Mason City City Council Regular Meeting – December 6, 2022
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Mason City City Council Regular Meeting – December 6, 2022
The Mason City City Council held its regular meeting on December 6, 2022, at 7:00 PM in the Mason City Public Library. The meeting included a public hearing on a zone change for the former Shopco building to allow EVCO manufacturing to assemble electric vehicles and golf carts, along with several consent agenda items and a correction to a floodplain ordinance.
Consent Calendar
- Approved minutes from November 15 and worksession minutes from November 29, 2022.
- Approved claims dated November 17, 23, and December 1, 2022.
- Approved permits.
- Appointed/hired Joe Bohl as Street & Park Supervisor at Grade M, Step 8 ($84,804), replacing retiring Bob Bergrand.
- Adopted Resolution designating the Mason City Globe Gazette as the official newspaper for 2023.
- Adopted Resolution adopting the City Council Policy Agenda Work Plan for Calendar Years 2023 and 2024.
- Adopted Resolution setting a public hearing for December 20, 2022, on the fiscal year ending June 30, 2023, budget.
- Adopted Resolution accepting work and ordering payment for the 2022 Street Panel and Curb Replacement Program.
- Adopted Resolution accepting work and ordering payment for the Eastbrooke Storm Water Management Project.
- Adopted Resolution approving a professional services agreement with WHKS for the IA Highway 122 Mercy Corridor Improvement Project.
- Adopted Resolution approving an IDOT Agreement for a Surface Transportation Block Grant Program Federal-Aid SWAP Project for 12th Street NE over Ideal Creek ($900,000 project; state/federal up to 50%).
- Adopted Resolution approving contract and bond for the Highland Park Golf Course Cart Storage Building Project (Larson Contracting, $139,000, funded by local option sales tax).
- Adopted Resolution authorizing assignment of a Downtown Revitalization Loan (DoRL) for 122-124 North Federal Avenue (Foxtrot Properties, $30,000 loan).
- Adopted Resolution authorizing a Subordination Agreement with First Citizens Bank for 122-124 N. Federal Avenue.
- Adopted Resolution authorizing a Subordination Agreement with Clear Lake Bank and Trust Company for 516 South Federal Avenue (contour salon refinancing).
Public Comments & Testimony
- No public comments on agenda items were offered at the meeting.
Discussion Items
- Public Hearing – Zone Change for EVCO Manufacturing (Item 16): The council conducted a public hearing on an ordinance to rezone property at 615 South Monroe Avenue from Z4 Multi-Use District to Z6-R Industrial-Restricted, subject to a conditional rezoning agreement. Jacqueline Arthur Laird (Arthur Laird Law Firm) spoke on behalf of EVCO Manufacturing, expressing full support for the zone change, noting no public comments were received at the Planning and Zoning hearing, and highlighting the redevelopment of the former Shopco building for light assembly of electric vehicles and golf carts. She requested approval and asked the council to consider waiving the first reading to expedite construction. Council members discussed the proposal; Councilman Adams noted the project had received public attention and was not controversial like previous redevelopment talks. Councilman Lee expressed support for moving to second reading symbolically to allow completion before Christmas, noting the isolated location with only two houses across a parking lot. Staff explained that the conditional rezoning agreement was not included on the agenda and would come at the next meeting, but the zone change could proceed. Council voted to waive the first reading (unanimous) and then approved the second reading (unanimous).
- Correction to Floodplain Ordinance (Item 17): Administrator Aaron reported that a typographical error in the third version of the ordinance regarding floodplain maps had inadvertently deleted an entire paragraph. The city attorney advised that the ordinance had never received third and final consideration. The council proceeded to a third reading.
Key Outcomes
- Consent agenda approved unanimously (all items as presented).
- Zone change for EVCO Manufacturing (615 South Monroe Avenue): Motion to waive first reading passed (6-0). Motion to approve on second reading passed (6-0). The ordinance will require a third reading and final adoption at a future meeting (conditional rezoning agreement to be considered then).
- Floodplain ordinance correction (Item 17): Motion to approve on final reading passed unanimously (6-0).
Meeting Transcript
Good evening, everyone, and welcome. This is the regular meeting of the Mason City City Council for December 6th, 2022. I'm Mayor Bill Schickle. Welcome. The first item of business is the roll call. Diana, would you call the roll? Lee. Present. Adams. Present. Simmons. Present. Here. Yesky. Here. Thomas. President. Let the record reflect that all members are president are present. Next, is there a motion to adopt the agenda? So move. Second. We have a motion and a second discussion. All those in favor signify by saying aye. Aye. Aye. All those opposed, same sign. The motion carries. Next is the public form. This is your chance to comment on any item on the agenda. If there's an item on the agenda that you would like to comment on, you can step forward and use the podium now, or you raise the used uh the raised hand feature if you're on Zoom this evening. Do we have any public comment on agenda items? Mayor, no one seeks to be recognized via Zoom. Seeing new uh no public comment, we'll uh move to the regular uh consent agenda. On your consent agenda, you have the minutes followed by the claims, then the permits, uh, then a recommendation to hire Joe Bowl as the street and park supervisor. Uh that would replace Bob Bergrand, who is uh retiring at the end of the year. Next we have a resolution designating the Mason City Globe Gazette as the official newspaper for 2023 in Mason City. What that means is by state law we're required to publish our legal notices. That means, and we're required to designate a newspaper, and that would be the Globe Gazette. The next is adoption of the City Council policy agenda work plan for the calendar year 23 and 24. The staff has put together a work plan uh with your uh priorities, and those are included in the council packet. The next item number seven is setting a date for a public hearing on the fiscal year ending June 30th, 2023. Uh and that public hearing would be on December 20th. Next number eight, we have a resolution accepting work and ordering payment for the construction of the 2022 street panel curb replacement program. Item number nine is a resolution accepting work and ordering payment for the construction of the East Brook Stormwater Management Project. Number 10 is a resolution approving a pro professional services agreement with WHKS. This is for highway 122 in the corridor in front of Mercy Hospital. This was is not included in the uh larger uh plan that we have for working with the DOT for improvements west between uh Mason City and Clear Lake on that highway, so that's a an individual segment there. Number 11 is a resolution approving authorization of an agreement with the Iowa DOT. This is for repair of the 12th Street Northeast Bridge. That's a $900,000 project.
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