Loading...
HomeMy WebLinkAbout~Master - Regular Meeting of the Ames City Council 10/25/1994MINUTES OF THE REGULAR MEETING OF THE AMES CITY COUNCIL AMES, IOWA OCTOBER 25, 1994 The Ames City Council met in regular session at 7:00 p.m., October 25, 1994, in the City Council Chambers in the City Hall, 515 Clark Avenue, pursuant to law with Mayor Larry Curtis presiding and the following Council Members present: Campbell, Hoffman, Parks, Tedesco, and Wirth. Coun. Brown arrived late. PROCLAMATION FOR UNITED NATIONS DAY: Mayor Curtis read a proclamation designating October 24, 1994 as United Nations Day within the City of Ames, Iowa. Present to receive the proclamation were Judy Dolphin and Don Robertson from the City of Ames United Nations organization, and Kathy Hansen, President of the State of Iowa organization. PUBLIC FORUM: No one appeared to speak at this time. CONSENT AGENDA: Motion by Campbell, Second by Hoffman, to approve the following items on the Consent Agenda: Motion to approve payment of claims Motion to approve minutes of the special meetings of October 7 and 17, and of the regular meeting of October 11, 1994 Motion to approve renewal of the following beer and liquor licenses: a. Class E Beer - QuikTrip #537, 111 Duff b. Class E Beer - The Keg Shop, 113 Colorado Avenue Motion to refer to Staff the filing of administrative complaint against Cy's Roost for Fire Code violations RESOLUTION NO. 94-445 approving amendment to contract with Harry Klessen for Utility Campus Artwork RESOLUTION NO. 94-446 approving release of housing rehabilitation mortgages RESOLUTION NO. 94-447 approving preliminary plans and specifications for Water Treatment Plant Improvement Project; setting November 15, 1994 as bid due date and November 22, 1994 as date of hearing and award of contract RESOLUTION NO. 94-448 accepting completion of Ames/ISU Ice Arena Parking Lot Paving Project RESOLUTION NO. 94-449 accepting completion of Squaw Creek Siphon Project RESOLUTION NO. 94-450 approving abandonment of a portion of a storm sewer easement at 836 Brookridge Avenue RESOLUTION NO. 94-451 proposing conveyance of 48 lots in Bentwood Subdivision in accordance with an agreement for development of affordable housing; setting November 1, 1994 as date of hearing RESOLUTION NO. 94-452 approving Final Plat for Northridge Parkway, 12th Addition RESOLUTION NO. 94-453 approving Final Plat for Southwood Subdivision, 3rd Addition RESOLUTION NO. 94-454 approving contract and bond for Hopkins Trucking and Excavating in amount of $148,380.00 for Demolition of Flood Damaged Properties Roll Call Vote: 5-0. Resolutions declared adopted unanimously, signed by the Mayor, and hereby made a portion of these minutes. SETTING DATE OF HEARING ON PROPOSED LEASE OF CITY LAND TO AMES YOUTH SPORTS COMPLEX, INC.: Motion by Parks, Second by Campbell, to adopt RESOLUTION NO. 94-455 proposing lease of City land to Ames Youth Sports Complex, Inc. and setting November 22, 1994 as date of hearing. Coun. Brown arrived at 7:05 p.m. City Manager Steve Schainker said after reviewing the request from AYSC, Inc. for a commitment on the old Water Pollution Control site property, Staff had contemplated the alternatives of a long- term lease arrangement vs. outright sale of the land. He said because of existing major trunk and sewer lines on the property, plus the possibility of increasing the City's water capacity in the future by placing water wells on the property, Staff recommended a long-term 30-year lease, with the right of extension by mutual consent. He said in return for the property, the City will gain a guarantee that this extensive complex is built and maintained in accordance with the Master Plan to be presented at the November 22 public hearing on the proposed lease. He said no additions or changes would be made to the Plan without Council's approval. He reviewed the proposed agreement, saying in addition to guaranteeing a quality facility that would benefit approximately 2500 youths in Ames, this agreement would provide the Parks and Recreation Department with access to the facility's programs as scheduling permits. He said the access road to be built by State funds would be maintained by AYSC, Inc. He discussed liability insurance requirements as contained in the proposed agreement. He said of paramount importance was the City's easement rights for access to utility services, and said it would be important for