Waverly City Council approves trail bridge change order, easement and appointments; proclaims Human Trafficking Prevention Month

The City of Waverly City Council on Monday, Jan. 20, 2025 took several routine and project-specific actions, including a proclamation designating January 2025 as Slavery and Human Trafficking Prevention Month, approval of a change order for the Rolling Prairie Trail bridge replacement and approval of a private water-service and sanitary-sewer easement.

Proclamation: The council adopted a proclamation recognizing January 2025 as Slavery and Human Trafficking Prevention Month. The proclamation, read by Mayor Mark Anderson, references the 13th Amendment and local and statewide anti-trafficking work and encourages residents to report suspicious activity. The mayor moved the proclamation and the council approved it by voice vote; city staff and representatives from AAUW of Iowa were in the chamber when the proclamation was adopted.

Rolling Prairie Trail bridge change order (Resolution 25-05): The council approved Change Order No. 1 for Taylor Construction Inc. for the Rolling Prairie Trail bridge replacement (Prairie Run, Slemons Run and Cemetery Run) increasing the contract amount by $22,126. The motion passed by roll call unanimously; the council noted Council Member Dranko was absent. Recorded roll-call votes in the transcript were: Carla (yes), Wolf (yes), Raffi (yes), Myers (yes), Kagan (yes), Jones (yes), Bergen (yes). The transcript lists the outcome as "passed unanimously (6 to 0)" with Dranko absent.

Private water and sanitary sewer easement (Resolution 25-06): The council approved a private water-service pipe and sanitary-sewer easement to TRC Spendthrift Trust to allow a property connection that requires access across another parcel. Council members characterized this approval as the property-owner granting access to another party to complete a connection. The motion passed by roll call unanimously; recorded votes in the transcript matched those listed for the bridge change order.

Consent calendar and minutes: The council approved the consent calendar (15 items) and the Jan. 6 regular meeting minutes by voice votes; no individual consent items were debated on the record at the Jan. 20 meeting.

Appointments: The council approved the mayoral appointment of Dustin Neuhoff to the Board of Appeals to fill a vacant seat, for a term ending Jan. 1, 2030; that appointment passed by voice vote.

Attendance: The transcript records that one council member, Dranko, was out of town and absent for roll-call votes on the two resolutions.

What the council did not do: No ordinance changes or traffic-control measures were adopted at the meeting; a citizen asked the council to place a Cedar Lane safety item on a future agenda but the council declined to discuss it at the meeting because it was not on the agenda.

Votes at a glance

- Proclamation: Slavery and Human Trafficking Prevention Month (January 2025) — motion to approve moved and seconded; voice vote; passed unanimously. - Resolution 25-05 (Rolling Prairie Trail bridge replacement, Change Order No. 1) — increased contract amount by $22,126; roll-call vote recorded as unanimous (6 yes, 0 no, 1 absent). - Resolution 25-06 (Private water-service pipe and sanitary sewer easement to TRC Spendthrift Trust) — approved by roll-call vote; recorded unanimous votes. - Consent calendar (15 items) — approved by voice vote; passed unanimously. - Appointment: Dustin Neuhoff to Board of Appeals through Jan. 1, 2030 — approved by voice vote; passed unanimously.

The council adjourned after routine council comments and staff reports.