All right, we'll go ahead and get started, call the meeting to order.

This is the regular meeting of May City City Council October 4th, 2022.

First item of business is to call the roll.

Pam, please call roll.

President.

Here.

Present.

Adams.

Present.

Simmons.

Present.

All right, there's a quorum.

Uh next item of business is to adopt the agenda.

Is there a motion and a second to adopt the agenda?

So moved.

Second.

All right.

Uh discussion.

All those in favor signify by saying aye.

Aye.

All opposed, same sign.

Motion carries.

First item is a special item of business.

It's a proclamation for 2022 fire prevention week.

Here to accept the proclamation on behalf of the May City Fire Department is Assistant Deputy Chief Randy Elsburn.

Have you step forward, Randy?

I'll read the proclamation and then we'll present it to Randy.

Whereas the city of Mason City is committed to ensuring the safety and security of all those living and visiting Mason City, and whereas fire is a serious public safety concern both locally and nationally, and homes are the locations where people are at greatest risk from fire, and whereas working smoke alarms save lives by provide an early warning of fire so you and your family can safely escape.

And whereas Mason City residents should be sure everyone in the home understands the sounds of the alarms and knows how to respond.

And whereas residents who have planned and practiced a home fire escape plan are more prepared and will therefore be more likely to survive a fire.

And whereas Mason City residents will make sure their smoke and carbon monoxide alarms meet the needs of all their family members, including those with sensory or physical disabilities.

I'm sorry, I'm getting a little feedback, so I was just checking that.

We're seeing this with the big news of EVCO going into the former Shopco Center.

Um, but we're also seeing a lot of small redevelopments like the corner pizza, uh, Pipe Dream Pizza, um scooters out on Scooter's Coffee out on uh near Pierce, uh pretzel maker um and numerous upper story units.

The old Navy development is really starting to take shape, and these are really important activities beyond just the large industrial development type projects, these small reuses of vacant structures or underutilized structures really are key to continuing to develop Mason City and use all the physical assets that we have within the community.

Um additionally, we're seeing new development like the uh federal role, federal row uh housing development that uh will be taking the place of that gravel lot on federal uh one workforce housing tax credit dollars and um just a great new housing addition to downtown, and then obviously the River Two uh uh apartments that will be going up very soon.

Um beyond development, we're uh continuing to work to address infrastructure.

The city staff and contractors uh on behalf of the city have been busy with televising, lining, um point repairs, street rehab, you name it.

There's there's activity all across the city, uh trying to get as much done as we can while the weather is still good.

Um really some some nice improvements on uh some residential streets.

Oftentimes we we uh you know we we we look at those major arteries through the community and and see those developments like Monroe being re uh rehabbed.

But the fact that uh we're we're getting some of those smaller roads done really uh makes a huge impact for the people who live in those neighborhoods.

So glad to see that uh that we were able to complete a lot of that work.

Uh obviously is ongoing.

We we we see the uh the effects of large failures in the system.

Uh they cause interruptions for the community, um, they can cause interruptions to industry.

So this work is absolutely critical to make sure that we continue to provide high quality services to the citizens and businesses within within Mason City.

Um speaking of winter, uh, there's a lot of work that has to go into getting ready for winter.

Um Bill Stangler and his crew have been great in uh doing what they can with the equipment they have.

Unfortunately, we've experienced continued interruptions in supply chain uh as far as uh getting new dump trucks and getting some equipment put back in good shape and and getting new equipment in.

And so uh really just hats off to them for preparing all the equipment that's needed for our snow removal and make sure that we're ready for that.

Uh even um so far as having to do very, very serious engine work to uh several pieces of equipment to make sure that they're ready for the winter.

So um I think we'll see uh hopefully we won't see any interruptions uh with snow removal.

The service will be the same service that uh the community has received year in and year out by the crew over there, even though we are facing some um uh some daunting challenges with uh the the fact that it takes a very long time to get a dump truck anymore.

Um the uh October October 11th, the city and um a delegation from the city, including city council members and the mayor, uh, will be presenting to the uh Iowa Department of Transportation uh Commission about the study that was completed on highway 122.

Uh that study and that presentation will include uh obviously a summary of the study, uh the condition of the road as it is currently, the need for replacement and and why that were the community is advocating for that, and then the path forward on the intentions of the city and the actual request for funding.

Uh hopefully we'll be able to get in the five-year funding window that the commission will consider.

Um also reporting to them on moving forward with the NEPA evaluation to make sure that uh we are as ready as possible should they determine that that funding should be allocated for the city of Mason City.

Uh I know five years sounds like a long time, but when you're talking about a stretch of road like that, uh it is an incredible undertaking, as we've seen with the work on you know, North and South Federal, obviously uh some considerable work that's taking place there, utilities, lighting, uh just and and on top of the pavement.

So on top of that, the pavement.