The Hokah City Council met on Wednesday, July 5, at the Hokah Fire Station. Council members present included Mayor Lee Tippery, City Clerk Lindsey Martell, and Council members Mike Walsh, Gary Martell, Corey Lorenz and Tom Bernsdorf. Mayor Tippery called the meeting to order at 6 p.m. and led the Pledge of Allegiance.
A motion was made, seconded and carried to approve the consent agenda consisting of the June 6 meeting minutes, bills payable through July 5, and the consolidated balance sheet.
Old business
Mayor Tippery moved old business to the initial part of the meeting to allow City Attorney Skip Weiser and Ken Ducke of the Mt. Hope Cemetery Association to discuss the previously proposed issue of the Mt. Hope Cemetery. Attorney Wieser mentioned that the Mt. Hope Cemetery Association’s request is not unusual, especially in rural areas. He noted that the Association does have $84,000 in funds which would allow the City of Hokah to operate the cemetery for as much as six to seven years before additional funding would be needed. As it is now, a certain amount of the Association’s $84,000 is dedicated to perpetual care of the cemetery’s graves. The main issue now is that the Mt. Hope Cemetery Association’s board members are aging and within the next year or two will no longer be able to conduct the cemetery’s operations. Councilor Bernsdorf noted that at present the City of Hokah does not have enough staff to take on the additional work requirements associated with maintaining a cemetery. However, after additional discussion the city council agreed to study the matter further to try to arrive at a solution.
Fire department
Fire Chief Lance Ross reported the purchase of $3,300 in new equipment including used but like-new fire hose to replace hose that is aging. He reports that call volume is down as compared to 2022.
Police department
Chief Robert Schuldt reports no unusual calls for police attention. There are issues with the camera in the squad car that require attention.
Emergency management
Eli Craig reported receiving bid quotes for maintenance/service of the city’s emergency generator. A motion was made, seconded and carried to award the work contract to Precision Critical Power Company.
Streets/Maintenance report
Eli discussed the sidewalk inventory and the need for weed mitigation on city sidewalks. The consensus of the council is that city residents should remove weeds from sidewalks just as they are responsible for snow clearing during winter months. There continues to be curb work needed. Eli Craig and Tom Bernsdorf will appraise the needs.
Planning & Zoning
Permits approved:
• To Don Bissen relative to floodway filling and grading
• For driveway drainage on Front Street
• A building permit for the structure/shed at 605 Cedar Street
Recreation department
Weed cleaning at the swimming pool using the recently purchased equipment has been very effective. A motion was made, seconded and carried to purchase a dye pack for the pool. The cost is $500 for a three- to four-year supply. The dye pack will make the pool water appear blue and more inviting. It is also environmentally safe.
New business
Clerk Martell reported that the City received 14 applications for the position of city maintenance specialist. Several candidate interviews were conducted and it was recommended that the city council offer the position to Dalton Kerns of rural Hokah/Houston with a starting date in late July. The motion was made, seconded and carried unanimously.
City staff spending limit
A discussion of the city staff spending limit resulted in a motion to increase the staff spending limit to $2,000. The spending limit is currently $500. Any expenditure over the $500 limit requires authorization by the city council and clerk. This limit has resulted in numerous phone calls and delays in obtaining needed supplies by various city departments. Motion made, seconded and carried to increase the limit to $2,000.
Mayor’s comments
Mayor Tippery thanked those involved in completing the picnic table project at the ballpark.
City budget
meetings scheduled
The council has set the annual city budget meetings for Tuesday, August 22, and Tuesday, August 29. The meetings will be held at 6 p.m. at the Hokah City Center. These meetings are open to the public.
Next meeting
The city council meeting was adjourned at 7:31 p.m. The next meeting of the Hokah City Council will be held at 6 p.m. on Tuesday, August 1 at the Hokah Fire Station.
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