AYSC engineers to work closely with City Staff to assure positioning of fields, concession stands, etc. did not interfere with that access. Coun. Tedesco asked if the agreement stipulated AYSC, Inc. had to raise a certain amount of money before construction was begun. Mr. Schainker said the proposed agreement stipulated a 2-year completion date, but the Council could consider either alternative as protection that the facility would be completed as proposed. Harry McMaken, 234 S. Franklin, said AYSC, Inc. would not find either alternative unacceptable. He said the group would not begin construction until they were satisfied they had sufficient capital to do so. He said the group was looking for a "green light" from the Council that they were interested in pursuing this agreement for the site. Coun. Brown asked if a business plan would be presented, and Mr. McMaken said a complete plan would be available to the public before fundraising efforts began. There was discussion about the proposed agreement and the assurance alternatives. Mayor Curtis said Paragraph 9 of the proposed agreement, requiring a performance bond, would provide completion assurance, and Coun. Tedesco agreed. City Manager Schainker noted the Master Plan to be presented at the November 22 hearing would be important, as this area was part of the entryway to the Community. He said the Parks and Recreation Commission would have had a chance to consider this issue by the hearing date, so Council would have that Commission's input. Coun. Hoffman said it was important to clarify that the Council was considering only proposing the lease of the land this evening, and that the other requests made previously by AYSC, Inc. would be considered separately at a later date. Coun. Campbell clarified that decisions regarding the Helen Daley Smith donation would be made by Ms. Smith, not the City, although Staff would be available to facilitate discussions between Ms. Smith and AYSC, Inc. Dr. William McCormack, 3703 Woodland Street, expressed concern that the Department of Energy and Ames Lab did not plan to sample the vegetation in the area. He said cited an example where such testing revealed traces of radium. Coun. Hoffman clarified that the instance referred to occurred at ISU's Applied Science Center, not the Water Pollution Control Plant. Dr. McCormack said that was correct. Roll Call Vote: 6-0. Resolution declared adopted unanimously, signed by the Mayor, and hereby made a portion of these minutes. HEARING ON RESOURCE RECOVERY SYSTEM MODIFICATION PROJECT: Mayor Curtis declared the public hearing open. There being no one present wishing to testify, the public hearing was declared closed. Motion by Hoffman, Second by Tedesco, to report bids and delay award of contract to November 1, 1994. Vote on Motion: 6-0. Motion declared carried unanimously. HEARING ON NO. 8 TURBINE GENERATOR INSPECTION PROJECT: Mayor Curtis declared the public hearing open. There being no one present wishing to testify, the public hearing was declared closed. Motion by Parks, Second by Tedesco, to adopt RESOLUTION NO. 94-456 accepting final plans and specifications and awarding a contract to Lovegreen Turbine Services in the amount of $321,249.00. Roll Call Vote: 6-0. Resolution declared adopted unanimously, signed by the Mayor, and hereby made a portion of these minutes. ORDINANCE BANNING LEAF AND YARD WASTE BURNING EXCEPT FOR LIMITED PERIODS: Motion by Tedesco, Second by Hoffman, to pass on first reading an ordinance banning leaf and yard waste burning, except for the period of October 1 through December 1, and April 1 through May 1. Coun. Wirth said she didn't see how this ordinance would help deal with the existing problem. She said the Council needed to decide whether they were going to impose a ban against leaf burning, and then act on it. Coun. Parks said in order to impose a ban, the City needed the funds to provide a viable alternative to solve the leaf transportation problem that would result from a total ban, and said that would be a decision for the budget process. Coun. Campbell said the proposed ordinance was a way to ease into the long-range goal of a total ban, while leaving options open. Coun. Hoffman agreed and noted the City would also be looking at an educational program on alternatives to burning. Roll Call Vote: 4-2. Voting aye: Campbell, Hoffman, Parks, Tedesco. Voting Nay: Brown, Wirth. Motion declared