OPENPUBLICA · PUBLIC MEETING RECORD
Record of Proceedings

Mason City City Council Regular Meeting – June 6, 2023

City Council — Tuesday, June 6, 2023
BodyMason City, Iowa
SessionCity Council
DateTuesday, June 6, 2023
StatusFILED
Video Record
0:00 / 47:53

Transcript — Verbatim
0:48

And good evening, everyone.

0:50

Welcome to the regular meeting of the Mason City City Council.

0:53

We're delighted to have you with us this evening.

0:55

I'm Mayor Bill Schickle, and this is the meeting for June 6, 2023.

1:00

The first order of business is the roll call.

1:03

Pam, would you call the roll?

1:08

Simmons.

1:09

Present.

1:10

Lee?

1:11

Present.

1:13

Here.

1:16

Adams.

1:17

Present.

1:18

Let the record reflect that we have a quorum with all members present.

1:23

Next item of business is the adoption of the agenda.

1:26

Is there a motion to adopt the agenda?

1:28

So motion and a second discussion.

1:33

All those in favor signify by saying aye.

1:36

Aye.

1:36

All those opposed, same sign.

1:39

The motion carries.

1:41

Next we have two special presentations.

1:43

First, it's a great honor to be able to declare Jefferson Highway Day in Mason City, and we have two representatives from the Jefferson Highway Association with us this evening.

1:56

We have John Fishbeck and Lindsay James.

1:58

Would both of you please step forward at this time.

3:20

And whereas Mason City and other communities on the Jefferson Highway route, which approximates uh Highway 65, north and south through uh Iowa and the rest of the country, and uh we believe this will enhance tourism and when we offer greater awareness uh of the Jefferson Highway.

3:39

And we're as a special day recognizing the Jefferson Highway would help to bring tourism and recognize the historic importance of uh this highway through Mason City and the state of Iowa and the rest of the country.

3:51

Now therefore I Bill Schickle by virtue of the authority given to me at the City of Mason City do be hereby proclaim June tenth, twenty twenty-three as drive the Jefferson Highway Day in Mason City and call upon the people of Mason City to explore this historic highway and to begin to learn more about its importance in our local state and national history, and I look forward to spending more time on the back roads of the Jefferson Highway in the near future.

4:21

Can we uh show our appreciation to the great uh people from the Jefferson Highway Association, and next we have a uh presentation on the uh nutrient reduction uh strategy and uh Aaron, I'll make let you make the introduction here.

4:53

Yeah, we've got WHKS uh and Bill Angerman to here to present on uh the nutrient reduction strategy.

5:01

Obviously, this has been a talking point for many years, predates me.

5:06

Uh the nutrient reduction strategy uh is an important action to help reduce the nutrients that are flowing into the Gulf of Mexico and uh the point source uh issues that we face with the plant, and we've been challenged by the DNR to uh to help reduce that loading.

5:23

Uh with that, there's a large price tag that comes along with that, but there's also a plan of action to make sure that we're able to achieve those those goals in the long term uh with our permit.

5:33

And with that, I'll turn it over to somebody who knows a lot more about this than me.

5:37

So thank you.

5:38

Thank you, Erin.

5:39

Uh thank you, Marin Council.

5:40

Uh good evening.

5:41

As Aaron said, my name is Bill Angerman, and uh uh tonight uh we're gonna run through a pretty quick presentation and uh we're gonna talk about the nutrient reduction strategy, then you have a couple other agenda items uh later on uh that'll be the next steps.

5:56

So just a little background, we're gonna jump right to the executive summary.

6:00

So back in 2017, uh the city was given a compliance schedule, and you had uh 10 years to come up with a plan with how you could meet uh the nutrient reduction uh strategy imposed by the state.

6:12

And at that time, what you said was we are just coming off in a big project in 2008.

6:18

Uh our plant was in really good shape, it's been well maintained by our staff.

