Charles City Council OKs new transit contracts, takes other actions

By Mary Pieper, Special to the Charles City Press

The city of Charles City is increasing the monthly amount it pays Circle K Communications Inc. as the subcontractor managing the transit system in the city by 4%.

The Charles City Council approved its annual contract with Circle K Monday evening. The contract states the city will pay the company $5,572.95 each month, amounting to $66,875 for the entire fiscal year starting July 1.

However, the cost for the public to use public transit will remain the same.

Rides in Charles City are $1 per one way for elderly or disabled, $1.50 per one way for students, and $4 per one way for the public. Rides within Floyd County are $2 per one way for elderly or disabled and $4 per one way for the public.

Rides outside the county are $3 per one way for elderly, disabled and students, and $5 per one way for other public.

City Administrator Steve Diers said the city is limited on how much it can charge for transit because it’s a federal program.

Mayor Pro Tem DeLaine Freeseman said the city could raise the rates if it really wanted to, “but it’s not in the best interests of the community.”

The North Iowa Area Council of Governments (NIACOG) administers the federal transit program for both Charles City and county/regional services.

The city is the official contractor with NIACOG to provide public transportation in Charles City. However, the city contracts that service out to a private company.

Circle K has been that company since August 2018.

“It’s been a great deal,” Diers said.

The city has a better understanding of the cash flow for public transit now that Circle K is providing the service, according to Diers.

Council member Phoebe Pittman said Dan and Tammy Elthon from Circle K “have done an excellent job with the whole transit system.”

The council also approved its annual public transit contract with NIACOG. The only significant change in this contract is NIACOG’s adding a smaller vehicle to be used on county/regional routes when rider numbers are lower.

In other business, the council:

• Approved a monthly payment request of $754,281 to Portzen Construction for the new water resource and recovery facility (WRRF) project. This brings the city’s total payment to Portzen for the project to just over $17 million to date.

Fox Engineering has issued a substantial completion certificate for the project, so Portzen has requested a reduction in retainage.

City Engineer John Fallis said nearly two-thirds of this month’s payment request from Portzen is for payment of retainage, which has been reduced to $360,846. This is 100% of the amount of the remaining work for project completion.

Fallis said it is anticipated that the WRRF project will be finished sometime in July.

Council member Keith Starr said the project was “a little rocky when it first started, but I really appreciate the speed and consistency they’ve had with it.”

• Approved the second reading of an ordinance to close one block of North Main Street to allow the Pure Prairie Farms chicken processing plant to expand to the east.

• Approved the second reading of an ordinance to amend driveway regulations to allow for wider driveways for larger lots with three-stall garages.

The city code currently states driveways can be no more than 30 feet wide at the property line and no more than 40 feet wide at the street curb.

The proposed amendment would increase the maximum width to 40 feet at the property line and 50 feet at the street curb as long as the maximum driveway width at the property line doesn’t exceed 50% of the lot width abutting the street.

The majority of the lots in Charles City aren’t wide enough to meet this standard, so the amendment would only apply to a few areas on the outskirts of town, according to Fallis.

“I really don’t think this is going to effect on-street parking,” he said.

• Approved a license agreement with US Cellular, which is planning to bring in a temporary cell phone tower mounted on a truck into the city on July 28 when RAGBRAI makes an overnight stop there.

The tower will provide extra coverage for those with phones that receive service from US Cellular.

City Clerk Trudy O’Donnell said local law enforcement appreciates the offer because with thousands of additional people in town that day, cell phone communication can “get bogged down.”

US Cellular has received permission from North Iowa Area Community College to place the tower in the parking lot south of NIACC’s Charles City Center to keep it out of the way, according to O’Donnell. Pittman said this is a good location because “it will be a little less obtrusive for parking.”

• Approved a resolution conveying property at 515 Sixth Ave. to Kara Vogelson for $15,800.

This is a nuisance property the city acquired. Diers said most nuisance properties are in bad shape but “this is a quality home.” Therefore, the city decided to sell it to put it back on the tax rolls.

The minimum bid was set at $12,000. Vogelson had the winning bid.

• Approved 3-percent salaries for the fiscal year beginning July 1 for the vast majority of non-bargaining unit employees.

Diers said the city is following past tradition by giving these employees the same percentage raise it negotiated with its union employees. Union workers are receiving a 3% wage increase for 2022-23, except for the police, who will be getting a 5% pay hike.

• Held a swearing-in for new Charles City Police Officer Seth Uetz. The Charles City native served as a reserve officer for the city before moving to New Hampton 6½  years ago and serving on the police department there. He has now returned to his hometown.

• Approved a permit for the Sunday, July 3 fireworks show.

• Approved street closures for the fireworks show, including closure of the Main Street Bridge from Court Street to Riverside Drive from 9-11 p.m.

• Approved a street closure on Salsbury Avenue from Clark to Owen streets from 5 a.m. to 10 a.m. on Sunday, July 4, for the Firecracker 5 races.

• Appointed Steph Williams to replace Collette Schmidtke on the library board.

The city council’s next meeting will be a planning session at 6 p.m. on June 29.