[{"_1":2,"_110":-5,"_111":-5},"loaderData",{"_3":4,"_26":27},"root",{"_5":6,"_17":10,"_18":19,"_20":21,"_22":10,"_23":-5,"_24":-5,"_25":10},"user",{"_7":8,"_9":10,"_11":10,"_12":-5,"_13":-5,"_14":15,"_16":-5},"roles",[],"isAuthenticated",false,"isPremium","planName","subscriptionStatus","featureFlags",{},"insightsBudget","isDevelopmentHost","userPreferences",{},"recaptchaSiteKey","6LcvOJcUAAAAAHsB-gPGfGktcRlKpH7OTIU_dMTD","isImpersonating","impersonation","affiliateStatus","isFreedomPortal","routes/v2/article/layout",{"_28":29,"_30":31},"notFound",true,"relatedArticles",[32,76,88,100],{"_33":34,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":40,"_41":42,"_43":44,"_45":46,"_47":48,"_49":50,"_51":52,"_53":54,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":60,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":66,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":72,"_73":74,"_75":74},"mediaId",6258678,"mediaKeyId","3146672-7115a2009e9f5c490ff81c3c6ebe7195","parentId",3146672,"title","Local pastors ask council to reconsider city sponsorship of Pride river glow float","audioSeconds",369,"startMs",753000,"endMs",1122000,"viewUrl","/Search/View?dp=1&key=3146672-7115a2009e9f5c490ff81c3c6ebe7195&start=753&end=1122","thumbnailUrl","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/3146672-7115a2009e9f5c490ff81c3c6ebe7195/thumbnail_753000.jpg","articleUrl","/articles/6258678/Michigan/Local-pastors-ask-council-to-reconsider-city-sponsorship-of-Pride-river-glow-float","mediaUrl","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6258678-ec36018ac9ac3e11dede215c90f5cce1/orig.mp4?Expires=1771077377&Signature=nL8KOjUJrtLbowwW8~lISGVwdo~v4PB69i-~GsbxLQimrtbKAMGV53GdRlKW~Zg5wFrGj4TRMCVnU5OjL1zBjJ8mML-BLzjKAeiE~WE1Twn9ZluNEjpxI37poRdFDjQdzZbc1J0h5Xsw~rswfqqtB4mewkwKMga-ZP776B7KLgMWbVHhRxKPc8XWnc5ACDA2hAMBe4X2rlzmcbvjACUvYK-JM6QxobFbj-Hk-z~gxKAntVEA1Wpmc4pVv8kd~qWY-ZSX85QsfOJq5T0~btql26RTkDdm-o8BfuB6ODtkJNhVQ0WBNNdlhpxpW1M~Gn2eHGLhezJPhRXHqmZW~U~NDA__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","author","City of Waverly","date","2025-04-21T00:00:00Z","article","WAVERLY, Iowa — During Monday's public-comment period, Pastor Josh Rausser of Grace Baptist Church read a letter signed by local pastors asking the City of Waverly, the city council and the Human Equity and Diversity Commission to reconsider sponsoring or funding a planned Pride River glow float.

Rausser said the letter represented a group of local pastors and included a bibliography. The letter asked the council to consider the beliefs of all Waverly citizens before approving or sponsoring events the signers said promote specific views on gender identity and morality. The letter stated ministers represent more than 1,000 area congregants holding \"traditional Christian beliefs\" about marriage and sexual behavior and said their position was not a request to regulate private conduct but to ask the council to avoid endorsing what they described as views that contradict those beliefs.

Rausser also raised concerns that river events can become \"indecent and sometimes pornographic,\" asking how the city would ensure minors would not see adult river activities. He said that some research indicates Pride events can be controversial or commercialized and asserted, citing materials he said were in his bibliography, that DEI promotion may be divisive.

Council President Jones and other councilmembers did not debate or respond to the content because public-comment rules prevent council discussion on items not on the agenda. Council staff accepted printed copies of the letter for distribution.

