HomeMy Public PortalAboutMinutes_City Council Work Meeting_12212021 CITY COUNCIL WORK MEETING
IONA CITY HALL
DECEMBER 21,2021 6:00 P.M.
PRESENT: Mayor Dan Gubler, Council President Rob Geray, Council Member Peter
Wadsworth, Council Member Michael Thompson, Council Member Kathy McNamara, City
Attorney Andrew Rawlings, Public Works Director Zech Prouse (via teleconference) and City
Clerk/Treasurer Keri West.
ABSENT: None.
VISITORS: Bill Koester.
ITEMS OF BUSINESS:
Discussion with City Personnel Policy and Observed Holidays—Clerk West stated the day of
"Juneteenth" has been recognized as a federal and state holiday. She continued and asked if the
City would also like to recognize this as a holiday. Mayor Gubler stated the City needs to follow
all federally recognized holidays. Council President Geray asked if the City is required to do so.
Clerk West stated the City is not required to recognize all federal holidays and stated some cities
have chosen not to recognize Juneteenth as a holiday. Discussion then began regarding Personal
Leave hours accrued and whether there should be a cap on the maximum hours employees are
able to accrue. Council agreed to recognize "Juneteenth" as an annual holiday on June 19 and
agreed to no changes pertaining to Personal Leave accrual at this time.
Discussion of Bleachers at City Park — Mayor Gubler stated the existing grandstand structure
in the Iona City Park is in very poor shape and needs to be replaced due to safety concerns. He
continued and stated the City would either need to do an expensive overhaul with continued
maintenance, or replace the grandstands with aluminum bleachers and sun shades. Mayor Gubler
stated the decision needs to be made soon to allow the Public Works Department to begin the
tear down and replacement process prior to spring and summer usage in the park. Mayor Gubler
also mentioned the bell that is placed behind the grandstands and what the significance is. He
continued and stated it is also a safety hazard due to the condition of the base. Council President
Geray suggested donating it to the Iona Historical Museum. Discussion turned back to the
bleachers and Council President Geray asked if the seating in the aluminum bleacher quote
would be comparable to the current seating in the grandstands. Director Prouse stated the new
aluminum bleachers would accommodate 140 people and the current grandstands can fit
approximately 100 people. He continued and stated the new bleachers would fit on the existing
concrete pad. Council President Geray asked if the new bleachers would arrive before spring.
Director Prouse stated they are coming from Colorado and he has not been informed of any
potential shipping delays. Council President Geray stated he would like to have the lead time
confirmed, before they tear down the existing structure. Council Member Wadsworth asked
about the longevity of the sun shades. Director Prouse stated he did not get a guarantee on the
sun shades, but was advised to remove them after the summer season. He continued and stated
the aluminum bleachers have a five year manufacturer's warranty and will research the longevity
of the sun shades. Director Prouse continued and stated he has used this company in the past for
other products and has been pleased by their quality and service. Council Member Thompson
IONA CITY COUNCIL WORK MEETING—DECEMBER 21, 2021
requested comparison quotes from different companies to ensure the best price and quality.
Director Prouse agreed and stated he will have them prepared for the January meeting. Mayor
Gubler did authorize Director Prouse to begin demolition of the current grandstands. All agreed.
Discussion of City Sign Ordinances—Attorney Rawlings stated he has made some adjustments
to the proposed Sign Ordinance, based on the Council's discussion last month and the Planning
& Zoning Commission's discussion earlier this month. He continued and stated this is not an
action item and will not be voted on tonight. Attorney Rawlings explained the changes from the
previous meeting pertaining to the proposed Sign Ordinance. He continued and stated the City
can regulate various aspects of signs while still protecting First Amendment Rights by avoiding
content-based distinctions. Attorney Rawlings stated the amendments address private property
separate from public and City owned property. He explained this amendment states only City
signs and signs authorized by the City Council can be placed on City property. Attorney
Rawlings continued and stated private property owners are allowed 4 square feet of signage on
their property and asked if the Council would like to adjust this number. Council President Geray
stated he does not think this is enough since flags would also be considered signs. Discussion
then continued regarding designating flags as signs and regulating signs on private property.
Mayor Gubler stated his focus is to regulate signs in the public right-of-way and not necessarily
on private property. Attorney Rawlings asked if the Council would like to remove the "sign"
subsections in all residential zones of the City Code. All members agreed to not regulate signs on
private property.
General Water System Discussion — Mayor Gubler stated the liner was reapplied inside the
water tank to address the leaks. He continued and stated they are waiting for the chemicals to be
able to run another test on the water tank. Mayor Gubler stated these added costs and tests are
not the City's responsibility, they are the contractor's responsibility. He continued and stated
there is a section that is not aesthetically pleasing, so they will be rolling a piece of steel with the
City's logo lasered into it to cover this section on the outside. He confirmed it only affects the
aesthetics and not the functionality. Mayor Gubler stated the site work will be happening in the
spring.
Meeting Adjourned: 6:58 p.m.
COUNCIL APPROVED: January 18, 2022
Dan Gubler, Mayor
ATTEST:
eri West, City Clerk/Treasurer
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