Independence City Council action, Sept. 2, 2008

The Independence City Council meets regularly the first and third Mondays of the month, with study sessions on the second and fourth Mondays. The council met Monday, Sept. 2, 2008. All votes were 7-0 unless otherwise stated. All dollar figures have been rounded off.

Opening action

The council:

• Presented Linn Sanders Employee of the Month certificate

• Public hearing on Alliance Automotive, Inc. rezoning case

• Public hearing on Cargo Largo rezoning and preliminary development plan

• Public Hearing Wicklin Trucking rezoning case

Consent agenda

The council approves items in the consent agenda, including reports and resolutions, with one motion and vote. The council:

• Approved a purchase order to Archer Engineers for $26,800 for the engineering survey and design of storm drainage problems adjacent to the Fairway Gardens subdivision.

• Approved a purchase order to Alstom Power, Inc. for  $35,786.40 for the repair of the coal nozzle at the Power & Light Department Blue Valley Plant Unit 3.

• Approved a purchase order to Alstom Power, Inc. for $161,789 for inventory coal mill replacement parts for Blue Valley Units 1, 2, & 3 for the Power and Light Department.

• Approved a purchase order for $40,180.00 to the Finn Corporation for a Hydro-Seeder for the Parks and Recreation Department.

• Approved a liquor and Sunday sales license for Independence Liquor, LLC, 11305 E. US 40 Highway and transferring the existing liquor licenses into their name.

• Approved a liquor and Sunday sales license for Exclusive, Inc., for Shop N Go No. 108, 17121 E. U.S. 40, and transferring the existing liquor licenses into their name.

Resolutions

• Approved a resolution recognizing Linn Sanders, Accountant II in the Finance Department, as the employee of the month for September, 2008.

• Approved a resolution expressing the appreciation of the City Council to all city employees for their contributions to the 22nd Annual Local Government Food Drive. The total contribution was 5,950 pounds. 

Ordinances

• Approved contract with Mega Industries Corp. to provide and install the contact basin no. 2 drive at Courtney Bend water plant.

• Approved executing two ground space and equipment lease agreements with the Mid-America Regional Council for the Operation Green Light project.

• Approved the annual contract with MARC for $25,000 in grant funding for the city’s senior adult nutrition site program.

• Adopted a new 9 percent residential water rate increases for the next four years, effective Oct. 1.

• Amended the city code regarding graffiti to increase fines, penalties and restitution.  

Emergency ordinances

The council can read emergency ordinances twice and pass them in one meeting with five votes. The council approved:           

• An emergency ordinance authorizing a change order to the contract for the Delaware Sidewalks project with J.W. King and Sons Construction for an increase of $43,630.05.

• An emergency ordinance for the final tract of the Coventry Estates Baptist Church addition, a residential subdivision located south of East 39th Street, east of South Masterbrook Drive and west of South Berry Lane.

First readings

Ordinances require two readings before the council passes them. The following ordinances have been read once and will be on the Sept. 15, 2008, agenda for a vote.

• An ordinance repealing ordinance No. 17074 and enacting a new ordinance to allow for revisions to 12 legal descriptions for acquisition relating to the Sinnott Circle Sanitary Sewer improvements.

• An ordinance agreeing with agencies to provide services utilizing Community Development Block Grant funds for fiscal year 2008-09 for reimbursement to them of monies available through the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development.

• Request to award the bid for the city’s group life insurance, and long-term disability programs to Hartford Life Insurance Company, effective Jan. 1, 2009, with an estimated annual premium of $260,862.62.

• An ordinance to sign a contract with Advanced Protective Coatings Inc., to paint the interior and exterior of Settling Basin No. 2 at the Courtney Bend Water Plant for $352,696.00 and to appropriate $170,331.00 from the Water Fund’s unreserved net assets.

• An ordinance to sign a contract with Enterprise Electrical Service,Inc., to provide and install two variable frequency drive units at the Courtney Bend Water Plant for $45,455.00.

• An ordinance to sign a one-year $150,000 “Weed and Seed” grant award from the U.S. Department of Justice, Community Capacity Development Office.

• An ordinance approving a preliminary development plan  for the property located east of South Weatherford Avenue, west of South Noland Road between East 31st Street and East 33rd Street.

• An ordinance approving changing the zoning classification for the property located at the southeast corner of East Gudgell Avenue and east of South Noland Road.

• An ordinance approving changing the zoning classification for the property located at the northwest corner of Wilson Road and Kentucky Avenue.

• An ordinance approving the petition for and establishing the Trinity Woods Community Improvement District.

• An ordinance to sign a contract with Burns & McDonnell for the engineering design of the 26th/Glendale/Windsor Storm Drainage.

• An ordinance amending the City’s personnel policies and procedures manual by amending Section D of Article VI to create special circumstances leave.

Citizen requests

• David Schwensen asked the council to reconsider new graffiti ordinance in light of its effect on property owners.

• Elisa Breitenbach praised the council for the new graffiti ordinance.   

• Denton spoke to the council about administration support of objectionable Water Department actions.

– Toriano L. Porter