Loading...
HomeMy WebLinkAbout03/25/1996CITY COUNCIL WORK SESSION March 25, 1996 5:45 p.m. Large Conference Room Members present: Mayor Rooff, Jordan, Murphy, Krizek, Getty, Anders, Collier. Members absent: Mollenhoff. It was moved by Jordan, seconded by Murphy to approve the agenda as proposed. Ayes: Five. Absent: Collier, Mollenhoff. Motion carried. Chief Koehrsen reported that police officer Marshall and the city attorney met with attorney Jay Roberts and Mr. Levi, representative from the pawnbrokers group, to review the proposed ordinance. Several changes were agreed to and are reflected in the proposed document provided to the council. Some changes were made to improve the connotation of pawnbroker, and the surety bond and license fee have been returned to the original schedules. The holding period has been extended to sixty days except for merchandise purchased from wholesale vendors. Both groups feel the proposed ordinance will benefit both the city and the pawnbrokers. It was moved by Getty, seconded by Anders to approve the revisions as proposed, to send a copy to the pawnbroker's for review and to place on the council agenda for approval next week. Ayes: Six. Absent: Mollenhoff. Motion carried. With no further discussion on this matter, it was moved by Anders, seconded by Jordan to adjourn the meeting at 6:20 p.m. Ayes: Six. Absent: Mollenhoff. Motion carried. Susan Fangman City Clerk CITY COUNCIL WORK SESSION March 25, 1996 5:30 p.m. Large Conference Room Members present: Mayor Rooff, Murphy, Krizek, Getty, Anders, Collier, Jordan. Members absent: Mollenhoff. It was moved by Getty, seconded by Jordan to approve the agenda as proposed. Ayes: Six. Absent: Mollenhoff. Motion carried. Assistant City Engineer Dennis Gentz reviewed the request of James and Santha Kerns to extend Cardinal Drive into Cedar Falls to provide a driveway access to their property. Gentz stated that in the fall of 1994 the Kerns got a building permit from the city of Cedar Falls to build their house in the Cedar Falls city limits. They did extend utilities such as water and sewer from the City of Waterloo. Their contractor did construct an entrance access for their property onto Cardinal Drive without applying for a permit from Waterloo. The city engineer did notify the Kerns before the driveway was poured that the access was not legal and would not be permitted. They were notified that the only way to solve the problem would be to extend Cardinal Drive into Cedar Falls which is their current request. Marla Carlson, 2213 Cardinal, stated that as a neighbor she spoke to Eric Thorson and he indicated that he personally spoke with Mr. Kerns and told him that the driveway access was not approved as there were no permits. The contractor poured the driveway the next day and the Kerns were notified to barricade the access as it was not permitted. The Kerns have continued to drive around the barricade and use the access to their property off of Cardinal Drive. Todd Walker, Cardinal Drive, reported that the neighbors had continuing problems with the building contractors during the construction of the Kerns house. The contractor damaged adjacent property during the extension of the water and sewer lines and didn't repair the yard to the same condition. The residents are still trying to get the street repaired from the 1994 utility cut. It was reported that a city truck plowing snow was helping the Kerns bypass the barricade as they plowed the snow through their driveway to clear the way. Walker also asked for an explanation why the fire hydrant was moved away from his property and what is the cause of the water service repair to another neighbor's property. He asked what would be the benefit to the taxpayers of Waterloo to extend this street to a Cedar Falls property. Mayor Rooff advised the residents that he would meet with city staff to determine the answers to the questions raised and he hoped that by working with the Kerns and their contractors that this could be settled amicably for all parties. With no further discussion, it was moved by Jordan, seconded by Murphy to adjourn the meeting at 6:06 p.m. Ayes: Six. Absent: Mollenhoff. Motion carried. Susan Fangman City Clerk CITY COUNCIL WORK SESSION March 25, 1996 5:15 p.m. Large Conference Room Members present: Mayor Rooff, Murphy, Krizek, Getty, Anders, Collier, Jordan. Members absent: Mollenhoff It was moved by Murphy, seconded by Jordan to approve the agenda as proposed. Ayes: Six. Absent: Mollenhoff. Motion carried. Building Official Louis Cutwright reported that the plan review procedures are in place and ready for implementation on April 1, 1996. The plan review process has