Waterloo finance committee approves travel, pre-authorizations and $309,000 home purchases

The Waterloo City Council Finance Committee on March 10 approved travel requests, a slate of pre-authorizations to spend more than $2,500, several budget amendments and a bills payment report totaling $5,041,480.54, during a meeting where members quickly voted through the consent items.

The committee voted to approve the meeting agenda and the minutes of the March 3, 2025, finance committee meeting before taking up travel and procurement items. Councilmember Foyce moved the agenda approval; the motion was seconded and carried on a voice vote.

Committee members approved a list of travel requests for city employees, including attendance at professional trainings and conferences. Notable requests included attendance by airport staff at the Iowa Public Airports Association conference in Okoboji (not to exceed $6,560) and by two City staff to the HUD Office of Lead Hazard Control and Healthy Homes program managers conference in New Orleans (not to exceed $7,650). The committee approved all travel requests as a single motion.

The committee also approved a long list of pre-authorizations to spend in amounts over $2,500. Items included: - Airport billboard advertising, $3,000; Director of Aviation Stephen Kerger said the billboards will run for "about 4 months." - Airport furnace repairs at Hangar No. 4, $9,856.66. - Center for the Arts staging, audio, video and lighting services for the Chroma63 arts and music festival, not to exceed $13,200. - Purchase and installation of an upgraded security camera system for the Center for the Arts, $72,368.72. - Purchase of two single-family homes within Waterloo city limits for rehabilitation and resale, $309,000. - Equipment and facility repairs for the Cedar Valley Sportsplex, various items totaling tens of thousands of dollars. - Police equipment purchases, including 14 Glock Gen5 9mm handguns ($44,200) and 18 SBR rifles ($20,250); the police chief said several of the replaced weapons were part of a previous federal program and must be returned to the federal government.

Other pre-authorizations approved covered maintenance and software subscriptions across departments, generator service for sewer facilities, and electrical compliance work at Ridgeway Towers submitted by the Waterloo Housing Authority.

The committee approved several budget amendments and project budgets: a $20,260 project budget using an Iowa Brownfield Redevelopment community assistance grant to test asbestos-containing materials at the former RATH Packing Plant; an $18,801 amendment recognizing restricted donation funds for tree pit surface replacement submitted by Leisure Services; a $5,000 increase recognizing restricted donations for exhibitions at the Center for the Arts; and a $15,000 project budget increase for the Chroma63 Arts Festival funded from hotel/motel tax revenues.

The committee received, filed and forwarded the bills payment report for March 10 to the full council; the report totaled $5,041,480.54.

All motions recorded in the meeting were approved by voice vote. The committee adjourned after the items were completed.

Votes at a glance - Agenda and March 3, 2025 minutes: approved (voice vote). - Travel requests (multiple staff and conferences; aggregated): approved (voice vote). - Pre-authorizations to spend over $2,500 (multiple line items including airport, Center for the Arts, central garage, community development house purchases, Sportsplex equipment, police equipment): approved (voice vote). - Budget amendments/project budgets (Iowa Brownfield grant $20,260; park tree pit replacement $18,801; Center for the Arts exhibition $5,000; Chroma63 festival $15,000): approved (voice vote). - Bills payment report for March 10, $5,041,480.54: received, filed and forwarded to full council (voice vote).

The committee did not take public testimony during the meeting and no items were tabled or postponed.