Mason City City Council Regular Meeting – October 3, 2023
Mason City City Council Regular Meeting – October 3, 2023
The Mason City City Council met on Tuesday, October 3, 2023, at 7:00 PM in the Mason City Public Library. The meeting covered a consent agenda with 14 items (two pulled for separate discussion), two public hearings, and two action items. Major topics included a new bookstore, a parking lot purchase for police department expansion, a building inspection agreement with Kensett, $800,000 in sanitary sewer repairs, and updates to city code for traffic and building official qualifications.
Consent Calendar
- Approved unanimously (5-0) the consent agenda with the exception of items 10 and 13, which were pulled for separate discussion. Items approved en bloc included: minutes of September 19, 2023; claims dated September 21 and 28, 2023; permits; July financial report; acceptance of the Mason City Housing Authority annual report for FY2022-2023; hiring Andrew Monson as Police Department Utility Worker at $24.46 per hour; award of janitorial services contract to Midwest North Iowa Janitorial Services (July 1, 2023 through June 30, 2028); setting a public hearing date on the Expanded Mason City Unified Urban Renewal Area and plan amendment; encroachment permit amendment for Foxtrot Properties at 13 South Federal Avenue (related to bookstore); resolution to buy a parking lot (item 10); resolution vacating a storm sewer easement at Southport Shopping Center; resolution fixing a public hearing on an addendum to the real estate purchase agreement with North Iowa Housing Development Corporation; 28E agreement with Kensett (item 13); and resolution approving contract and bond for the Police Department remodel.
Public Comments & Testimony
- Item 16 (alley conveyance) : An anonymous written comment was received late that afternoon stating “leave our alley alone.” The comment was entered into the record. No other public comments were received on any agenda item.
Discussion Items
- Item 10 – Purchase of parking lot south of Police Station : Councilman Yusheski asked about the funding source, noting the memo said “no impact on operating budget.” The city attorney explained the funding would come from capital improvements, not operating funds. Chief Brinkley clarified the lot will initially be used for employee parking and storage of excess vehicles before auction. Long-term plans include securing the corner, demolishing an old structure, bringing the MRAP home, and providing secure parking for patrol cars. Approved unanimously.
- Item 13 – 28E agreement with Kensett for building inspection : Councilman Lee discussed his conversations with city staff about the workload. The inspections are done on overtime (portal to portal) and would not interfere with Mason City’s obligations. Past agreements (with Forest City and Rudd) resulted in very few inspections (10–12 hours total). Approved unanimously.
- Item 18 – First reading of ordinance amending qualifications for Chief Building Official : Council learned that the current chief building official is retiring on October 31, 2023. The code currently lists specific qualifications that were discovered to be outdated and restrictive. The amendment removes the detailed qualifications from the code to allow flexibility for future hires while still requiring necessary certifications (mechanical, electrical, plumbing). An interim contract building official will be sought. Council discussed the possibility of waiving readings, but proceeded with first reading. The earliest a new hire could be approved is the first meeting in November. Approved on first reading (unanimous).
Key Outcomes
- Item 10 (Parking lot purchase) : Approved 5-0.
- Item 13 (Kensett 28E agreement) : Approved 5-0.
- Item 15 (Sanitary sewer repairs) : Public hearing held; no public comment. Resolutions A, B, C, D approved 5-0. Contract awarded to Bob McKiness Excavating and Grading, Inc. of Mason City, Iowa, for approximately $800,000 to prevent inflow and basement flooding.
- Item 16 (Conveyance of vacated alley in Central Heights) : Public hearing held; anonymous comment received. Approved 5-0.
- Item 17 (Final reading of traffic code update) : Ordinance amending Title 9, Chapters 1 and 10, including alternate side parking provisions, to comply with state code. Approved 5-0 on final reading.
- Item 18 (First reading – Chief Building Official qualifications) : Approved 5-0 on first reading; second reading scheduled for October 17, 2023.
The meeting adjourned following the action items.
Meeting Transcript
It's seven o'clock. This is the regular meeting of the Mason City City Council. Good evening. Welcome. This is the meeting for October 3rd of 2023. The first item of business on the agenda tonight is the roll call. Diana, would you call the roll? Lee. Here. Adams. Present. Toma. Yeski. Here. Simmons. Present. Here. Let the record reflect that we do have a quorum present. The next item is the adoption of the agenda. Is there a motion to adopt the agenda? So moved. Second. We have a motion and a second. All those in favor signify by saying aye. Aye. All those opposed, same sign. The agenda is adoption. Lots of exciting things on the agenda tonight in economic development. And the city council will be considering steps to make possible the opening of the first bookstore in Mason City in five years. Regarding neighborhood improvements, City Council will be taking action on a major sewer upgrades. This is to prevent inflow and uh basement flooding, a major infrastructure investment there, and in the area of public safety. This is to expand the unified renewal uh area in Mason City to make possible what I am other things, what I mentioned earlier, um uh plans in Southwest Mason City for a refiner and research um facility, uh planned by New Energy Blue, along with an agreement with Dow uh Corporation uh for that economic development project in Mason City. Item nine is a resolution approving an amendment to an encroachment permit. This is for Foxtrot properties at 13 South Federal, but this really will um uh be a step toward opening uh the first bookstore in Mason City in five years. It will be called three bill books, it's my understanding, is scheduled open in November. It'll be on the commercial alley, and this uh we're asking the city council to make some modifications there uh to allow for um encroachment for some light fixtures and uh window boxes uh for that new store in Mason City. Item uh number 10 uh number 10 is uh related to an offer to buy. This is in the public safety area. Offer to buy that parking lot uh just to the south of the police station. That was owned by Mohawk Square. Mohawk Square was uh uh sold, uh but the uh parking lot was separate, and the city is uh asking City Council to accept making an offer for the purchase of that. That's for future uh possible expansion of our law enforcement center there and also things like parking of police vehicles and uh things along those lines. That's uh related to item number 14, which is uh approving the contract for the Mason City Police Station. Um this is for the uh a remodel uh for the main floor, the briefing room, um locker room, fitness area, all part of our uh capital improvements uh projects uh in Mason City. Item number 11 is proposing a vacation of a portion of a storm sewer adjacent to the Southport shopping center. That's a uh a uh uh vacation of that uh easement there. Number 12 is amending a real estate agreement with the North Iowa Housing Development Corporation. This is for three to relocate those houses located along um Highway 122 in the area of the Blackmore Nursery there, and put those where we uh remove some dilapidated properties. Really, this is a technical change on uh action that the uh city council took at uh last meeting. Item number 13 is a resolution.
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