carried 4-2. ORDINANCE DESIGNATING PARKING PROHIBITIONS ON 24TH STREET: Motion by Brown, Second by Wirth, to pass on first reading an ordinance designating parking prohibitions on 24th Street. Coun. Parks said he felt this ordinance should not be considered until the standards of 9,000 vehicles/day are exceeded and until the impact of the opening of Bloomington Road is determined. Coun. Brown agreed. She said she was not opposed to the parking prohibitions, but felt it better to wait and see if a problem truly exists. Rick Ely, 1712 Wilson, spoke in opposition to the proposed ordinance. He said he feared a 4-lane thoroughfare would result in increased speed on 24th Street. Roll Call Vote on Motion: 0-6. Voting Aye: none. Voting Nay: Brown, Campbell, Hoffman, Parks, Tedesco, Wirth. Motion declared failed by unanimous vote. Coun. Campbell said she appreciated Staff bringing this matter to the Council's attention and said they needed to continue to monitor the situation. Coun. Hoffman said should this matter be reconsidered in the future, the option of a ban in the early morning then late afternoon hours, i.e., from 4:30 p.m. to 6:00 p.m., should be considered rather than an all-day ban. She said that option seemed to work well in other cities. ORDINANCE DESIGNATING PARKING PROHIBITIONS ON SOUTH SIDE OF SOUTH 16TH STREET, KELLOGG TO ELWOOD: Motion by Campbell, Second by Wirth, to pass on first reading an ordinance designating parking prohibitions on the South side of South 16th Street, Kellogg to Elwood. Roll Call Vote: 6-0. Motion declared carried unanimously. REQUEST FOR AMENDMENT TO LAND USE POLICY PLAN FOR LOT 2, QUIKTRIP SUBDIVISION, LOCATED AT 4700 LINCOLN WAY: Motion by Wirth, Second by Hoffman, to adopt RESOLUTION NO. 94-457 denying approval of the request for a Land Use Policy Plan Map Amendment from RM (Medium-Density Residential) to C (Commercial) for property located at 4700 Lincoln Way (Lot 2, QuikTrip Subdivision). Planning and Housing Director Brian O'Connell provided background information on this request. He said the subject property was approximately 6 acres. He reviewed the existing land use and zoning of the area, and the Residential and Commercial goals and policies of the Land Use Policy Plan as contained in the Staff report. He said it was Staff's conclusion that the request to change the land use designation of this area would conflict with those goals, in that it would encourage further strip mall development along Lincoln Way. He said Staff also believed the requested amendment would conflict with the goal of creating opportunities for the expansion of business in appropriate areas while maintaining the usefulness and vitality of existing Commercial development. He said the request for further Commercial expansion would not provide a neighborhood facility, but would create a separate commercial center. There was discussion regarding the availability of developable Commercial property in the City. Mr. O'Connell said there are presently 124 acres of Multiple Family property available for development throughout the community, and 181 acres of currently-zoned Commercial property available. Coun. Parks noted the Commercial property available is located predominantly in the South Duff/South 16 Street area. Coun. Tedesco agreed, saying there was really no vacant Commercial property located west of Franklin. Coun. Parks said he did not believe there had been substantial Commercial development in West Ames in the past 15 years, with the exception of the corner where the QuikTrip was allowed to relocate, yet there had been substantial Residential expansion. He said if the City was going to bring in the acreage to the south and to the west of this area as proposed, basic services would also need to be brought to the area. He said that possibility should be included in upcoming LUPP review discussions. Mr. O'Connell said while the Planning and Zoning Commission recommended this particular request be denied for the reasons outlined in the Staff report, they also advised the larger question of where Commercial expansion will be allowed in the western part of Ames needed to be addressed. Coun. Campbell said it seemed more appropriate to include land designated as Commercial in the LUPP than to take action on each request in a piecemeal fashion. Erb Hunziker, 2619 Lindenwood Circle, said he was one of the owners of the subject property. He said the