Council votes to lease seven public parking spots

By James Grob, jgrob@charlescitypress.com

The Charles City Council unanimously approved a lease agreement with Hoover Properties to reserve seven city-owned parking lot spaces for a currently unidentified governmental entity.

The seven parking stalls are in the parking lot in the 700 block of Blunt Parkway. Hoover Properties has expressed interest in purchasing and acquiring a commercial building located in the 300 block of N. Main Street in Charles City, with the intent of leasing the property to a federal government agency for commercial use. The proposed building does not have on-site parking available.

At previous meetings, the council’s consensus was to offer the use of seven stalls in the northeasterly corner of that parking lot. The lease agreement has been approved by Charles Chandler, owner of Hoover Properties.

“It is limited to the parking and storage of government vehicles, so it can’t be used for any other purpose,” said city attorney Brad Sloter.

Sloter said it was a 3-year lease at a nominal fee of $1 per year, and either party can terminate the lease after those three years. If neither party terminates it will be renewed on a year-to-year basis.

The government tenant will be responsible for maintenance and snow removal on the seven parking spots, and any signs on the spots would need council approval.

“I’m not happy to reserve spots in a city parking lot, but these are out of the way,” said council member Jerry Joerger. “I would not be opposed.”

Council member DeLaine Freeseman said he wouldn’t object either.

“My main concern would setting a precedent down the road,” he said.

Also Monday, the council approved an extension of the COVID Leave Policy for city employees through March 31. In 2020 the federal government enacted the Family First Coronavirus Response Act (FFCRA), which mandated that employers offer 80 hours of additional sick time be available to full-time workers for COVID-19 related absence.

The program mandate ended December 31, 2020, but the policy states that employers may voluntarily continue to offer the 80 hours of additional sick time at their discretion.

City Administrator Steve Diers told the council that the sick time has been used sparingly and with good intent.

“It’s worked pretty well,” Diers said. “There hasn’t been any abuse of the service.”

Diers said that anyone who has shown symptoms or is diagnosed with COViD-19 can continue to pull from this additional bank of sick time for up to the total 80 hours.

“I know we’ve had several employees that have used some or all of this time and by having it, it helped prevent someone from showing up to work who may be contagious and therefore they are not infecting others,” Diers said.

Also Monday, the council heard from Dennis Hull, property owner of the sidewalk located at 602 6th Ave., which was recently marked for snow removal to be done. The sidewalk was not cleared in the allotted time, so the city hired an outside crew to remove the snow. Per city code, the amount of $35, plus a $5 administrative fee were sent to Hull for payment.

Hull claimed that his sidewalk wasn’t marked with paint like others, and also contested the amount of the bill, which he thought was too high.

“The money isn’t going to break me, but it’s just the principal of the thing,” Hull told the council.

Hull said that he was at the VA hospital for three days, and wasn’t aware of the snow removal policy. He wondered if the city could find a better way to make the public aware of the policy.

Sloter said the code does not state that the city needs to notify the homeowners to shovel their sidewalks, and doing so is a courtesy.

Council member Philip Knighten moved to split the difference with Hull and charge him $20. Joerger seconded the motion, and the board voted 4-1 in favor.

Police Chief Hugh Anderson said that the city would try to do a better job of contacting homeowners about clearing their sidewalks in the future.

In other business Monday:

• The council appointed Emily Garden to city’s Planning And Zoning Commission as a county representative. Garden had served on the commission previously, but moved out of town. The council recently passed a resolution allowing one county representative living within a 2-mile radius of the city limits be allowed to serve on the commission.

• The council approved proclamations by Mayor Andrews regarding February as Black History Month and this week as Catholic Schools Week. Andrews read the official proclamations at the meeting.

• The council approved a resolution affirming the platted street name, Yorkshire Boulevard, is the street’s official name.

• Diers told the council that he was ready to present his budget proposals to the council for discussion consideration. The council agreed to hold a work session regarding the budget Wednesday, starting at 5:30 p.m.