Indianola council approves police tentative agreement, advances sewer rate increase and rezoning; directs staff on traffic study

The Indianola City Council on March 24 approved a tentative agreement with the city’s police bargaining unit, approved a sewer-rate increase option for first consideration, and granted first consideration to a rezoning for Pickard Estates, while also holding a public hearing on the city’s proposed maximum property-tax levies and directing staff to return with formal language on a developer-requested traffic study.

The agreement with the police bargaining unit was adopted by voice roll call after council debate about an annual mental-health check provision included in the tentative agreement. Courtney Sullivan, the city’s human resources director, told the council the contract language requires annual mental-health checks to be paid by the employer and scheduled during work hours, but that the agreement does not specifically require the checks to be in-person. Sullivan said, “If council doesn’t vote yes to the TA this evening, we will end in arbitration over a one-year agreement.”

The council approved the agreement and instructed staff and legal to work with police leadership and the union on a memorandum of understanding (MOU) to clarify how the annual mental-health checks will be implemented after the contract takes effect on July 1, 2025. The council’s recorded action was “motion carries” after roll call (ayes recorded on the record). The tentative agreement will take effect July 1 unless further action changes it.

On sewer rates, the council voted to advance “option 2” for first…