CITY OF MONDAMIN REGULAR CITY COUNCIL MEETING MINUTES Mondamin City Hall Monday, July 7, 2025 7:00 P.M. 1. Opening of Meeting a. Mayor Jamie Howrey called the meeting to order at 7:03 p.m., leading those present in the Pledge of Allegiance. b. Roll Call Council members present: Mary Seago, John Glennie, Jim Rains, and Karen Breyfogle. One vacant seat. Absent: None. Staff present: Alyx Hirst and Mike Kelley. Public present: Lacie Rife, Pam Hinkel, Brian Rife, Barry Masters, and Emilie Favinger. c. Approval of Agenda Motion to approve the agenda by K. Breyfogle with a second by M. Seago. Motion carried 4-0. d. Approval of Minutes Motion to approve June 2, 2025 meeting minutes by K. Breyfogle and seconded by J. Glennie. Motion carried 4-0. e. Iowa Communities Assurance Pool Invoice (City Insurance) K. Breyfogle made a motion to approve the ICAP claim for $66,577.00. J. Rains seconded the motion. Motion carried 4-0. f. Approval of All Other Claims as Presented M. Seago made a motion to approve all other claims as presented, and K. Breyfogle seconded. Motion carried 4-0. 2. Public Comments None 3. Community Center/Facility Report May and June reports were submitted to the council by the community center manager. 4. Library Report The librarian emailed her report to the city council. 5. Fire Department Report Fire Chief Brian Rife was present. He stated that the department came in under budget this year and requested that the remaining funds allocated for the fire department be placed into a CD for fire truck replacement, mentioning that a new fire truck will be needed by 2027. 6. Property Maintenance Report (John Harrison, Bluffs Inspection Service) a. Update on progress at 401 Cedar Street Emilie Favinger said that the plumber they initially hired didn’t work out, so they are three weeks behind schedule from their original plan. She also mentioned that the roof above the kitchen was repaired. 7. Old Business a. Update: Tree Inventory Project Alyx reported that there were several discrepancies when she and Mike marked the trees for removal. Four trees were not listed on the inventory, and there was questioning about three trees that were marked for removal. Alyx also noted resident complaints and concerns regarding the marked trees. She stated that she planned to contact the city’s representative from the Iowa DNR to discuss these concerns. b. Planned Maintenance for Water Tower Mike stated that he had not heard back from the maintenance company regarding dates for the planned water tower maintenance. 8. New Business a. Resolution 2025-09: A Resolution to Appoint Council to the City of Mondamin, Iowa K. Breyfogle motioned to approve Resolution 2025-09 and it was seconded by M. Seago. Roll call. All ayes. This resolution appoints Lacie Rife to the vacant city council seat by order of the Mondamin City Council. The resolution is on file in the city clerk’s office. b. Utility Usage and Balance Due at 109 Cedar Street The new owner of 109 Cedar visited with the city council regarding a water leak beneath his house that resulted in a bill of $1,103.97. The owner stated that he had purchased the house, which had been inspected before the purchase, but the leak was missed. He was living out of state and had not moved into the house yet when the leak occurred. He asked the council if they would consider forgiving part of the bill. Motion by J. Glennie to waive late fees until December 31, 2025, to give the owner time to pay the bill and to reduce the bill by 50%. K. Breyfogle seconded this motion. Motion carried 5-0. c. Williams and Company: Engagement Letter for Services Due to audit requirements from entities awarded federal funds, if a unit of local government or non-profit organization spends $1,000,000 or more in federal funds from any federal source or program during a fiscal year, that entity must have these funds audited according to the regulations in 2 CFR Part 200. The city issued multiple requests for proposals, following state code. Unfortunately, there was no interest. After extensive discussions with Williams and Company, an agreement was reached for them to conduct our audit of the federal funds spent on the water treatment plant upgrade. K. Breyfogle made the motion to approve the engagement letter for services, which was seconded by J. Glennie. The motion passed unanimously 5-0. d. Fire Department CD Clerk Hirst stated that there was $9,000 remaining in the fire department budget for FY 2024, which was requested to be placed into a CD for fire truck replacement by the fire chief. Alyx also mentioned that there are currently two CDs reserved for fire truck replacement at the bank. Clerk Hirst would like to combine the $9,000 with these two CDs to create one larger CD for better interest. She said she spoke with the bank, and they would allow the city to add and combine the funds