6:22

We've done a good job keeping it up to date.

6:24

Uh we really wanted to delay this project as long as we could.

6:28

So in 2018, the city council set um uh chain of events uh or started a chain of events that would culminate in the city building a new facility or really upgrading or expanding their facility, uh culminating in 2017 to meet that compliance schedule.

6:46

So you've done a really good job of of I think uh you know, spending your money wisely.

6:52

You've over the last 10 years, uh I'm sorry, over the last five years and all the way back to 2008.

6:56

You've said how do we get the most amount of life out of the thing out of the improvements we've made to that plant.

7:02

Uh second item, facility plan.

7:05

Uh so tonight, again, later on your agenda, uh, we will be acting on that, or we'll be acting asking you to approve that.

7:12

And that what that does is that lays out the proposed design, which is we are going to uh uh basically convert the plant to a process where you biologically remove uh the nutrients that are part of that uh uh nutrient reduction strategy, primarily phosphorus and nitrogen.

7:28

Uh second to last item there, then is again to meet that compliance schedule.

7:32

Uh you would initiate design services tonight.

7:35

You'll have an opportunity to act on that.

7:37

And then lastly, funding strategy, uh, what we've talked with staff about is uh pursuing uh funding through the state revolving loan fund.

7:45

We'll get into a little more details of that a little bit later on.

7:49

Uh so again, just to dig into a little bit of the details, uh a little bit of a refresher.

7:53

So the nutrient reduction strategy basically is saying we need to address, or the EPA is saying the state of Iowa and all the uh states uh that that discharge into the Gulf of Mexico.

8:03

Uh we need to control nitrogen and phosphorus to address this 5,000 square mile dead zone in the Gulf of Mexico.

Discussion Breakdown — Share of Meeting
Water And Wastewater Management█████████████████████████████████33%
Procedural██████████████████18%
Engineering And Infrastructure███████████████15%
Zoning Regulations████████████12%
Affordable Housing████████8%
Environmental Protection████4%
Fiscal Sustainability████4%
Tourism███3%
Economic Development███3%
Summary of Proceedings

Mason City City Council Regular Meeting – June 6, 2023

The Mason City City Council held its regular meeting on June 6, 2023 at 7:00 PM in the Mason City Public Library. The meeting included a proclamation, a major presentation on the Water Reclamation Facility nutrient reduction project, approval of a consent agenda, separate action on workforce housing tax credits and a trail project, public hearings on zoning changes and property conveyances, and adoption of salary adjustments for council and mayor.

Consent Calendar

  • Approved minutes of May 16, 2023.
  • Approved claims dated May 18, 25 and June 1, 2023.
  • Approved permits.
  • Accepted April 2023 financial report.
  • Reappointed Amanda Ragan to the Planning and Zoning Commission.
  • Approved promotion of Police Officer Seth McChesney to Sergeant at $40.68/hour.
  • Approved 5.25% wage increase for non-bargaining employees and resolution fixing compensation for appointed officials for FY2023/2024.
  • Approved amendments to City Administrator/City Clerk employment agreement effective July 1, 2023.
  • Confirmed Option 1 for the Nutrient Reduction Strategy (biological nutrient removal) for the Water Reclamation Facility Plan.
  • Awarded contract for professional services to WHKS & Co. for design phase of Water Reclamation Facility Improvements ($1.5 million budgeted).
  • Approved resolution of support for Workforce Housing Tax Credits application by Dev Partners for 100 block N. Delaware Avenue (36 units). (This item was pulled separately and approved later; see Discussion Items.)
  • Approved contract and bond for "Scrip Road Conversion" project to Heartland Asphalt ($428,000). (Pulled separately; see Discussion Items.)
  • Approved resolution awarding contract to SEH for Pennsylvania Avenue Street and Utility Improvements Project.

