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Plainfield council approves routine permits, amends personnel policy and directs review of demolition permits
Summary
At its Feb. 11 meeting the Plainfield City Council approved several permits and contracts, passed Resolution No. 2025-02 amending the personnel policy, authorized a temporary dumpster exception at 722 Main St., reduced a high water bill, and asked staff to investigate adding a demolition-permit process for 322 Division St.
The Plainfield City Council on Feb. 11 approved a string of routine measures — including a building permit, a cemetery spraying contract and a personnel-policy amendment — and directed staff to study whether a demolition-permit process is needed for a house the owner called a "hazard."
Mayor Thomas Geise convened the meeting at 6:00 p.m.; Council Members Jamison Downing, Timothy Neil, Joseph Schmall and Chad Shurtleff were present. City Clerk/Treasurer Brittney Lentz and Fire Chief Evan Wagner also attended; Council Member Clyde Balvanz was absent.
Council actions and votes were governed by brief discussion and mostly unanimous approval. Early in the meeting the council approved the agenda and then addressed a request from Dakota Klingfuss, the new owner of the 4-plex at 722 Main Street, to place a single dumpster at the rear of the building instead of eight individual carts. The council agreed to the exception on the condition the dumpster be "secured/fenced in."
The council approved its consent agenda, which included minutes from Jan. 13 and 15, 2025; claims for February (including a $34.96 claim to Jolene White for library program supplies); and the January 2025 financial reports. It also approved a building permit for 856 Main Street to construct a 50-by-90-foot pole building (without concrete) to store a tile plow.
The Bremer County Sheriff's Office provided its January report: deputies logged 74 hours and handled 13 calls for service. The council unanimously approved a spring cemetery spraying contract with TruGreen and recorded that the Liddle family will donate flags annually to the veterans memorial in honor of Laurence and Elizabeth Liddle.
Fire Chief Evan Wagner briefed the council on an IMWCA claim and asked about insuring 15 new department radios; City Clerk Brittney Lentz was directed to add the radios to the city's insurance policy. The Plainfield Days Committee reported selling approximately 204 pizzas in a fundraiser.
On utilities, the council reviewed a high-use account (No. 226001) and applied an overage formula that reduced the quarterly water bill to $437.62; council members noted this would be the final time the city applies that adjustment for the property.
Council members discussed capital-equipment options for a replacement wheel loader and agreed to postpone purchasing until fall, when they will revisit local option sales tax designations as a funding source. Lentz presented final FY26 budget projections for the council's review.
By roll call vote the council approved Resolution No. 2025-02, which amends the City's personnel policy; the roll call recorded ayes from Downing, Neil, Schmall and Shurtleff; Balvanz was absent. The mayor, council and department heads continued a review of proposed amendments to the Code of Ordinances covering sanitary sewer (Chapters 95–99) and sidewalk regulations (Chapter 136).
Clerk Lentz told the council the owner of 322 Division Street plans to tear down the dwelling, calling it a "hazard." Mayor Geise asked Lentz to investigate whether the city should add a demolition-permit process to the code.
The council adjourned at 7:39 p.m.
