The Jefferson city council needed just 20 minutes to deal with items on the July 23 meeting agenda.
The first item of new business was to approve the farm lease with Adam Ebersole for the 159 city-owned acres around the municipal airport runways. Ebersole and the city are now in the second year of a two-year contract. Cash rent for the 2025 and 2026 growing seasons will be considerably higher than now, increasing to $275 for crop acres and $135 for hay acres, for a total of $35,000-plus. His current annual cash rent is $19,516.
According to city administrator Scott Peterson, the new rates are more consistent with the market. Ebersole signed the agreement before it was approved by the city council.
The council approved seal-coating and crack sealing to be done before winter. Only one bid was received for each project.
Blacktop Service Co of Humboldt will work in the northeast quadrant of the city, seal-coating alleys and the dead-end streets east of N. Cedar St. Cost is $33,392.
Denco Highway Construction Corp of Mingo will work in the southwest quadrant of the city, crack-sealing “as many streets as $40 to $45,000 can cover,” Peterson said, as well as all the concrete around the water plant.
The council approved the purchase and installation of two rooftop air-conditioning units for the clubhouse at the municipal golf course. The current units malfunctioned and cannot be repaired. Two bids were received, with the lower bid being $23,049 from Sloan Plumbing, Heating and Cooling. Councilman Chad Sloan abstained on the vote. The expense was unexpected and not budgeted. Funds will come from the LOSST (Local Option Sales & Service Tax) fund.
The council approved the purchase of a new sander for the street department at a cost of $38,303. The vendor is Henderson Products Inc of Manchester. The council also approved hiring Kirk Geisler as a water operator at a starting wage of $21.91 hourly. His start date is Aug. 5.
The council closed several funds and transferred balances to other accounts. The list included closing the neighborhood stabilization fund. Much of the fund had come through a donation from a private individual for the purpose of dealing with dilapidated houses. The funds have all been used, although Peterson said there would be funds available for future acquisition of nuisance properties.
The council approved a 10-page document of council meeting policies and procedures. Much of the policy is already in place through the Code of Iowa and Jefferson city ordinances.
It also includes behavior expectations of members of the public in attendance. A paragraph with the heading “Decorum” states, “No person shall disrupt the orderly conduct of the city council meetings. Prohibited disruptive behavior includes, but is not limited to, shouting, making disruptive noises such as boos or hisses, creating or participating in a physical disturbance, speaking out of turn or in violation of applicable rules, preventing or attempting to prevent others who have the floor from speaking, preventing others from observing the meeting, entering into or remaining in an area of the meeting room that is not open to the public, or approaching the city council table without consent.”
The policy also provides that the mayor may remove from the meeting any person who engages in unreasonably loud or disruptive language, noise, or conduct which obstructs the work of conduction of the business of the city council, as well as anyone who willfully damages the furnishings or the interior of the city council chambers or meeting hall.