Ending

The council did not take action on the request at the meeting. Staff will distribute the letter to councilmembers; if the matter later appears on an agenda, it would be scheduled for public discussion in accordance with council rules.","mediaType","Video","parentTitle","City Council - Apr 21 2025","oneSentenceSummary","A group of local pastors delivered a letter asking the council to reconsider city sponsorship or funding of a Pride river glow float and related events, citing moral concerns and questions about adult-oriented content and impacts on children; council took no formal action, noting public comment rules.","taxTitle","City of Waverly, Eaton County, Michigan","taxId",53093,"location","Michigan","headline","","shortSummary",{"_33":77,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":78,"_41":79,"_43":80,"_45":81,"_47":82,"_49":83,"_51":84,"_53":85,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":86,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":87,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":72,"_73":74,"_75":74},6258683,"City declares May Preservation Month; historic commission reports radar evidence at Cedar Hill Park cemetery site",366,441000,807000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=3146672-7115a2009e9f5c490ff81c3c6ebe7195&start=441&end=807","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/3146672-7115a2009e9f5c490ff81c3c6ebe7195/thumbnail_441000.jpg","/articles/6258683/Michigan/City-declares-May-Preservation-Month-historic-commission-reports-radar-evidence-at-Cedar-Hill-Park-cemetery-site","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6258683-32bef0020c7ba9fe6cbab40dbbcd3d5c/orig.mp4?Expires=1771077377&Signature=bYt-4nCCPeiaTx7Qmp8tmZ8PYw5uFTKp~1W2bu4qniKrph5lF~nYeDj7MQvyJnWypZaDePxWiND7gCS9Z-EGRSuh3fWcN0~nKHe4LzI9YMc3oVlB1GcwGfI-ACuv045tkAbIWnEl~a3Ukm6a-4iRHbhaRVCFJNg-hixJ-VV2wUzVIWe88tVs2yo4CiQJEfGsfjDPEIdagSaDkzEAJIlJJc22ECtipFxWH-q7wBgkcSQEu1rKNp37HGS8aTVLv2qLYFT~bQ25wAWB-YURfTUiPGTyM8dnb7nhVEuB5sJN1yARoOTal9YDS6hy1JeFYODC6l8S6T8zKP5KNF~Cd3ewRw__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","WAVERLY, Iowa — The Waverly City Council on April 21 unanimously approved a proclamation declaring May 2025 as National Preservation Month in Waverly and heard an update from the Historic Preservation Commission on recent findings at Cedar Hill Park.

Bart Mackey, co-chair of the Historic Preservation Commission, thanked the council for the proclamation and said the Waverly Public Library will host a May exhibit of historic photographs and related materials coordinated with the chamber and local theater. Mackey said the commission delayed a downtown recognition event until completion of a nearby bridge so both sides of the downtown could be featured.

On follow-up from a prior commission discussion, Mackey told the council that three members of the Bremer County Historical Society met with the Iowa Office of the State Archaeologist (OSA). The OSA told them Cedar Hill Park is on record as a cemetery in maps or records from 1875, 1894 and 1917, Mackey said. The group also conducted a radar flyover that showed ground anomalies described as \"divots\" consistent with historic grave depressions, he said.

Mary Meyer, a commission member present, confirmed the commission is exploring signage to recognize the site. Mackey said the commission will follow statutory processes for recognition and will provide more details once available.

The council adopted the Preservation Month proclamation by voice vote.

