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Council reviews quarterly goals: citizen survey quote, land bank setup and municipal election calendar
Summary
City staff presented a proposed citizen‑survey contract (approx. $18,000), outlined initial steps for a land bank authority, and previewed a municipal election timeline that includes ordinance adoption on April 15 and an August 26 election date.
City Administrator John Thomas reviewed the council’s quarterly goals during the work session, highlighting a proposed citizen‑satisfaction survey, land‑bank formation steps and a municipal election calendar.
Thomas said staff obtained a quote from the firm that conducted the city’s 2018 survey and that the cost to repeat that instrument would be roughly $18,000. The first tasks would be to sign the survey contract and prepare a sampling plan; the city has not yet budgeted the work and staff said the council must decide whether to add it to the current budget cycle.
Nut graf: the quarterly report combined community‑engagement planning, nuisance‑property strategy and election preparation. Staff presented near‑term administrative steps rather than seeking immediate spending authority for all items.
Land bank and nuisance properties
Thomas briefed the council on the city’s first Land Bank Authority meeting (held Feb. 19) and the next administrative steps: establish a bank account, obtain an EIN, publish formation documents and post minutes and bylaws online. He said it is realistic that properties might not enter the land bank for two to three years unless property owners turn them over; the land bank is intended to return tax‑delinquent parcels to productive use in alignment with the city’s comprehensive plan.
Municipal election planning
Staff also walked the council through a proposed municipal election schedule and related ordinances. The municipal timeline in the packet begins with an April 15 council meeting where staff recommended adopting two ordinances and a resolution to establish voting and polling places (the packet named Moose Hope Gymnasium as the recommended polling place) and to set a $50 qualifying fee. Thomas noted state code caps the qualifying fee between $10 and $50 and that the city has traditionally used $50.
Other calendar items staff highlighted: a resolution to adopt electronic vote‑counting devices (packet referenced the same devices used in Coffee County); a May 20 council meeting to adopt two resolutions to designate a disinterested person to canvass if the mayor is a candidate (the city clerk was the recommended official); a June 10 notice‑of‑election ad; a June 24 qualifying deadline (by 5 p.m.); an August 26 election date; a September 20 runoff date (if needed); and an organizational session the first Monday in November.
Other quarterly items
Thomas said the employee handbook will be brought to the council at the second March meeting following department review and edits. He also noted that a quarterly customer‑experience update and a nuisance‑property update are scheduled for future meetings. Staff described the incipient timeline for the proposed recreation center and pool project with a planning milestone beginning April 15 in the packet and accompanying ordinances.
No formal spending authorization was requested for the survey during the session; staff asked council members to review the materials and advise whether they want the survey cost added to the budget.
