved in the council at that time. Back in april of last year, 2021, you may recall we passed a resolution that said with the uh city manager, transition taking place uh and and the related change and the mayor's duties that we would be reviewing those periodically.

J

As you recall, we did that back in january of this year, the deputy mayor, which is myself uh at that time, I'm direct a point to council members. At that time I appointed councilman danforth and bueller to assist me in that.

J

Well, it also says that this also needs to be done at the 12 month, which actually would pass that now 12 month period, so we're there again to do that, and I've asked councilman, tupper and councilman shetty to assist me uh in that endeavor this time around and I think from here on then it's just an annual uh review.

J

If I'm not mistaken- and this is just a review of not a review of job performance, it's just a review of the duties, in other words, uh are: are the two respective positions doing the duties that they should be? Are they doing things that they shouldn't be whatever? So it's not a it's, not a job performance review. It's a duties review that will be coming coming here shortly.

A

Thank goodness, it's not on our performance right, amanda,.

A

Any other announcements.

A

There is a need to go into executive session tonight for contractual discussion.

A

We will not be taking any action when we come out uh so that that, with that the chair will entertain a motion to go into executive session motion made by councilman tupper second by councilman shutty any discussion on that all those in favor of going into executive session. Please say: aye aye, any opposed, nay motion carries good night and god bless. You watertown we'll adjourn when we're out.

A