Rich Van Beek, Jr. came to the council meeting on April 4 to discuss plans for Junior’s Bar & Grill for the Gemboree celebration scheduled for June 24 and 25. He explained the current plan to host 3 separate bands on Saturday June 25 starting mid-day and through the evening. Van Beek’s plan is to set up Friday. Van Beek also recognizes that to do this much on Main Street would require extended street closure. Other businesses on Main Street would be impacted and Van Beek expressed his wish to avoid causing problems. His solution is to put the event outside the back of his restaurant on the municipal parking lot where the inconvenience for neighboring and other Main Street businesses and their customers would be minimal.
The liquor license can be expanded according to the verbal description of the plan. Other details are still under consideration. Council was very receptive to the idea.
Heath Reichle was reappointed to do maintenance at Swanson Sports Complex. The sports complex is a 28E agreement between the City of Paullina and the South O’Brien School District. The annual budget is approved by both boards and each entity is responsible for half of the approved budget. Reichle’s salary this year for his care is $4000. He has maintained the complex for several years.
On behalf of the complex, Reichle informed City Clerk Sandy Fritz of a pair of “above and beyond” (the approved budget) for the complex. Reichle ordered top dressing for the infields and is asking for funds to build a concrete bunker to store the top dressing explaining it would improve appearances and be easier for loading the bucket for application. The second unbudgeted request was for tree replacement outside the ball fields. He noted that newly planted trees require a lot of water and the water bill for the complex would most likey be affected.
Labor and material bids for the bunker is $1700.00. Council discussed the proposal and are generally supportive. The plans submitted by Reichle do not indicate the location for the bunker. Council would not give approval for the bunker until a location is determined. The city has a significant investment in parking on the south side of the street and a nice accessible location for busses. They will not compromise parking space for the bunker. They expressed support for the trees as well, but did not vote pending more details for the bunker project. Reichle proposed 5 evergreen trees with the trees and planting labor being $2175.00.
Separately, Reichle also requested permission to set up a batting cage on the city park ball field parallel and farther to the outfield with the third base line. The city was not asked for any funds for the project.
Planning Solutions submitted a firm proposal for the council to consider. He would do all zoning administration activities and nuisance abatement work for the city on contract for $15,000 annually. He provided extensive detail in the type of activities included in the cost including drive time and reporting to the council. He also offered cost information for grant writing.
The council opted against the contract, but did accept grant writing services which are charged on a per grant written basis. Council accepted grant writing services.
Fritz informed the council that one landowner, Lance Massmann, in the east business park is paying property taxes on an agricultural assessment for his building because he “stores his tractor there.” All other properties in the east business park are assessed as commercial. The city has no enforcement power as to assessment, but can submit an appeal to the conference board before April 30, 2022 to have the assessment reconsidered for a commercial property rate. After some discussion, council believes more than just a tractor is stored in the building and approved submitting the appeal.
A tree inventory of Paullina was last conducted in 2014. At that time 25 trees were recommended to be removed. The treatment of trees affected by the Emerald Ash Borer (EAB) can vary. A city ordinance requires a dead or diseased tree be removed. It is unknown at this time how many of the 25 trees have been removed. Council instructed that City crews do an inventory of sick or dead trees as soon as they are sufficiently leafed.