OAKLAND ACRES CITY COUNCIL MEETING MINUTES

7:00 p.m. Monday, June 8, 2020

Oakland Acres Maintenance Building

Call Meeting to Order: Mayor Joyce Halblom called the council meeting to order at 7:00 p.m.

Roll Call: Dawnette Baker, Lisa Griffith, Clint Follette, Curt Strawser Absent – Don Smith
Also present: Ashley Stock, city clerk; residents: Lennie Smith and Dave Vanhaus

Inquiries from the Community:

Dave, resident came as a new member of the community and he helped with the dam clean up. He discussed his experience with prairie grass and said he would continue to help with it.

Lennie Smith – inquired about maintenance and the mowing person. Yes, we have a maintenance and a mowing person separately. He also inquired about the tractor and new mower. It’s going to be $1600 to fix the tractor compared anywhere from $6000 - $12000 for a new mower. He also inquired about the dam and the posts/rocks/guardrails. Council is looking into possible guardrails around the dam – he wondered about the rocks and the council has reviewed the rocks vs guardrails. It is still in discussion and on the agenda. Looking to get something that has more safety preventative measures. Council did mention that the rocks would now not be free. He also suggested that we put the decisions and researching items within the minutes along with the next meeting date. Lastly he inquired about the safety grant and wondered if it was applied for it; we have missed it for this year.

Concerned resident reached out to council member regarding kids floating on floaties/swimming on Oak Lake. Council was able to track down who it was, and was able to contact them and let them know that it is not permissible at Oak Lake.

New resident had a shed parked in the road – we had several calls in regards to safety and moving the shed off of road. We contacted owner and also the sheriff was out regarding it as well. It has been resolved.

Another concern about east entrance regarding the little road between two residents house by hole #11; the City Council talked to Jake (from Oakland Acres Golf Club) and he is going to mow a couple of strips on each side of road and kill the grass within the gravel, and also put down gravel & will maintain it as our past agreement between the City of Oakland Acres and the Golf Course.

A lot of residents complimented on the clean-up day.

Approval of Minutes: Griffith moved to approve the minutes of the May 11, 2020 meeting. Follette seconded. Ayes: All.

Treasurer’s Report: Strawser moved to approve the May report as submitted. Baker seconded. Ayes: All.

Payment of Bills: Follette moved to approve payment of the following bills as submitted. Griffith seconded. Ayes: All

Mayor’s Opening Address and Report:

Spring cleanup went really well and should make it an annual thing.

Old Business

Road/Culvert: Talked about sectioning the whole city and cycling through an overlay within the sections, so that we are not hit hard every year. As just patching cracks and bad spots is hard and may not be an efficient way to spend the city money. Council plans to look into that starting with the next budget which begins in July 2020. We received from Jasper Construction a bid for a total of $6000 for road patch on corner of Eagle Drive and Shoreline Dr and the Culvert around on northside of Shoreline Drive. Griffith made motion to accept Jasper Construction bid to do the patch and the culvert. Baker seconds. Ayes: All

Dam: Discussed post with metal guardrail was going to be $14,400 vs what is on the interstate was going to be $18,000. As those costs can vary until contract signed. The posts that we currently have on the dam have lasted for a long time. If we do a 10x10 post and place underground 5 ft and above 3 ft which are specialty green treated and would not rot; it would be $12,500 for the material (Ponderosa Lumber) and labor of removing the old and installing the new. Council will get a couple more quotes on posts with Menards and Home Depot. Council likes the idea of the posts but will be mindful to get them closer together to ensure no car could go through it. So discussed putting them closer together (6 ft) and place them farther around the curve. Council will get another quote on the posts and another quote on labor and will bring it back to the meeting in July so that a decision can be made.

Culvert: Culvert on Fore Seasons Dr on the corner – council checked with Kellogg Fire Department about blowing it out. He stated that they can blow it out, but it will be a mess, but it really needs to come out and be replaced. Needs to be replaced like those over on Shore line Drive were. Council is going to get a quote on getting this fixed. Will bring back to the July meeting as we are acquiring additional bids.

Council discussed the far end Fore Seasons Drive – gravel is gone, and the signs are pushed back due to larger trucks turning around. If concrete were poured the city would not have to fill rock down there all the time. Quote to concrete is $1410. Council will get another quote. Follette made a motion to place 6 inch thick concrete slab 21 x 8 at the east end of Fore Seasons Drive of the current bid amount presuming that the second bid that we are currently waiting on is higher in which case we would go with the lower bid. Strawser seconds. Ayes: All

Equipment: Have quotes and tried out a Grasshopper ($8,700 or $12,300), Gravely, and a Ferris 61” deck ($10,700). And fixing the tractor is $1600 to fix. Talked with Kellogg City Maintenance Guy and they have a Ferris and they really like it. City Council believes the Ferris is the best option is a great ride and stability and you cannot roll them over on the side hill great safety feature. Council does not believe that the tractor is safe for anyone to be on mowing the hills that need to be mowed on it. Council intends to keep the tractor for purposes of using the bucket but will no longer mow with it. Follette makes a motion to buy the Ferris mower per the bid, Strawser Seconds Ayes: All

Hole #14 Deed: Clerk requested a status waiting on Jasper County Beacon to get the formal description. Should have something this week.

New Business

Library Contract: Received contract from the Library. Griffith made motion to approve the contract. Follette seconds. Ayes: All

Liquor License: Still waiting on it, the deadline to renew has pushed to August 31 due to COVID.

Council Report:

Resident gave employment application to City Council, do not currently have an opening but will put it in the files.

Fire Hydrant Receptacle - checked annually by the Grinnell fire department and will only contact if there is an issue.

Dead pine tree and ash tree in the park need to take them down. Will put it on the agenda for the fall.

Picnic tables need to be painted, Council will put it on the maintenance list to have them painted a grey color like the bus stop shed at the front entrance along with the wood barriers along the corners and sign posts.

Fore Seasons and ParkView corner, council is going to landscape this like they did at the corner of Fore Seasons and Oak Ridge last fall.

New Packet for new residents – Council will come back in July with a list of ideas on what to put in it.

Council is going to buy some storage containers for some of the supplies within the maintenance shed and also would like to price some cork or magnet for the bulletin boards as they are needing the inside replaced. Will price it out and bring it back to July meeting.

Need to research new signs per our insurance company regarding the Lake and Park Areas.

Social Media: Discussed having a City page and a Private group as well that is just limited to residents. Will bring back to the July meeting for further discussion.

Signs – still waiting on things to open back up after COVID

Clerk Report:

Maintenance report:

Adjournment: Baker moved to adjourn the meeting at 9:05 p.m. Follette seconded. Ayes: All.

These minutes are as recorded by the City Clerk and are subject to council approval at the next City Council meeting on July 13, 2020.

________________________________________________ ___________________

Joyce Halblom, Mayor Ashley Stock, City Clerk