Ending

The commission said it will return with more information about Cedar Hill Park and any proposed signage or next steps. The library exhibit and coordinated downtown events were presented as part of May's programming to mark Preservation Month.","The Waverly City Council proclaimed May 2025 as Preservation Month and members of the Historic Preservation Commission reported results from the state archaeologist and a flyover radar that support the presence of historical graves at Cedar Hill Park.",{"_33":89,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":90,"_41":91,"_43":92,"_45":93,"_47":94,"_49":95,"_51":96,"_53":97,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":98,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":99,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":72,"_73":74,"_75":74},6258688,"Council tables expanded riverfront design work after members question added fees",492,2304000,2796000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=3146672-7115a2009e9f5c490ff81c3c6ebe7195&start=2304&end=2796","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/3146672-7115a2009e9f5c490ff81c3c6ebe7195/thumbnail_2304000.jpg","/articles/6258688/Michigan/Council-tables-expanded-riverfront-design-work-after-members-question-added-fees","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6258688-4aa1a65714776920cc9eb052dd28cdae/orig.mp4?Expires=1771077377&Signature=lNUBOrrJiJYFfmMA2vfvJUwfUdubAmid~X240ivxkD4Fjec8ah1CVh-JKATQNWdiQJH0U-ZgDzJkg5lTzIUXJdom8HuPW70j0~OYO0BaiuS64ZSrtuQLOELJ8s8jrFkVtTO3a6jBV0Gu09iIq6VNrLi1TxRcgNcvwKWD1uHY3sCc-fgtdFRLhdB~DO7IWg7DrIg41sSne454kXSSqG331QDCYOTiSnxd6E4U7dLX3KYSsrR7FmcIeBwvmye~acd5C5CwAJWhERyftg1eOT-o9sOEv0aq0UjEnl5yEdWE~o0cgRvh5UcuAtE4A9S-fJpmK4PEpd~7SIdNmcidvqpS1g__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","WAVERLY, Iowa — The Waverly City Council voted Monday to table a proposed amendment to its design-services contract for investigating riverfront amenities around the historic hydroelectric building, after several council members questioned the scope and additional fees proposed by Slingshot Architecture and Bolton & Menk.

The amendment would have added investigative work upstream and downstream of the hydroelectric portion of the building, including subsurface and topographic investigation, to determine which riverfront amenities might be feasible. Staff said the effort would involve riverbed and soil borings, survey and structural engineering to define options.

Councilmember Brett (last name not provided in the transcript) and others said they were uncomfortable approving extra site-design and visualization work before completing the core geotechnical and structural study. One council member recalled an engineer's earlier estimate of about $100,000 for the water/riverbed study and questioned why the current amendment included an additional $55,000 in architectural fees.

\"We need the engineering for sure,\" a councilmember said during debate, noting that borings and structural analysis should be completed before further design work. Another councilmember asked why the city was not contracting directly with Bolton & Menk for engineering rather than routing the work through Slingshot, and requested a clearer fee schedule and identification of reimbursable expenses.

After extended discussion, a motion to table the amendment carried; the council asked staff to return May 5 with a revised scope that separates essential engineers' work (borings, structural and environmental) from optional site design and visualization so members could decide what to approve.

Speakers

- Slingshot Architecture and Bolton & Menk were represented in the packet and discussed by staff; no individual Slingshot representative was quoted in the transcript during deliberation.
- Councilmembers who spoke during the item asked for the scope and fee breakdown; staff (Administrator/engineer) said Bolton & Menk had separate 2025 hourly rates and that the additional work included environmental and traffic surveys among other tasks.

Clarifying details

- The council discussed an earlier engineer-provided ballpark of roughly $100,000 for riverbed/soil study; Bolton & Menk provided engineering fees in the packet but the council requested clearer attachments and fee breakdowns.
- The amendment as presented included proposed architectural/design fees in addition to Bolton & Menk engineering costs; council members asked staff to return with what is strictly necessary for an informed decision (borings/structural) and what represents additional concept design.

Next steps

City staff will ask Slingshot and Bolton & Menk to provide a revised, itemized scope and fee schedule and will return the item to the council on May 5 for further action. The council explicitly directed staff to separate the geotechnical/structural engineering work from additional site-design and visualization tasks.