Proclamations & Presentations

  • Mayor Bill Schickle proclaimed June 10, 2023 as "Drive the Jefferson Highway Day" in Mason City, presented to John Fishbeck and Lindsay James of the Jefferson Highway Association.
  • Bill Angerman of WHKS presented the Water Reclamation Facility Improvements Project – Nutrient Reduction Strategy. He explained that the city is under a federal/state mandate to reduce phosphorus and nitrogen discharge impacting the Gulf of Mexico dead zone (5,000 square miles). The facility plan selects biological nutrient removal (Option 1) with an estimated cost of ~$26 million, including $4 million in deferred improvements and $7 million in electrical/controls upgrades. The project timeline aims for compliance by October 2027. Funding will primarily come from the State Revolving Fund (SRF) with a 2% interest, plus a potential 0% planning loan and a forgivable loan of up to $1 million from the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law. Operation and maintenance costs are expected to increase by $300,000–$400,000 per year. Brent Hinson, Finance Director, noted that Mason City currently has the 5th lowest combined water and sewer rates among 39 Iowa communities of 10,000+, with annual 3.5% increases; rates may need review but will not be dramatically impacted.

Public Comments & Testimony

  • No public comments during the public forum.
  • During public hearings, Andy Johnston (Laird Law Firm) spoke on behalf of prospective purchasers of the former Blackmore site (1007 4th St SW) in support of a zone change from Z2 Sub-Urban to Z4 Multi-Use, subject to conditional rezoning agreement.
  • Brett Schoneman (LG Properties) spoke in support of a zone change at 15 North Taft Avenue from Z3 General Urban to Z4 Multi-Use, with use restrictions to address neighbor concerns.

Discussion Items

  • Workforce Housing Tax Credits (Item 12): Council discussed the application by Dev Partners for 36 market-rate workforce housing units at 100 block N. Delaware Avenue. Aaron Burnett highlighted the council's priority for downtown housing density and the developer's success with previous tax credits. The deadline for application is June 9, with a decision expected by September/October; construction would likely start mid-to-late 2024.
  • Scrip Road Conversion Project (Item 13): Approval of contract with Heartland Asphalt for $428,000 to convert Scrip Road, linking trails. Project completion by August 15, 2023. Discussion on road closure timeline.
  • Zoning Change – 1007 4th St SW (Item 15): First consideration of ordinance changing zoning from Z2 to Z4 for the former Blackmore site, subject to conditional rezoning agreement. Council discussed potential commercial corridor alignment with comprehensive plan.
  • Zoning Change – 15 North Taft Ave (Item 16): First consideration of ordinance changing from Z3 to Z4, with use restrictions to address neighborhood concerns. No additional public comments since packet publication.
  • Fire Station Addition (Item 17): Public hearing and approval of P2 Site Plan for an addition to Fire Station at 350 5th St SW, to include dormitories and other needed space.
  • Alley Vacation to School District (Item 18): Resolution vacating and conveying an alley to Mason City School District at the former Madison School site (block bounded by 26th St SW, S. Jefferson Ave, 27th St SW, vacated S. Madison Ave) to facilitate community garden and Habitat for Humanity improvements.
  • Highway 65 Conveyance (Item 19): Resolution authorizing vacation and conveyance of public property for revised roadway alignment of U.S. 65/South Federal Avenue, and approval of Iowa DOT Purchase Agreement.
  • Council and Mayor Salary Ordinance (Item 20 A & B): Ordinances amending the city code to increase stipends for future elected officials (Council members and Mayor). Approved unanimously on first reading.

Key Outcomes

  • All consent agenda items approved unanimously (items 2-14, with items 12 and 13 later separately approved).
  • Workforce Housing Tax Credits resolution (Item 12) approved unanimously.
  • Scrip Road Conversion contract (Item 13) approved unanimously.
  • Zoning change for 1007 4th St SW (Item 15) approved on first consideration unanimously.
  • Zoning change for 15 N Taft Ave (Item 16) approved on first consideration unanimously.
  • Fire Station addition P2 Site Plan (Item 17) approved unanimously.
  • Alley vacation to School District (Item 18) approved unanimously.
  • Highway 65 conveyance (Item 19) approved unanimously.
  • Salary ordinances for Council and Mayor (Item 20 A & B) approved unanimously on first reading.
  • Meeting adjourned after conclusion of items.