area was not intended to be a regional shopping center, but a service center, and said businesses such as medical centers, beauty parlors and barber shops do not usually have the time frame for a 6-9 month zoning process, and therefore do not occur under the present conditions. He said this corner was the closest place for residents to get any type of commercial service. He said while the determination of this parcel was not a pressing issue at this time, he felt the issue of availability of Commercial space in west Ames needed to be addressed. Carol Simonson, 425 Pearson Avenue, said she was Director of Formative Years Preschool, one block south of the QuikTrip. She said they serve 104 children in their daycare and preschool program, and had concerns about further commercial development across from the facility. She said increased traffic on Todd Drive would be a safety concern. She said they located in that area 8 years ago was because it was Residential, and wished it to remain a low-profile area. David Block, 4618 Westbend Drive, spoke against the requested amendment and said if the area were rezoned General Commercial, it would make a case for land across the street and parcels on the corner to be rezoned as well. Fred Wohn, 4612 Westbend Drive, said he shared Mr. Block's concerns about creeping commercialism. David Countryman, 4606 Westbend Drive, urged the Council to support the Staff's recommendation and deny this request. He said he agreed with the Planning and Zoning Commission's statement regarding the need to look at the entire area for future Commercial zones at the K-Mart Center and to the west. Roll Call Vote on Motion: 5-1. Voting Aye: Campbell, Hoffman, Parks, Tedesco, Wirth. Voting Nay: Brown. Resolution declared adopted 5-1, signed by the Mayor, and hereby made a portion of these minutes. EXTENSION OF DEVELOPMENT AGREEMENT FOR OLD CITY HALL: Motion by Wirth, Second by Tedesco, to adopt RESOLUTION NO. 94-458 approving amendment to Development Agreement between the City of Ames and Christopher Wass for the Old City Hall renovation project, to provide an extension from October 26, 1994 to December 31, 1994. Roll Call Vote: 6-0. Resolution declared adopted unanimously, signed by the Mayor, and hereby made a portion of these minutes. DEVELOPMENT AGREEMENT FOR AMES COMMUNITY INDUSTRIAL PARK: Motion by Parks, Second by Hoffman, to adopt RESOLUTION NO. 94-459 authorizing execution of amendment to Development Agreement for Ames Community Industrial Park Tax Increment Finance District. Roll Call Vote: 6-0. Resolution declared adopted unanimously, signed by the Mayor, and hereby made a portion of these minutes. REPORT ON FIFTH STREET AND DOUGLAS INTERSECTION: Traffic Engineer Scott Logan reviewed how Staff had recently conducted a traffic study on this intersection in response a request from Coun. Hoffman, and said several requests had been received in past years as well. He said although the intersection is highly traveled, Staff feels a four-way stop is not warranted based on accident experience. He said the current accident rate of the intersection is less than 2 accidents/year, as opposed to the Manual of Uniform Traffic Control Devices recommendation of 5 accidents/year to warrant a 4-way stop. Coun. Tedesco said he had received 2 requests recently regarding this intersection and Coun. Wirth said she too received frequent requests for a 4-way stop. Coun. Hoffman said she felt the intersection needed a change. She said she didn't think the designation of compact car parking stalls on the south side of 5th Street, as recommended in the Staff report, would solve the problem. Coun. Parks said he didn't feel the traffic flow would be impeded if a 4-way stop were installed at the intersection, and Coun. Hoffman agreed. He said it was a highly pedestrian area, even if the stops weren't warranted on a traffic basis. Motion by Parks, Second by Tedesco, to direct the City Attorney to prepare an ordinance initiating installation of a 4-way stop at 5th Street/Douglas intersection. Vote on Motion: 6-0. Motion declared carried unanimously. AUTHORIZATION OF NEGOTIATION FOR JURISDICTIONAL TRANSFER OF IA930: Motion by Hoffman, Second by Wirth, to adopt RESOLUTION NO. 94-460 authorizing negotiation of jurisdictional transfer of IA930 (West Lincoln Way) from Thackeray Avenue to the West line of Bentwood Subdivision. Roll Call Vote: 6-0. Resolution declared adopted