been tested recently by reviewing some of the plans submitted and architects and contractors have been involved in discussions on the procedures in place. Cutwright has set up a review process at the end of the this year's construction season with the contractor boards to suggest improvements to the process. Cutwright presented Downtown Renovation Guidelines which have been established to assist downtown development without prohibitive renovation costs. The uniform building code allows for two methods of life safety guidelines. The minimum guidelines are established to save buildings from fire and protect lives. The American with Disabilities Act has placed limitations for meeting their requirements in small, older buildings. The requirements are based on square footage and number of occupants, so that small storefronts wouldn't need a complete remodel to comply. A small store with less than a thousand square feet would be allowed to have a unisex handicap restroom. However all eating establishments must comply with having two handicapped accessible restrooms. Waterloo Redevelopment Director Mike Hahn reported that the Redevelopment Authority and Cedar Skyline have reviewed the changes proposed and the biggest concern is with the restroom requirement for restaurants of occupancy less than fifty people. Cutwright was directed to review this requirement and write an amendment to the uniform building code to allow a unisex bathroom for restaurants with seating for fifty or less. It was moved by Getty, seconded by Jordan to send the downtown renovation guidelines to the contractors board for review and for the Building Official to review the bathroom and square footage guidelines for ADA compliance. Ayes: Six. Absent: Mollenhoff. Motion carried. With no further discussion it was moved by Getty, seconded by Jordan to adjourn the meeting at 5:37 p.m. Ayes: Six. Absent: Mollenhoff. Motion carried. Susan Fangman City Clerk CITY COUNCIL WORK SESSION March 25, 1996 4:45 p.m. Large Conference Room Members present: Mayor Rooff, Murphy, Krizek, Getty, Anders. Members absent: Mollenhoff, Collier, Jordan. It was moved by Getty, seconded by Murphy to approve the agenda as proposed. Ayes: Four. Absent: Collier, Jordan, Mollenhoff. Motion carried. Finance Manager Bruce Meisinger presented the proposed contract with the Cedar Bend Humane Society to provide animal control services for the City of Waterloo. The contract requires animal control services to be on call coverage 24 hours per day, seven days a week. This is a great improvement over the city's current coverage which provided one officer for forty hours per week. The estimated cost of the contract is $170,000, with an additional charge if the number of animal pickups exceeds the annual cap of two thousand. An additional charge of $16 per animal will be added if the annual cap is exceeded. Meisinger reported that an arrangement to transfer ownership of some of the city'S assets is being discussed which would assist in defraying the cost of the contract in the first year. Councilperson Murphy asked how the annual cap on animal pickups was arrived at. Deanna Cooper, Humane Society Executive Director, stated that the annual number of pickups for the city's one officer was doubled to account for the 2000 estimate. Collier now present at 4:50 p.m. Getty asked that consideration be given to setting up regular joint meetings with the Humane Society Board and the city council to allow for discussion of the contract or problems. Carter Stevens, attorney for the Humane Society, suggested that language be added to the contract to allow meetings to be requested at the discretion of either party. Jordan now present at 5:01 p.m. It was noted that also present for the Humane Society were Deanna Cooper, Carter Stevens, and Norm Timson. Timson asked for clarification on the term of the contract. It was originally presented as an eighteen month contract with a six month termination notice but the beginning date of the contract has been delayed by three months to date. Meisinger suggested that the term be modified to a fifteen month agreement so that termination of the agreement coincides with the city's fiscal year end. It was moved by Getty, seconded by Collier to approve the contract with the Cedar Bend Humane Society after changes to the length of the agreement and joint meetings are completed and to place on the council agenda for approval. Ayes: Six. Absent: Mollenhoff. Motion carried. With no further discussion on this matter, it was moved by Anders, seconded by Jordan to adjourn the meeting at 5:05 p.m. Ayes: Six. Absent: Mollenhoff. Motion carried. Susan Fangman City Clerk