Meeting Transcript

And good evening, everyone. Welcome to the regular meeting of the Mason City City Council. We're delighted to have you with us this evening. I'm Mayor Bill Schickle, and this is the meeting for June 6, 2023. The first order of business is the roll call. Pam, would you call the roll? Simmons. Present. Lee? Present. Here. Adams. Present. Let the record reflect that we have a quorum with all members present. Next item of business is the adoption of the agenda. Is there a motion to adopt the agenda? So motion and a second discussion. All those in favor signify by saying aye. Aye. All those opposed, same sign. The motion carries. Next we have two special presentations. First, it's a great honor to be able to declare Jefferson Highway Day in Mason City, and we have two representatives from the Jefferson Highway Association with us this evening. We have John Fishbeck and Lindsay James. Would both of you please step forward at this time. And whereas Mason City and other communities on the Jefferson Highway route, which approximates uh Highway 65, north and south through uh Iowa and the rest of the country, and uh we believe this will enhance tourism and when we offer greater awareness uh of the Jefferson Highway. And we're as a special day recognizing the Jefferson Highway would help to bring tourism and recognize the historic importance of uh this highway through Mason City and the state of Iowa and the rest of the country. Now therefore I Bill Schickle by virtue of the authority given to me at the City of Mason City do be hereby proclaim June tenth, twenty twenty-three as drive the Jefferson Highway Day in Mason City and call upon the people of Mason City to explore this historic highway and to begin to learn more about its importance in our local state and national history, and I look forward to spending more time on the back roads of the Jefferson Highway in the near future. Can we uh show our appreciation to the great uh people from the Jefferson Highway Association, and next we have a uh presentation on the uh nutrient reduction uh strategy and uh Aaron, I'll make let you make the introduction here. Yeah, we've got WHKS uh and Bill Angerman to here to present on uh the nutrient reduction strategy. Obviously, this has been a talking point for many years, predates me. Uh the nutrient reduction strategy uh is an important action to help reduce the nutrients that are flowing into the Gulf of Mexico and uh the point source uh issues that we face with the plant, and we've been challenged by the DNR to uh to help reduce that loading. Uh with that, there's a large price tag that comes along with that, but there's also a plan of action to make sure that we're able to achieve those those goals in the long term uh with our permit. And with that, I'll turn it over to somebody who knows a lot more about this than me. So thank you. Thank you, Erin. Uh thank you, Marin Council. Uh good evening. As Aaron said, my name is Bill Angerman, and uh uh tonight uh we're gonna run through a pretty quick presentation and uh we're gonna talk about the nutrient reduction strategy, then you have a couple other agenda items uh later on uh that'll be the next steps. So just a little background, we're gonna jump right to the executive summary. So back in 2017, uh the city was given a compliance schedule, and you had uh 10 years to come up with a plan with how you could meet uh the nutrient reduction uh strategy imposed by the state. And at that time, what you said was we are just coming off in a big project in 2008. Uh our plant was in really good shape, it's been well maintained by our staff. We've done a good job keeping it up to date. Uh we really wanted to delay this project as long as we could. So in 2018, the city council set um uh chain of events uh or started a chain of events that would culminate in the city building a new facility or really upgrading or expanding their facility, uh culminating in 2017 to meet that compliance schedule. So you've done a really good job of of I think uh you know, spending your money wisely. You've over the last 10 years, uh I'm sorry, over the last five years and all the way back to 2008. You've said how do we get the most amount of life out of the thing out of the improvements we've made to that plant. Uh second item, facility plan.

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