unanimously, signed by the Mayor, and hereby made a portion of these minutes. PROPOSAL OF SALE OF PORTION OF LANDFILL SITE PROPERTY: Motion by Tedesco, Second by Hoffman, to adopt RESOLUTION NO. 94-461 proposing quit claim deed of land by City of Ames to William K. Fedeler and setting November 1, 1994 as date of public hearing. Roll Call Vote: 6-0. Resolution declared adopted unanimously, signed by the Mayor, and hereby made a portion of these minutes. POLICY FOR DEALING WITH PERSISTENT RUSTY WATER PROBLEMS: Motion by Wirth, Second by Tedesco, to adopt RESOLUTION NO. 94-462 adopting 0.3 milligram iron per liter as maximum standard for determination of "rusty water," and authorizing Staff to take additional steps to deal with customers' water quality needs on an individual basis. Assistant City Manager Bob Kindred said although the current CIP includes $600,000 per year for water distribution system improvements intended to decrease "rusty" (iron discolored) water problems, those large scale improvements will be done over a period of time. He said the City periodically hears from customers with valid complaints regarding unacceptable levels of iron discoloration in water provided to them by the City. He said an objective standard of "rusty water" was needed, since discoloration which may be unacceptable to one person may be completely undetectable to another. Using a number of beakers showing variations of discoloration due to iron deposits, Mr. Kindred and Assistant Water Department Director Steve Setoodeh demonstrated how the issue was one of perception. Mr. Kindred said the question was one of aesthetics, as opposed to a health issue. Mr. Setoodeh discussed Staff's recommendation that the City adopt as a standard for determination of "rusty water" 0.3 milligram iron per liter, the level identified by the United States Environmental Protection Agency and the Iowa Department of Natural Resources as an aesthetic standard for iron discoloration. There was discussion regarding how the problems result from iron deposits occurring in either the City's distribution system or in the homeowner's system. Mr. Kindred reviewed the following list of steps Staff might take to respond to persistent rusty water complaints: a. Searching for causes, including one-time, unique events such as water main breaks, major fires, shifting ice in elevated towers b. Reviewing the complaint database and other data to identify reasons and/or trends c. Surveying other customers in the immediate area d. Flushing water mains in the area e. Checking and/or changing water main valves in the area f. Providing bottled drinking water on a limited basis g. Considering moving service off an old 4" main onto a parallel main, if available h. Investigating the plumbing in the customer's home or business i. Providing Red-B-Gone to help customer remove rust marks from laundry Public Works Director Paul Wiegand said Staff hears from 10-20 customers regarding persistent rusty water problems, and noted the problems do not generally last all day. Mr. Kindred said there were certain areas in the community where the problems are more severe. City Manager Steve Schainker noted the quality of the City's water received a high rating in the recent Resident Satisfaction Survey, and said the City didn't feel it was an acceptable level of service for citizens to have to put up with rusty water. He said that was why the City made the spending commitment in the CIP to deal with the problem, even if the number of complaints received was small at present. Mr. Kindred said Staff was requesting authority to take the following additional steps to respond to rusty water complaints: 1. If the City's distribution system is causing the discoloration, installation and maintenance of an individual iron filter on that customer's service be authorized until the persistent problem is corrected and the iron level again falls below 0.3 mg/l. Costs for these filters are estimated at between $150 and $200 per year. 2. If the customer's plumbing is the cause of the discoloration, then the individual customer is responsible for correcting the problem and/or installing and maintaining an individual iron filter. 