Swisher council approves $870,441 sewer payment, awards abatement and tree contracts and advances annexation

The Swisher City Council on Aug. 12 approved a $870,441.07 payment to Dave Schmitt Construction Co. for the Sanitary Sewer Project and took a bundle of administrative and procurement actions including contracts for asbestos abatement and tree removal.

Mayor Julie Persons opened the meeting at 6:30 p.m. with council members Curt Cline, Daryl Hynek, Kody Pudil and Michael Stagg present; Adam Roeder was absent. Clerk Shelley Annis reported written submissions from the Johnson County Sheriff and Ion Environmental Solutions and said the Jefferson-Monroe Fire Department submitted its FY2024 annual report.

The council approved Resolution 55-2024 to authorize Pay Application No. 4 to Dave Schmitt Construction Co., Inc., for $870,441.07 for work through Aug. 2, 2024 on the sanitary sewer project. The motion was moved by Council member Michael Stagg and seconded by Kody Pudil and was recorded as aye votes from Kody Pudil, Michael Stagg and Daryl Hynek.

Council members also approved several shorter procurement and appointment actions: Resolution 56-2024 awarded the 2024 Tree Removal Project to Waterbury Property Management, LLC of Cedar Rapids for $8,961.50; Resolution 57-2024 awarded asbestos-abatement work at 119 and 127 Rose Ave to ECCO Midwest Inc. (Cedar Rapids) for $3,570 and set Aug. 30, 2024 as the date the awarded contractor may proceed with demolition of the Downtown Park buildings; and Resolution 54-2024 appointed Dan Johnson (423 3rd St SW) to the Swisher Community Fund Board of Trustees. Those motions were recorded in the minutes with aye votes by Daryl Hynek, Kody Pudil and Michael Stagg where shown.

Mayor Persons reported that bond counsel advised the Division Street bonds issued in May 2020 must be fully spent within five years of issuance and can be used to reimburse Johnson County for that portion of 120th Street improvements. Clerk Annis said $396,030.53 of those bond funds remain. Following that update, the council voted (motion by Kody Pudil, second by Michael Stagg) to move forward with annexation of the Degen and Sheely properties and to initiate contact with Johnson County to confirm reimbursement eligibility; the motion was recorded as all aye.

Per the city engineer's recommendation, the council rejected the received quote for the Signing & Striping Project and instructed staff to seek new quotes. The council also agreed to reallocate the funds budgeted for a new city-hall copier to procure IT services in response to a recent cyber incident, voted to cancel the Aug. 26 council meeting, and adjourned at 7:53 p.m.

Votes at a glance

- Motion to approve agenda and consent agenda: moved by Kody Pudil (second Curt Cline); recorded as all aye. - Res. 53-2024 (FY2024 Street Financial Report submission): motion Stagg, second Pudil; recorded aye: Daryl Hynek, Kody Pudil, Michael Stagg. - Res. 54-2024 (appoint Dan Johnson to Swisher Community Fund Board): recorded aye: Daryl Hynek, Kody Pudil, Michael Stagg. - Res. 55-2024 (Pay App #4, Sanitary Sewer Project, $870,441.07): motion Stagg, second Pudil; recorded aye: Kody Pudil, Michael Stagg, Daryl Hynek. - Res. 56-2024 (2024 Tree Removal Project, $8,961.50): recorded aye: Michael Stagg, Daryl Hynek, Kody Pudil. - Res. 57-2024 (asbestos abatement at 119 & 127 Rose Ave, $3,570): motion Pudil, second Stagg; recorded aye: Michael Stagg, Daryl Hynek, Kody Pudil.

What’s next

The council directed staff to contact Johnson County about reimbursement possibilities related to Division Street bond-eligible work and scheduled a joint meeting with the Park & Recreation Board to follow up on park maintenance needs. The contractor awarded asbestos-abatement work may proceed with demolition on Aug. 30, 2024, per the council’s action.