Council, city prepares for goal-setting session

   The Monticello City Council is preparing for a goal-setting session.

   During the June 17 council meeting, City Administrator Russ Farnum updated the council on the upcoming goal-setting session, which will be held on Monday, July 15, following the regular council meeting.

   Farnum said Jones County Economic Development Director Derek Lumsden will be assisting in facilitating the session.

   "I've distributed questions to the council and department heads and city staff," Farnum said of all city employees offering their comments as well.

   In addition, Farnum told the council during the reports portion of the meeting that he's been working with the city's financial advisor "on both Northridge and the Freye vet clinic projects.

   "We've talked about both of those (projects) in the past," he continued. "We're working on those to get a timeframe and strategy set up for those."

   Also during the reports, Engineer Colton Ingels with Snyder & Associates offered updates on the N. Chestnut Street and south water tower projects.

   "Over the weekend," he said, "we discovered an issue with a couple of houses on Second Street that weren't receiving water after the existing (water) main was turned off on Chestnut Street. We realized they were serviced off of the Chestnut main. That's been turned on; they have water. We will need to reconnect those to the new main."

   Ingels further explained that one of the homeowners had a lead pipe connection, and that Water/Wastewater Superintendent Jim Tjaden told the owners they need to have it replaced.

   "We expect to have the new water main completed this week," offered Ingels. "They'll (Eastern Iowa Excavating & Concrete) continue with pavement removal, grading the subgrade, and placing of the subbase."

   With the water tower, Ingels said they are investigating an issue with the tower leaking after it was refilled.

   "They're going to look at the hatch to determine if it's leaking. It hadn't been opened since it was first installed (15 years ago)," he said.

   In her report, Ambulance Director Lori Lynch told the council that the ambulance service held their meeting on June 17 with law enforcement and Emergency Management in preparation of the Great Jones County Fair.

   "It'll be a busy fair as usual," she remarked.

   She added that one of their goals at this year's fair is to make sure that there are no gaps in medical personnel coverage with the first aid station.

   The ambulance service is again looking to fill a full-time EMT/AEMT position. Lynch said she had three candidates apply so far.

In other city business:

   • The council approved the third change order, a decreased amount of $5,000, submitted by Tank Pro Inc. related to the south water tower project.

   During the last council meeting, Farnum informed the council that the second logo added to the water tower is not visible to traveling vehicles. "Tank Pro provided an estimate that is excessive in relation to the original price to paint the logo," he stated. "Snyder & Associates is checking if the cost of relocating the logo is reasonable or if another party could relocate the logo at a more reasonable price."

   • The council accepted an easement on N. Chestnut Street from Michael and Jacqueline Jacobs. This will allow the city to perform the necessary improvements on the Jacobs' property in connection with the street reconstruction project.

   • The council approved the second pay request from Bill Bruce Builders, Inc. in the amount of $524,564.29 related to work on the sewer plant project.

   • The council approved the ambulance tier agreements.

   These agreements provide for direct staffing services during mutual aid and back-up life support and advanced life support services for other emergency services in the area.

   The Monticello Ambulance Service currently works with Anamosa, Hopkinton, Olin and Midland/Wyoming services.