Regular City Council Meeting                                                                                        June 19, 2007

City Council Chambers                                                                                                         7:00 p.m.

 

Present:  Mayor –                     Joyce Hudson               Absent:  City Attorney Mike Bacon

               Council members       Jeff Kennedy                               Police Chief   Randy Olson

                                                Jim Aden                                                         

                                                Roger Dudley

                                                Jeff Whiting

                City Administrator  Bruce Clymer

                City Clerk                Connie L. Dalrymple

               

Press:  Gothenburg Times - Beth Barrett                                  

 

Also present:  Shane Gruber, John Block, Jack Moore, Linda Lara, Eppie Sisneros, Mike Houchin, Lisa Pula

 

Mayor Hudson opened the meeting and public hearings at 7:00 p.m.  Advance notice and a copy of the agenda were given to the Council and members of the press.  City Council meetings are conducted in accordance with the Open Meetings Act, a copy of which is available for public inspection on the north wall of the Council Chambers.

 

John Block has requested his property at 1103 West 7th Street be rezoned from Agriculture to C-2 to accommodate retail sales businesses.  The Planning & Zoning Commission has recommended approval of the change.

 

Kennedy moved, Dudley seconded, to close the hearing at 7:03 p.m.  Roll call vote: Yea – Aden, Whiting, Dudley, Kennedy.  Nay – none.

 

Dudley moved, Aden seconded, approving the zoning change and authorizing the ordinance required to affect the change to C-2 at 1103 West 7th.  Roll call vote: Yea – Kennedy, Whiting, Dudley, Aden.  Nay – none.

 

The public hearing on a request for liquor license was taken up at 7:03 p.m.  The Clerk reported having no concerns, comments or objections to the issuance of a liquor license to Linda Lara at El Paraiso II.

 

Kennedy moved, Aden seconded, to close the hearing at 7:04 p.m.  Roll call vote: Yea – Whiting, Dudley, Aden, Kennedy.  Nay – none.

 

Aden moved, Whiting seconded, to recommend to the Liquor Control Commission the approval of a Class I license to Linda Lara dba El Paraiso II located at 815 Lake Avenue.  Roll Call vote: Yea – Dudley, Kennedy, Whiting, Aden.  Nay- none.

 

Dudley  moved, Aden seconded, to approve the consent agenda that included:

            City Council minutes – June 5

            Treasurer’s Report – May

            Planning & Zoning Commission minutes - June 12

Roll call vote: Yea – Kennedy, Whiting, Aden, Dudley.  Nay - none.

 

 Whiting moved, Aden seconded, allowing payment of the claims against the City, except #1047 and #1920. $58531.54; Public Works Division $205,266.16; and the June 14 payroll of $31,153.50.  Roll call vote: Yea – Dudley, Whiting, Kennedy, Aden.    Nay - none.

 

Kennedy moved, Aden seconded, allowing payment of claim #1047 to the Animal Hospital.  Roll call vote: Yea – Whiting, Aden, Kennedy.  Nay – none.

 

Aden moved, Whiting seconded, allowing payment of claim #1920 to Kennedy Landscape Services.  Roll call vote: Yea – Dudley, Whiting, Aden.  Nay- none.

 

Open Forum:

            Calvary Baptist Church wants to have a Bible School at Lafayette Park July 29 thru August 3.

            Wendell Brott and Gothenburg Gun Club want to have a laser target shoot at Lake Helen on July 4.  Disks do not break and can be retrieved for reuse.  Council had no objection but cautioned there should be sufficient adult supervision and the area should be roped or flagged to prevent injury from falling disks.

            The Gardenaires Club planted flowers at the intersection of Hiways 30 and 47.  The City crew cleaned out the old planters.

 

Aden moved, Whiting seconded, passage of Ordinance #816 establishing the administrative plat process, on third and final reading.  Roll call vote: Yea – Kennedy, Dudley, Whiting, Aden. Nay – none.

 

Dudley moved, Kennedy seconded, passage of Ordinance #817 changing the zoning for the area of the Pamida Store on 4th Street, on third and final reading.  Roll call vote: Yea – Whiting, Aden, Kennedy, Dudley.  Nay – none.

 

Aden moved, Whiting seconded, to have only one meeting in July, on the 10th, at 7:00 p.m.  Roll call vote: Yea – Dudley, Kennedy, Whiting, Aden.  Nay – none.

 

No comments on reestablishing the parks department have been received by the office or Council members.  Reestablishing the department will have an impact on the budget process and current contractor Jack Moore should be informed of such a decision at the earliest possible time.

 

It was the consensus of the Council that a Parks Dept makes sense based on the information presented at the last meeting and that a full department could handle the maintenance, repairs, and mowing as opposed to light maintenance and mowing the current contract system requires.  Staff could be utilized in other areas as well.  If the future of the community includes further development of trail systems and more parks, we’ll need a year round crew to maintain it all properly.

 

Mayor Hudson and the Council noted that any change made is due to growth and need and is in no way a reflection of the current contract.  A final decision will be made at the July 10 meeting.

 

Kennedy moved, Aden seconded, to pass and approve Resolution 2007-10 authorizing the sale of scrap wire.  Roll call vote: Yea – Dudley, Whiting, Aden, Kennedy.  Nay – none.

 

The parties requesting to close a street for a block party were not able to be at the meeting.  No action was taken.

 

The fireman’s ball was moved from the traditional third weekend in July to July 28 to avoid conflicts with other events.  Dudley moved, Kennedy seconded, approval of a one-day license to sell beer, wine, and distilled spirits at the Firemen's Ball on July 28, 2007 and to block the street at the Fire Hall for the duration of the event, 1:00 p.m. to 1:00 a.m.  Roll call vote: Yea – Dudley, Aden, Kennedy.  Nay - none.  Absent and not voting – Whiting.

 

Lisa Pula gave a brief presentation on establishment of railroad “Quiet Zones”.  The Union Pacific Railroad plans to increase the number of trains along the main line to an optimum of four trains per hour in each direction.  Noise is and will be a major factor in Gothenburg’s continued growth.  Landscaping and tree lines can also reduce noise.

 

The process includes the City, Department of Roads, and the railroad and is a lengthy process, approximately two years that includes public awareness and hearings.  In order to eliminate the federal requirement to sound the horn at every crossing, the crossings must have 4-quadrant gates instead of the standard two.  Establishing a Quiet Zone costs a minimum of $100,000 per crossing.

 

Council did not take action but did accept specific information on how to proceed with the process.  Ms Pula also informed Council that the Ave J crossing will have much heavier use once the ethanol plant is operational and a fatality at that crossing will require more than a 4-guard gates to qualify for as a Quiet Zone.

 

Kennedy moved, Aden seconded, to adjourn the meeting at 7:50 p.m.  Roll call vote: Yea- Dudley, Aden, Whiting, Kennedy.  Nay – none.  The next regular meeting will be July 10, 2007 at 7:00 p.m.

 

 

 

 

 

___________________________________                               _________________________________

Joyce Hudson, Mayor                                                                                 Connie L. Dalrymple, City Clerk