City Council

CITY COUNCIL CHAMBERS SIOUX CITY, IOWA February 26, 2025 1. A Budget Review Session of the City Council was held at 8:30 a.m. The following Council Members were present on call of the roll: Moore, O’Kane, Schoenherr, Scott, and Watters. Absent: None. Staff members present included: Robert Padmore, City Manager; Teresa Fitch, Finance Director; Sarah Swearingen, Budget Manager; Tiffany Bonnes, Budget and Financial Analyst; Marty Dougherty, Economic and Community Development Director; Renae Billings, Economic Development Manager; Tiffany Clayborne, Parking/Skywalk Operations Supervisor; Gordon Phair, City Engineer; Brad Puetz, Utilities Director; Mike Collett, Assistant City Manager; Jessica Johnson, Projects Management Specialist; Matt Salvatore, Parks and Recreation Director; Chief Rex Mueller, Police Department; Anne Westra, Communications & Public Engagement Specialist; Chief Ryan Collins, Fire Department; Karen Mackey, Human Rights Director; Nicole DuBois, City Attorney; Patrick Simons, Public Service Field Supervisor; Tom Pingel, Utilities Director; Wendi Hess, Communication Center Director; John Malloy, Chief Information Officer; and Helen Rigdon, Library Director. CIP Discussion & Reports 2. 663-301 Downtown Facade Discussion regarding the project. Marty Dougherty, Economic and Community Development Director, and Renae Billings, Economic Development Manager, provided information on the item. 3. 728-012 Annual Parking Ramp Repairs Memo regarding where the new parking meters are located and how long the project will run. Teresa Fitch, Finance Director, and Tiffany Clayborne, Parking/Skywalk Operations Supervisor, provided information on the item. 4. 549-171 Floyd Park Golf Course Storm Sewer Improvements Discussion regarding removing the project from the CIP. Gordon Phair, City Engineer, provided information on the item. 5. 719-001 Annual CBD Infrastructure Improvement Memo regarding how many areaways were left to be replaced. Gordon Phair, City Engineer, provided information on the item. 6. 719-026 Rail Crossing Improvements – Leeds and Riverside Memo regarding completion dates for projects. Gordon Phair, City Engineer, provided information on the item. 7. 519-266 Water Plant High Service Pump & VFD Rehabilitation/Replacement Discussion regarding the project. Brad Puetz, Utilities Director, provided information on the item. A technical change was requested to move FY 2026 and FY 2027 out one year. (February 26, 2025 - Budget Review Minutes) Page 1 CIP TECHNICAL CHANGES 8. 889-001 Annual City Buildings Repair Removing the $250,000 wall/ceiling covering in FY 2026. Discussion regarding City Hall exterior lighting. Mike Collett, Assistant City Manager, provided information on the item. Jessica Johnson, Projects Management Specialist, provided information on a similar project at Tyson Events Center. 9. 339-003 Art Center Capital Projects Adjusting the project balance to ($400,000), reducing the G.O. Bonds and adjusting the Sales Tax funding by $82,164. 10. 379-010 Tyson Event Center Remodel & Repair Reducing the TEC roof in FY 2026 to $684,295 removing the G.O. Bonds and adjusting the Sales Tax funding. 11. 379-051 Convention Center Upgrades Using Sales Tax funding in place of G.O. Bonds. 12. 459-005 Annual Athletic Maintenance Removing $75,000 for the Hubbard Lights in the FY 2026 workplan. Discussion on Western Iowa Tech and Goldie Park funding. Matt Salvatore, Parks and Recreation Director, provided information on the item. Motion by O’Kane, seconded by Schoenherr, to remove the $3,000 allocation for Western Iowa Tech and to reduce the Westside Little League allocation by $2,500 for Goldie Park, all voting aye. 13. 459-235 Sioux City Marina Maintenance Reducing dredging in FY 2026 by $200,000. Matt Salvatore, Parks and Recreation Director, provided information on the item. 14. 459-302 City Trails Adding $255,000 in TAP Design Projects to FY 2026 workplan. Matt Salvatore, Parks and Recreation Director, provided information on the item. 15. 459-324 Christy Road Trail Removing the project and all future funding. Matt Salvatore, Parks and Recreation Director, provided information on the item. 16. 195-037 Animal Control Remodel Moving FY 2027 to FY 2026 and Unprogrammed to FY 2030. Memo regarding costs and replacement schedules for updating the Animal Control Remodel. Chief Rex Mueller, Police Department, provided information on the item. (February 26, 2025 - Budget Review Minutes) Page 2 17. 195-051 Police Training Center Moving $75,000 for drones from FY 2026 to FY 2027. Chief Rex Mueller, Police Department, provided information on the item. Due to a clerical error the project number and name was originally listed as 195-051 Police Training Center but was corrected to 195-052 Police Capital Equipment before Council approval, all documents listed the correct project number and name. 18. 