Council handles real-estate matters

By BROOKS TAYLOR

Mt. Pleasant News

Mt. Pleasant?s City Council entered the real-estate business for a couple of minutes during its regular meeting Wednesday, selling a pair of vacated alley tracts and a city-owned lot.

Following a public hearing, the council agreed to vacate the east-west alley adjacent to property at 504 and 506 S. Jackson St. Two alley tracts were sold ? for $320 each to Ken Reschly and Rhonda Holman.

Originally, the council considered selling the north-south alley bordering the properties but opted not to vacate nor sell the north-south tracts when property owners complained at the May 27 council meeting. The property owners said the vacation and sale of the tracts would prevent some residents from accessing their property.

Farley Investments of Mt. Pleasant was the lone bidder on a city-owned lot at 308 N. Hamlin St. The lot was sold for $3,000.

?It was the Vera Schafer property,? noted City Administrator Brent Schleisman. ?We demolished the house and tried to sell the lot several times but didn?t receive any bids. An adjacent property owner (Ed Farley) asked about it (the lot) and we said we would sell it for the minimum bid which was $3,000.?

Council members approved a contract for $4,850 with Amanda Rundquist d/b/a Puravida Creative Design Studio to update the city?s web page. Rundquist will be paid $4,850.

Jack Swarm, city building and zoning administrator, said the update will help him in his work. ?It will get us to an up-to-date website. That will allow me to exchange information with contractors and do a lot of pre-permit work. I think it will be a benefit.?

Third readings were approved and ordinances adopted prohibiting parking on Savannah and Prairie streets and increasing sewer fees by 30 cents per 1,000 gallons.

The sewer fee increase is the first of five annual increases of 30 cents each per year. Revenue from the fee increase will be used for Iowa Department of Natural Resources-mandated improvements for treating city wastewater.

Council members approved fiscal 2015-16 salaries for city workers. The salaries are as follows.

Lori D. Davis, secretary/receptionist, $14.86 per hour; Tamara L. Detrick, deputy city clerk, $22.24 per hour; Florence L. Olomon, city clerk and treasurer, $2,080 bi-weekly; Brent E. Schleisman, city administrator, $3,992 bi-weekly; John E. Swarm, building and zoning administrator, $1,745.60 bi-weekly; Raymond A. Aynes, refuse truck driver, $13.66 per hour (up to 25 hours per week);

Ryan A. Ackles, maintenance worker, $13.36 per hour; Christopher A. Brown, maintenance worker, $15.93 per hour; Benjamin D. Calhoun, $13.87 per hour; Kevin E. Elmore, maintenance worker, $13.89 per hour; Jim E. Mueller Jr., maintenance worker, $17.28 per hour; Rick L. Mullin, director of public works, $2,386.40 bi-weekly and $25 monthly cell phone allowance;

Jesse L. Schmadt, maintenance worker, $15.08 per hour; Drew E. Schumacher, assistant director of public works, $21.44 per hour and $25 monthly cell phone allowance; Ronnie D. Archer, chief of police, $2,632.80 bi-weekly; Carrie A. Cooksey-Alvarez, administrative assistant, $16.57 per hour; Lyle T. Murray, police lieutenant, $2,148 bi-weekly; Dana J. Kuster, police department janitor, $11.12 per hour;

Keith Dugger, community service officer, $15.67 per hour; Gary A. Grunow, parks and recreation director, $1,816.80 bi-weekly; Ashley R. Lohman, recreation supervisor, $1,264.60 bi-weekly and $25 monthly cell phone allowance; Harry E. Hayward, park supervisor, $22.05 per hour and $25 monthly cell phone allowance; Marcus L. Mullin, lead park worker, $14.80 per hour.

Adopted annual compensation for the city?s firefighters included firefighters (20), $3,429.56; fire chief, $5,005.60; assistance chief, $3,742.88; senior captain, captain, senior lieutenant and lieutenant, $3,575.24 each.

During the various reports, Jim Warner of Warner Engineering Associates, the engineering firm for the Iris Street reconstruction project said, ?We are a lot closer then we?ve been for a while on Iris Street. We could get done in a couple of weeks if the weather we have now continues. The project could be finished by the end of June.?

Council members will meet again in regular session Wednesday, June 24, at 5:30 p.m. at City Hall.