3. If the Staff's investigation demonstrates that the discoloration is not caused by the City's system but cannot identify a cause in the customer's plumbing, Staff would be authorized to pay for installation of an individual iron filter if the customer agrees to assume the cost of maintaining the filter. Mr. Kindred said Staff was also requesting ability to authorize a customer to flush rusty water from their plumbing system at the City's expense. He said forgiving up to 200 gallons of water and sewer charges equates to 68 cents, which would represent a "goodwill gesture" to the customer more than an actual financial impact. Roll Call Vote: 6-0. Resolution declared adopted unanimously, signed by the Mayor, and hereby made a portion of these minutes. Coun. Parks asked that the Council be provided with an annual reconciliation of the cost of this program. OVERVIEW SESSION ON 1995-96 BUDGET: City Manager Steve Schainker reviewed the document entitled "Budget Issues for the 95/96 Budget," noting it contained results of the October 18, 1994 Town Budget Meeting. He said the purpose of tonight's discussion was to ask Council for guidelines in terms of service level increases and decreases. Coun. Parks said he felt the crossing guard situation needed to be addressed with the cooperation of the School District. Coun. Campbell said the possibility of resurrecting the liaison committee between the City and School District had been previously discussed, and Mayor Curtis agreed it would be a good idea to do so. Assistant City Manager Bob Kindred said it was hoped the Staff report on the crossing guard issue would be brought to the Council and School District by mid- December. Coun. Parks said increased funding for the Police Department should be considered, given the added emphasis to alcohol enforcement and off-campus parties, particularly during VEISHEA. Coun. Brown agreed, and said she had recently attended a Police ride-a-long. She said she had concerns for the safety of the Police officers. Coun. Wirth said she was concerned about the Staff level of the Planning and Housing Department as the community continues to grow. She said if Staff is overburdened, the process slows down. City Manager Schainker said that burden was shared by all City departments which deal with growth. Coun. Brown said incentives in economic development and commercial revitalization have an effect for demand of more services, and there was an accompanying price. She said it was a problem the City was struggling with and needed to talk about. Coun. Hoffman said residents in the Kate Mitchell School area have concerns for expansion of facilities for the park in that neighborhood. Coun. Brown said the City needs to consider the traffic generated on Hwy. 69 at Jewel Drive, at the the turn into the Teagarden area. She said the development in the area adds to the danger of the turnoff. City Manager Schainker noted the City would need to work with the Department of Transportation on this joint project, and said there were indications the project would be much larger than originally anticipated. Coun. Wirth said the project should remain a priority, and Coun. Hoffman agreed. Coun. Tedesco asked if funds for the Cy-Ride reconstruction routes were adequate. City Manager Schainker noted last year the CIP reflected a shift in funding philosophy for Cy-Ride route improvements from General Obligation debt to financing from the Transit levy, to avoid interest costs and institute a "pay-as-you-go" financing system. He said although this strategy would save citizens overall, it would mean an increase in the Transit levy of approximately 40 cents per $1,000 AV. He said the Transit Board did not support this concept, and Staff would be seeking Council's direction on whether the strategy should be implemented in 1995-96. Mr. Schainker said the debt service on the existing CIP would result in an approximate 26 cent increase per $1,000 AV, or a 3-4% increase, before these issues being discussed were added and operational needs were confronted. He said if the CIP were altered, the number would be even higher. There was discussion on preliminary numbers from the City Assessor's office which indicate the City's valuation growth may be approximately 4%, assuming there is no change in rollback. Mr. Schainker cautioned those numbers were preliminary and could change. Mr. Schainker noted that last year, the Council began a phase-in of property tax support for its annual obligation for the Police & Fire Trust Fund. He said for the 1995-96 budget, Council would be asked to reaffirm their commitment to the phase-in plan, requiring a $104,932 