as suggested. K. Breyfogle made a motion to combine the two CDs with the additional $9,000 from the budget to make one CD for $14,790.24. M. Seago seconded the motion. The motion carried 5-0. e. Jiffy Mart: Liquor License Renewal 9/1/2025-8/31/2026 Motion by K. Breyfogle and seconded by J. Rains to approve the Jiffy Mart liquor license from 9/1/2025 to 8/31/2026. Motion carried 5-0. f. Heritage Day 2026: Budget for Stars and Bars Entertainment and Deposit Clerk Hirst stated that Stars and Bars Entertainment requested a 20% deposit to hold our date for Heritage Day 2026. She mentioned that the total spent this year was $1,600, but the Heritage Day Committee members decided to reduce the number of inflatables for next year, so the deposit should be lower. K. Breyfogle made a motion to authorize the 20% down payment so we can reserve our date for next June. The motion was seconded by L. Rife. Motion carried 5-0. g. Heritage Day Bake Sale Proceeds Table h. CRP Information for the Water Plant Grounds at 501 Cedar Discussion. Councilman Rains mentioned he spoke with Casey Pape from the USDA about CRP for well head protection. She explained that CRP prices have decreased, and the city would no longer receive water quality incentives. Jim believed that at this time, this would no longer be beneficial for the town. i. Canada Thistle control for the Water Plant Grounds at 501 Cedar Street Discussion. J. Rains stated that the water plant grounds have been taken over by Canada Thistle. Canada Thistle is a very invasive species and can cause significant problems due to its aggressive spreading capabilities and how difficult it is to kill. Jim states that before it gets worse, the city needs to combat the problem. Jim said he would reach out to the Iowa DNR to see if there are any allowable chemicals. Due to the water wells underneath, it may be difficult to find a chemical that is safe. Jim stated he would follow up next month. j. Consideration for Purchasing a Tractor Grader Mike mentioned that due to the already elevated alleys, it would be more effective to use a grader to fill the holes rather than adding more rock. K. Breyfogle motioned to buy a tractor grader, seconded by J. Glennie. The motion passed 5-0. k. Consideration for Purchasing an Air Compressor Mike stated that the air compressor in the shop quit working and cannot be repaired. J. Glennie motioned to replace the air compressor with a new one. The motion was seconded by K. Breyfogle. The motion passed unanimously. l. Consideration for Purchasing a Keyless Lock for the Park Shelter Motion by K. Breyfogle to purchase a keyless lock to use at the park shelter. The motion was seconded by L. Rife. Motion carried 5-0. m. Iowa Association of Municipal Utilities Membership Discussion. M. Seago would like to purchase membership to IAMU. Seago stated she believes they have training available for certifications in chainsaw use and many others that would benefit the city. The item is tabled until Clerk Hirst can look into additional services offered. n. Employee Evaluations: Recommendation/Action The evaluation committee stated that both Mike and Alyx received exceptional scores on their evaluations. There was a discussion about the budgeted amount for the wage increase and what the city could afford. M. Seago motioned to increase Alyx’s wage from $18.44 to $20.00 per hour and to increase Mike’s wage from $24.04 to $26.08 per hour, both effective July 1, 2025. K. Breyfogle seconded the motion. The motion passed unanimously. o. In accordance with Chapter 21.5 of the Code of Iowa, the Council will enter a Closed Session to discuss the sale of real estate at 107 S Main St. A motion to open the closed session was made by K. Breyfogle at 8:59 p.m. and was seconded by J. Rains. The motion carried 5-0. A motion to close the closed session was made by K. Breyfogle at 9:10 p.m. and was seconded by L. Rife. That motion also carried 5-0. 9. Mayor’s Report None 10. Clerk’s Report Alyx reported that the city will eventually need to decide whether to upgrade to the new ClerkBooks software for utility billing or choose another company’s solution, stating that the decision will be required in the coming year. She mentioned she has been in contact with another company that does not use QuickBooks but instead offers municipality fund accounting software. Alyx noted that moving away from QuickBooks and ClerkBooks would be an adjustment, but using software designed specifically for local governments would likely make things easier. Clerk Hirst stated that all the city’s fire extinguishers and ansul system at the community center were inspected by Johnson Controls. Alyx also noted that the transition from our previous IT provider, VC3, to Schrock Innovations has not been easy, as VC3 is not providing our new provider with the codes needed to transfer Microsoft over. Lastly, Alyx reported receiving calls about the den of foxes that have taken up residence in town and has reached out for guidance on how to get rid of them. 11. Public Works Report Mike stated that a refrigerator in the senior housing apartments is not working well and needs to be replaced. He reported burning the brush pile at the lagoon to make room for the trees that will be removed soon. Mike also stated that the pump at the lift station was bad and needed to be replaced. 