Council accepts bids for Community Center repairs

By Mary Zielinski
The Kalona City Council Monday accepted quotes for two separate projects to repair the Kalona Community Center from Schlabach Construction: $94,000 to do re-roofing and $63,800 for re-siding. Work is expected to be done this year. Schlabach is the only one who submitted quotes, although there were six contractors who had obtained specifications.
The action came after City Administrator Doug Morgan presented a memorandum from City Attorney William Sueppel stating the projects are two independent ones and that competitive bidding requirements do not apply. The latter would require legal notices, a public hearing and bid letting.
Citing Iowa code, Sueppel said the projects constitute maintenance work that is not interrelated, that one is not dependent upon the other. Sueppel also said that nether was a licensed engineer required to prepare plans and specifications, since it is not a public improvement as defined by Iowa Code 26.2 and neither project exceeds the competitive bid threshold that would demand competitive bidding. Sueppel’s advice (which is billed at $225 per hour) was sought in response to a demand by a Kalona resident, made at the last council meeting for a legal opinion about the matter as well as a council member’s concern about needing an engineer.
The council also approved allocating up to $135,000 to help the Kalona Valley Apartments obtain a site for an additional building to provide four to five more units. The property, at 702 C Avenue, will be available next month and indications are the cost is the assessed value of $116,000. The additional funds are for site preparation which includes moving the house and other buildings on the property.
Phil Ropp, who represented KVA at the meeting, had no figures on what the total project will cost, noting that grants will be sought as had been done for the original Kalona Valley Apartment South and the later north ones.
Council member Dave Bentley asked tht KVD provide a list of the costs, just as formal documentation.
In other business, the council:

• discussed the Kreekside Subdivision sidewalks, declining developer Bill Young’s offer to share costs for a wider sidewalk;
• briefly discussed the Farmer’s Market, including possibly moving it to the west parking lot of the Community Center, then it was noted that roofing and siding work on the Center could well be underway at the same time. As for any other changes, including a market manager, council ember Ken Herington said that regarding the original complaint (about unfair competition for a downtown business), “there is no violation. There is no validity to it,” and noted the council already had spent too much time on the issue. No changes were made;
• approved the appointment of Greg Schmidt to the Planning & Zoning Commission, filling the vacancy created by the resignation of Wendell Nisly;
• held a public hearing and then approved the budget amendment to the fiscal 2008-09 budget;
• learned that the city’s finance committee is working on job descriptions for city employees;
• renewed the lease with Elements for use of the former public library site at the same fee and also approved permitting the group to hold a fundraiser in the Community Center west parking lot August 30 from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. The fundraiser will help with Elements now permanent after-school program for local students;
• approved street closing for Kalona Days activities June 19-20 and a fenced in area for a beer garden to be operated by Tuscan Moon Grill on Fifth on 5th Street between the north alleyway and B Avenue. The council was told there will be 25 vendors on the streets, starting with Friday night;
• were asked to consider planning repairs for the city’s sewer system since there are problems with surface water going into the sanitary sewers;
• will get quotes to repair the roof on Shelter A (and possibly others) in the Kalona Municipal Park. The city received a quote of $4,650 from J & B Roofing that would cover all work and cleanup. However, resident Stuart Yoder suggested that he contact the Amish crew who did the roof on the fire station, a move that could leave the city paying only for materials;
• approved an amendment to the city code adopting the current international electric code. The council waived the first and second readings of the ordinance and passed it on the third; and
• approved a $100 fee for the Building Board of appeals application, identical to the fee for the Board of Adjustment.