increase in tax support. Mr. Schainker said a review of the General Fund ending balance indicates a 10 percent balance to cover cash flow and emergency needs may no longer be adequate. He said Staff is considering a recommendation that Council increase this available balance goal, if it can be accomplished without significantly impacting property taxes. Mayor Curtis said he had difficulty realizing a greater balance would be needed, and had argued in the past for an even lower balance. He said he felt the City was taking other fiscal management actions. Mr. Schainker said following up on Council's directives from last year's budget hearings, Staff will prepare a proposal for a new summer water rate, and conduct an updated cost of service review for sewer billings, which may lead to an increase in the minimum sewer bill. He said another issue involved solving the rusty water problem discussed earlier this evening, and said that may accelerate the need for an increase in the Water Fund. Mr. Schainker said a task force was currently working on the problem of the decreasing parking fund balance, and their recommendations may deal with increased rates. Mayor Curtis said as of October 1, the City was no longer exempted from the stormwater runoff permitting process due to having an under-100,000 population. Public Works Director Paul Wiegand said Staff felt it was likely the new Clean Water Act would reinstall that exemption. Coun. Brown said she felt a way of funding leaf transportation alternatives, perhaps a taxing method, needed to be considered. There was discussion regarding user fees versus overall taxing, and there was consensus that a cost for contracting the seasonal work for leaf collection and transportation be presented during the budget process. There was discussion regarding whether modifications to the Resource Recovery System to provide for handling of leaves would be cost-prohibitive, as opposed to land application. City Manager Schainker discussed the Local Option Tax projection for 1995/96, and said the numbers aren't coming in as high as the economy seems to indicate. Finance Director Alice Carroll reviewed Local Option Tax receipts, and said the City would need to receive $430,000 to equal the amount budgeted for 1994-95. She said information on the 93-94 adjustment should be known by next week, and discussion would be placed on the November 1 Council agenda. There was discussion regarding a possible audit of the Local Option Tax situation for Ames, and Mayor Curtis asked if cost figures were available for such an audit. He said he was not satisfied with the numbers being received from the State. COMMENTS: Coun. Tedesco noted a number of trees were being tagged as part of the bicycle path project on the south side of Bloomington Road. Public Works Director Paul Wiegand said Staff was faced with the difficulty of trying to fit the path into an area that has existing trees, and were looking at transfer of those trees rather than removals. He said if adjacent property owners were interested in the trees, Staff would try to facilitate that relocation. Mayor Curtis asked the status of the street lights for South Duff. Public Works Director Wiegand said the lights were to be shipped this week, and should be installed the first week of November. Coun. Tedesco said he'd received a request from the Northwood PTO regarding exits at WalMart and Penney's onto 30th Street. He asked whether warning signs could be placed on the stop signs to alert drivers that there are schoolchildren in the area. Public Works Director Wiegand said the stop signs leading out of both parking lots were on private property and therefore the PTO would need to contact the property owners. Coun. Tedesco said he'd received an inquiry regarding two properties at 13th and Grand where sidewalks had not been installed, and asked Staff to look into the matter and bring a recommendation back to Council. Motion by Parks, Second by Brown, that December 13 and 20th be designated as regular City Council meeting dates. Vote on Motion: 6-0. Motion declared carried unanimously. Coun. Hoffman asked that the September 30, 1994 letter from the First United Methodist Church regarding moving the 24-hour reserved parking stalls in the parking lots by the Church and Post Office be referred to Staff. ADJOURNMENT: The meeting adjourned at 9:03 p.m. Sandra L. Ryan, City Clerk Larry R. Curtis, Mayor