12. Commissioner Reports None 13. Other Business None 14. Adjourn Having no further business to conduct, K. Breyfogle made a motion to adjourn the meeting. Seconded by J. Rains. Motion carried 5-0. The meeting was adjourned at 9:21 p.m. These minutes are as recorded by the Mondamin City Clerk and subject to approval at the next regular city council meeting. Attest: Alyx Hirst, City Clerk, City of Mondamin Operating Account City of Mondamin Claims Paid June 3, 2025 through July 7, 2025 Name, Memo, Amount Hollman Media, web hosting 45.00 Hawkins, Inc., water chemicals 906.84 The Sign Depot, heritage day sign for library 172.37 IPERS, May 2025 IPERS 1,113.39 United States Treasury, May 2025 payroll taxes 1,403.40 Stars & Bars Entertainment, bounce house rental for Heritage Day 1,280.00 Heritage Day Parade - First Place Winner, Heritage Days 2025 100.00 Heritage Day Parade - 2nd Place Winner, Heritage Days 2025 75.00 Heritage Day Parade - 3rd Place Winner, Heritage Days 2025 50.00 Heritage Day Parade - 4th Place Winner, Heritage Days 2025 25.00 Intuit, payroll subscription fees 29.96 Hirst, Alyxandria M, payroll 1,100.63 Kelley, Michael R, payroll 2,932.32 Rife, Marla K, payroll 813.92 Anderson, Roberta M, payroll 989.69 RP Constructors LLC, Pay Application No. 18 113,560.16 Collection Services Center, child support 218.30 Windstream, charges for services 333.43 Buddies Rentals, dunk tank rental for Heritage Day 200.00 Kevin Cox, removal broken limb – emergency 200.00 Guinan Heating and Cooling, Inc, fire department repair 917.50 Midwest Breathing Air L.L.C., annual air testing, parts and labor 1,239.73 USDA Rural Development, USDA Rural Loan #1 4,975.00 USDA Rural Development, USDA Rural Loan #3 1,560.00 USDA Rural Development, USDA Rural Loan #4 2,386.00 City of Mondamin, Fire Truck Replacement CD at Midstates Bank 9,000.00 Collection Services Center, child support 218.30 Midstates Bank (v), Internet Banking Service Charge 25.00 Sam's Club, supplies for community center 125.34 Anderson, Roberta M, community center reimbursements 55.35 FNBO (Mike), printer paper, magnetic sheets, blades, subscriptions 285.30 Eco Water Systems, 5 gal water jugs for water dispenser 32.50 Iowa Department of Natural Resources, annual public water supply fee 36.86 R & S Waste Disposal, charges for services 132.30 R & S Waste Disposal, charges for services 1,837.00 Harrison County Landfill Commission, landfill assessment 741.56 VC3, Inc, charges for IT services 92.00 Schrock Innovations, charges for IT services 170.00 Harrison County Times-Reporter, publications 23.08 Johnson Controls Fire Protection LP, community center suppression system inspection 345.00 Johnson Controls Fire Protection LP, annual extinguisher inspection of 17 extinguishers 536.00 JEO Consulting Group Inc., charges for engineering services 3,518.75 Hawkins, Inc., water chemicals 564.85 Trophies Plus, Inc., name plates 45.63 Harrison County Development Corporation, FY26 Q1 Ec Dev services 237.93 Southwest Iowa Planning Council, annual membership dues 220.00 ClerkBooks, Inc., utility postcards 158.00 Harrison County REC, charges for services 602.02 PeopleService Inc., charges for services 2,230.16 Bomgaars, gloves, weed hook, weeder 67.97 Menards - Council Bluffs, park supplies 161.48 Iowa League of Cities, annual membership dues 438.00 Analytical & Consulting Services, Inc., wastewater testing 554.00 Municipal Supply, Inc., annual sensus fee 3,150.00 Soldier Valley Drainage District, Annual Soldier Valley Drainage Permit 458.40 Crary Huff Law Firm, charges for legal services 348.00 RP Constructors LLC, Pay Application No. 19 – FINAL 191,037.27 Mid American Energy, charges for services 2,194.76 WEX BANK, fuel for fire and roads depts. 702.73 TOTAL 356,973.18 INCOME FOR JUNE 2025 Utility Service Charges $24,777.76 King's Court Housing Rent $3,000.00 USDA Rural Development Grant (Water Plant Project) $113,560.16 Community Center Rentals $800.00 Park Shelter $200.00 Chicken License Fees $25.00 Heritage Day Donation $200.00 Heritage Day Cookbooks $110.00 Heritage Day Bake Sale $558.00 Library Donation/ Jim Abbott Memorials $645.00 Library 28 E Agreement $159.00 Property Tax $1,866.69 Road Use Tax $5,301.67 Local Option Sales Tax $2,150.54 Interest Earned $83.09 Total Income from June: $153,436.91 Attest: Alyx Hirst, City Clerk July 7, 2025 City Council Meeting HCTR 8-6-25