Ending

Council members said they support learning whether riverfront improvements are feasible but want engineers' findings before committing to additional architectural design work that could add tens of thousands of dollars to the project.","Councilmembers asked for a clearer breakdown of engineering versus additional design and visualization fees before approving an amendment to the design-services contract for the city-owned hydroelectric building; they tabled the amendment to the May 5 meeting.",{"_33":101,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":102,"_41":103,"_43":92,"_45":104,"_47":105,"_49":95,"_51":106,"_53":107,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":108,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":109,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":72,"_73":74,"_75":74},6258692,"Waverly City Council approves ordinances, contracts and bonds; tables riverfront investigation",572,2876000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=3146672-7115a2009e9f5c490ff81c3c6ebe7195&start=2304&end=2876","/articles/6258692/Michigan/Waverly-City-Council-approves-ordinances-contracts-and-bonds-tables-riverfront-investigation","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6258692-bf986ac38e9d908069baf18214dc79c9/orig.mp4?Expires=1771077377&Signature=PXsnA4-N3IHP9eJoIWRDLWvoAJR1tn0QwCahn6cVumW4aKofHQvNjZUZLst5-4DETWbpnuwnsPb6T~HDiJbe3TRuAcNdTCI5xLwP8Hde4xA7nB-MKWpT5iNhz3vdZbwu9ACjhmJhA~WWMQ4bTat-Wg8NJ5F30EATlN0CXhEv9uKNDVMbk7lz7eQzOuDMhjzFizRtHI8W6-pcn5m~aDF-syEO3-SyUgR72BVxjbLS3RTHFZTcM2C8cELhaDtmPoKPfo6ue6KDWg8KPbZGJB-WcMS7kTHlK6OlHzEYWTRMCWv4gqxFePa-~HLo3EJN~XrINPvuMk-KxCab6SIcn1gMKQ__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","WAVERLY, Iowa — The Waverly City Council on Monday approved a package of ordinances, resolutions, equipment purchases and bond-sale procedures and set a May 5 public hearing on a zoning change, while agreeing to table additional riverfront design work for further clarification.

The routine but broad slate of actions included the first reading of a revised building code; rezoning and accessory-structure ordinance readings; final adoption of updated parking fines; vendor contracts for streets and utilities work; purchase approval for a heavy-duty truck; and authorization to advertise $10,215,000 in general obligation bonds, series 2025A. Most votes were unanimous.

Taken together, the actions advance several infrastructure and administrative projects the city has been planning this year while deferring expanded riverfront design costs until the council has more detail.

Council members and staff noted the meeting included several items tied to the city's housing and infrastructure priorities: updates to the municipal building code to align with the county's 2024 International Code adoption; a zoning map amendment parcel hearing set for May 5; and multiple public-works contracts intended to improve water main reliability and street surface repairs.

Votes at a glance

- Resolution 25-54: Conveyance of real property to Prime Development Properties LLC for $1 (and other buyer obligations). Motion: \"I move approval of resolution 25 dash 54.\" Outcome: approved by roll call, unanimous (6-0). (Public hearing was opened and closed with no public comments.)

- Ordinance 1165 (first reading): Repeal and replacement of Chapter 90 (building code) to align with current county code. Motion: first reading approved. Outcome: roll call approval to move forward (unanimous).

- Ordinance 1166 (first reading and set public hearing): Rezoning parcel ID 1007101027 to R-2 residential; public hearing set for 05/05/2025 at 7:00 p.m. Motion: \"Move to approve the first reading...and setting 05/05/2025 ... as the date, time, and place for a public hearing.\" Outcome: approved (unanimous).

- Ordinance 1167 (first reading and set public hearing): Amend accessory building and breezeway requirements (pools and decks). Motion: first reading approved and public hearing set for 05/05/2025. Outcome: approved (unanimous).

- Ordinance 1163 (third and final reading): Amend parking fines (Section 105.40.11). Motion: \"move to approve the third and final reading of ordinance 11 63.\" Outcome: adopted (unanimous).

