At a glance: Decorah council approves consent agenda, Army Reserve agreement, AFSCME contract and residency ordinance

During Monday’s meeting the Decorah City Council approved the consent agenda and several substantive items, including a supplemental agreement related to the Army Reserve Center land, adoption of a residency policy ordinance and ratification of a three-year AFSCME labor contract.

Consent agenda: The council approved routine items including minutes of the March 3, 2025 meeting; claims; a new class C retail alcohol license for a temporary event; public hearing settings for several projects (including a water meter replacement and the Decorah Athletic Complex project); acceptance of easements and quitclaim deeds for Vesterheim; and pay application No. 1 for municipal airport hangar work. Roll call for the consent agenda showed votes in favor by Olsen, Whittle, Parker, Miss Solnitich, Zittergruen, Chisel and Neal.

Army Reserve supplemental agreement: The council approved a supplemental agreement with the United States regarding the Army Reserve Center property. Staff said the signed agreement would return land to the city effective March 31 and require the city to replace a short section of fence to match the existing line; estimated fence cost is about $4,500 to $5,000. The agreement proceeds to federal execution after city approval.

Residency policy ordinance: On second reading the council approved an ordinance amending Chapter 2.16 regarding residency policy and later waived the third reading and adopted the ordinance. Council members noted a minor typographical correction in the ordinance language (“form” should read “from”) to be corrected in the final copy.

AFSCME labor contract: The council approved a three-year contract with AFSCME Local 3483 covering non‑police union employees and certain police pay provisions. Key elements listed by staff included a 3% across-the-board increase in year one (with police officers to receive modified step changes), increases in shift differential and investigator pay for police, an adjustment to uniform reimbursement ($100 to $200 treated as reimbursement), parental leave provisions (one week paid parental leave plus eligibility for additional accrued leave), and CPI-based wage increases in years two and three (3% minimum, 5% maximum). The contract also adds certain positions to union coverage as a negotiated item; staff will return to implement related wage-scale details and update city nonunion personnel policies to maintain parity where required.

Votes: All four substantive items passed on roll calls. The council also heard background and public comment on the Hively Street project; that award was tabled to April 7 for further study.

No committee appointments were made during the meeting; staff invited applications for two vacancies on the Decorah Human Rights Commission with an application deadline later in April.