The Paullina City Council met in regular session on February 6, 2023 in the Council Chambers, City Hall, 127 S Main St, Paullina, Iowa. Mayor Brenda Ebel Kruse called the meeting to order at 5:30 p.m. and led the Pledge of Allegiance.
Roll Call. Council Members present: Steve Heeren, Jay Jones, Lexy Murphy, Jean Unrau. Absent: Carol Honkomp. Mayor Ebel Kruse declared a quorum.
Also present: Clerk/Administrator Scott Wise, Police Chief Nathan Bremer, Fire Chief Ryan Harper.
Guests: Marlin Sjaarda, Shalene VanBeek, Becky Dau. Press: Radtke.
Agenda: Motion: Unrau. Second: Murphy. All Ayes. Motion Carried.
Open opportunity to address the Council: No guests present requested time to speak.
Presentation by VanBeek & Dau on South O’Brien Community School Bond Referendum vote 3/7/23.
Motion by Unrau; Second by Jones to approve amended minutes from 9/6/22 to include full language of IPIB Informal Resolution. All Ayes. Motion Carried.
Motion by Unrau; Second by Murphy to approve minutes from the 1/3/23 & 1/16/23 (with minor amendments to attendance list) regular meetings. All Ayes. Motion Carried.
Motion by Murphy; Second by Heeren to table adoption of revised Public Records Request Policy to add Ambulance mentions similar to Fire and Police. All Ayes. Motion Carried.
Motion by Murphy; Second by Unrau to approve payment of claims. All Ayes. Motion carried.
Unrau read and introduced Resolution 2023-09 establishing a fee for NSF checks and ACH and creating a cash payment only policy for individuals who have passed two returned checks and/or ACH to the City of Paullina. Second by Jones. Roll Call Vote: AYES: Heeren, Jones, Murphy, Unrau. NAYS: None. ABSENT: Honkomp. Mayor Ebel Kruse declared Resolution 2023-09 Passed and Approved.
Motion by Unrau; Second by Murphy to approve new copier lease. All Ayes. Motion carried.
Motion by Heeren; Second by Murphy to approve Bunkers proposal to spray City properties this summer. Voice Call Vote: All Ayes. Motion carried.
Motion by Unrau; Second by Heeren to approve Jay Jones as interim replacement to TCA Customer Programming Board effective immediately through remaining term to July. All Ayes. Jones Abstained. Motion carried.
Motion by Murphy; Second by Heeren to approve Brytton Kelleher to the Paullina Fire Dept. All Ayes. Motion carried.
Motion by Murphy; Second by Jones to table softball/baseball City League summer 2023 funding request until more info. All Ayes. Motion carried.
Motion by Murphy; Second by Jones to post Swanson Sports Complex site manager position. All Ayes. Motion carried.
Motion by Heeren; Second by Murphy to approve posting a summer help position. All Ayes. Motion carried.
Motion by Heeren to maintain O’Brien County Bell Times Courier as Paullina’s official newspaper. Died for lack of a second. Motion by Jones; Second by Unrau to continue submitting required legal publications for FY ’23 to current paper until further notice. All Ayes. Motion carried.
Mayor Report: Spoke of importance of state’s “sunshine” laws for city residents to have full transparency into government as intended. Taking steps to further illuminate & ensure accurate coverage, including posting of agendas to be visible outside City Hall near front utility drop box window and posting video of meetings to Facebook for now and/or website once it’s re-established. She stressed it’s necessary that the public has improved access to a true representation of our government in 2023.
Clerk/Administrator Report: Need guidance on purchase prices for available lots to offer for sale. Budgets should be turned in.
Supt of Utilities Report: Extensive snow removal & equipment repair. Shared how prices are much higher & lead times much longer for almost all equipment/supplies. Best to plan & order way ahead when possible.
Police Dept: Chief Bremer was called out. Fire Dept: Chief Harper update & annual report highlights. Ambulance: No report. Library: No report.
Heeren motioned to adjourn. Murphy seconded. All Ayes. Motion Carried. Meeting adjourned at 7:27 p.m.
Brenda Ebel Kruse, Mayor
ATTEST:
Scott Wise, City Clerk/Administrator
Published in O’Brien County’s Bell-Times-Courier Feb. 23, 2023