- Resolution 25-55: Approve plat of survey for Parcel ZZ at 2203 East Bremer (Crowell Inc.). Outcome: approved (unanimous).

- Resolution 25-56: Approve change order #1 with Steggy Construction for City Hall wall project, increase $2,049. Outcome: approved (unanimous).

- Resolution 25-57: Approve agreement with HRS surveying for parks maintenance building parking/driveway project, not to exceed $8,000. Outcome: approved (unanimous).

- Resolution 25-58: Approve proposal from HRS surveying to prepare a water main easement along the western boundary of Lenoir Estates, amount $1,500. Outcome: approved (unanimous).

- Resolution 25-59: Award citywide asphalt patching Spring 2025 to Klussner Construction, bid $14,231.50. Outcome: approved (unanimous).

- Resolution 25-60: Approve purchase of 2026 Freightliner cab-and-chassis package from Don's Truck Sales for $250,625 less trade-in of $50,000. Outcome: approved (unanimous).

- Resolution 25-61: Amend design services contract with Slingshot Architecture and Bolton & Menk to investigate riverfront/hydroelectric portion and possibilities upstream and downstream. Council debate focused on scope and cost; council voted to table the amendment to the May 5 meeting for additional scope clarity. Outcome: tabled to May 5 (roll call unanimous in favor of tabling).

- Resolution 25-62: Professional services contract with Martin Gardner Architecture/Bartner Architecture (listed in packet) for assessment of golf course clubhouse facility, $13,200. Outcome: approved (unanimous).

- Resolution 25-63: Direct advertisement for sale of $10,215,000 general obligation bonds, series 2025A; approve electronic bidding procedures and official statement. Outcome: approved (unanimous).

- Mayoral appointment: Pete Fuller to the Planning and Zoning Commission, term ending 05/01/2030. Outcome: approved by voice vote (unanimous).

What the votes mean now

Several of the approved items move to implementation steps with department staff: the water-main easement work will allow a future water-main loop to reduce long dead-end runs and improve service reliability for schools and the industrial area; the HRS surveying agreements are small step contracts to support parking and easement documentation; the truck purchase and asphalt patching award cover scheduled fleet and pavement maintenance work; and adoption of updated building and zoning code language pushes forward planning and permitting alignment with Bremer County.

Council directions and next steps

- Staff will return with further scope and cost detail on the Slingshot/Bolton & Menk amendment at the May 5 meeting after council members requested clearer separation of engineering (borings, structural) from additional site-design and visual-concept work.

- The zoning amendment (Ordinance 1166) will have a public hearing on May 5; residents can comment at that hearing.

- Staff noted several contract items will be funded or paired with previously approved bond or project funds (water tower bond proceeds and prior bond allocations were referenced for the water main work).

Speakers listed in this article: Mayor; Carla (city clerk); Paige Yoder (administrator); Councilperson Myers; Councilperson Kangas; Councilperson Jones; Councilperson Bergen; Councilperson Wolf; Councilperson Raffi; Justin (public works/staff). Direct quotes and roll-call outcomes in this article are drawn from the meeting transcript.

Ending

Most items were routine and moved ahead with unanimous council support. The council specifically delayed additional riverfront design and investigation spending to give members time to pin down the precise engineering tasks they want performed before committing to the expanded scope and associated costs.","At its April 21 meeting the Waverly City Council approved multiple ordinances, contracts, equipment purchases and bond advertising while tabling a proposed expansion of design work for riverfront investigation. Most votes were unanimous; the riverfront amendment was postponed to May 5 for further scope review.","actionData","errors"]

Article not found

Local pastors ask council to reconsider city sponsorship of Pride river glow float

City declares May Preservation Month; historic commission reports radar evidence at Cedar Hill Park cemetery site

Council tables expanded riverfront design work after members question added fees

Waverly City Council approves ordinances, contracts and bonds; tables riverfront investigation