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Van Meter council approves consent agenda, awards trail contract and tables city administrator contract
Summary
At its Jan. 12 meeting, the Van Meter City Council unanimously approved the consent agenda including $199,027.03 in claims, awarded the Richland Road Trail contract, set employee wages for 2026, approved a city attorney retainer and tabled the city administrator's employment contract to a future meeting.
The Van Meter City Council met Monday, Jan. 12, 2026, at the United Methodist Church and unanimously approved a slate of routine business, awarded a contract for a local trail project and tabled consideration of the city administrator's employment contract.
Council took its first formal action when Councilmember Travis Brott moved, supported by Joel Akers, to approve the meeting agenda; the motion passed on a 5-0 roll-call vote. The consent agenda that followed included minutes, committee reports, permit and financial reports and a claims list totaling $199,027.03. Payroll and vendor totals for December were recorded in the packet.
Council then approved several individual resolutions. Joel Akers moved, supported by Joe Lake, to adopt Resolution #2026-2 assigning the address for 319 Van Buren; the roll-call vote was 5-0 in favor. Jarin Young moved, supported by Jason Barney, to approve a tax abatement for 29365 Hickory Lodge; that motion also passed 5-0.
Councilmember Travis Brott moved, supported by Joel Akers, to approve Resolution #2026-3 awarding the contract for the Richland Road Trail Project; the council voted unanimously to award the contract. The council approved Resolution #2026-4 setting employee wages for calendar year 2026 by a 5-0 vote.
On Resolution #2026-5, which would have approved the City Administrator's employment contract, Councilmember Joel Akers moved and Travis Brott supported a motion to table the item to a future meeting; the motion to table passed 5-0. The council subsequently approved Resolution #2026-6 to retain Whitfield & Eddy as city attorney counsel and approved Resolution #2026-7 making committee appointments and board liaisons for 2026; both measures passed unanimously.
Votes at a glance - Resolution #2026-2 (319 Van Buren address assignment): mover Joel Akers; second Joe Lake; vote 5-0; outcome: approved. - Tax abatement for 29365 Hickory Lodge: mover Jarin Young; second Jason Barney; vote 5-0; outcome: approved. - Resolution #2026-3 (Richland Road Trail contract award): mover Travis Brott; second Joel Akers; vote 5-0; outcome: approved (contract awarded). - Resolution #2026-4 (Set employee wages CY26): mover Joel Akers; vote 5-0; outcome: approved. - Resolution #2026-5 (City Administrator contract): mover Joel Akers; second Travis Brott; vote 5-0; outcome: tabled to a future meeting. - Resolution #2026-6 (City Attorney retainer with Whitfield & Eddy): mover Jarin Young; second Joel Akers; vote 5-0; outcome: approved. - Resolution #2026-7 (Appointments to council committees and board liaisons): mover Travis Brott; second Joe Lake; vote 5-0; outcome: approved.
Why it matters: The award of the Richland Road Trail contract moves a local capital project toward construction; setting employee wages finalizes pay policy for city staff for 2026. Tabling the city administrator's contract delays a personnel decision that the council may revisit at a subsequent meeting.
Staff reports were accepted as written, and the meeting was adjourned at 7:42 p.m. by Mayor Joe Herman.