173-002 Perry Creek Flood Control Improvements Moving FY 2027 and FY 2028 to unprogrammed. 19. 719-133 Annual Infrastructure Reconstruction Reducing design in the FY 2026 workplan to $100,000. 20. 719-379 Gordon Dr Viaduct Increasing the IDOT Reimbursement to $110,000 in FY 2026 & FY 2027. 21. 519-270 Harbor Drive/Hwy 75 Water Main Upsize Increasing the Water Revenue Loan Proceeds to $2,540,185 in FY 2026 & FY 2027. 22. 539-227 Bypass Pumping Equipment Moving the FY 2027 workplan to FY 2026. OPERATING DISCUSSION & REPORTS City Council 23. Discussion regarding the improvement request for additional funding for Saturday in the Park and a memo detailing the economic impact of the Saturday in the Park festival. Chad Schoenfelder, Vice Chair of the Sioux City Regional Convention and Visitor’s Bureau, provided information on the item. City Manager 24. Discussion regarding the Improvement Request for a Social Media Coordinator and a memo outlining statistics for views/visits to City pages on social media platforms. Anne Westra, Communications & Public Engagement Specialist, provided information on the item. Motion by Scott, seconded by Moore, to move $22,500 from the City Council’s contributions to other agencies account line to the City Manager’s professional services account line for social media expenses, and use sales tax to fund the $10,000 contribution to Saturday in the Park, all voting aye. Events Facilities 25. Memo comparing budget to actuals in FY 2023 and FY 2024 and FY 2026 budget details. Chad Smidt, General Manager, OVG360; Nick Palmiotti, Sales & Marketing Manager, OVG360; provided information on the item. (February 26, 2025 - Budget Review Minutes) Page 3 Finance 26. Discussion regarding options for reducing credit card and electronic check fees charged to the City. Teresa Fitch, Finance Director, provided information on the item. Motion by Schoenherr, seconded by O’Kane, to pass credit card and electronic check transaction fees for utility billing on to the customers, all voting aye. Council recessed at 10:17 a.m. and reconvened at 10:27 a.m. Fire 27. Discussion regarding the Improvement Request for an Assistant Fire Chief. Chief Ryan Collins, Fire Department, provided information on the item. Motion by Moore, seconded by O’Kane, to add the position of Assistant Chief to the Fire Department, Moore and O’Kane voting aye, Schoenherr, Scott, and Watters voting nay. Thus, the motion failed. Human Rights 28. Memo outlining all department expenses and revenues. Karen Mackey, Human Rights Director, provided information on the item. Motion by Scott, seconded by Moore, to reduce the operating budget for the Human Rights Department by $140,000, Schoenherr, Scott, and Watters voting aye, Moore and O’Kane voting nay. Thus, the motion passed. Legal 29. Discussion regarding the use of TIF funds towards expenses in the Legal department. Nicole DuBois, City Attorney, provided information on the item. Motion by Scott, seconded by Schoenherr, to use 10% of TIF funds towards the funding of the City Attorney position and 15% of TIF funds towards the funding of the Paralegal position, all voting aye. Police 30. Discussion regarding the Improvement Request for additional Police Officers and a memo outlining the number of new police officers included in the FY 2026 budget compared to the anticipated number of officers that will be hired. Chief Rex Mueller, Police Department, provided information on the item. Motion by O’Kane, seconded by Schoenherr, to add one Police Officer in the Uniformed Bureau Division 3002, Moore, O’Kane, and Schoenherr voting aye, Scott and Watters voting nay. Thus, the motion passed. (February 26, 2025 - Budget Review Minutes) Page 4 Public Works 31. Memo regarding the snow removal budget. Patrick Simons, Public Service Field Supervisor, provided information on the item. 32. Memo detailing the $7,500 increase in Engineering’s operating equipment account line. Wastewater & Environmental Services 33. Memo comparing the rental rates for the scissor lift to the costs of purchasing the piece of equipment and whether other departments have a scissor lift available for use. Tom Pingel, Utilities Director, provided information on the item. A technical change was requested to reduce the Wastewater Division’s budget by $4,628 for the purchase of the scissor lift. Scott exited the meeting at 11:19 a.m. and returned at 11:22 a.m. WCICC – Comm Center 34. Discussion regarding the Improvement Request for a Communications Training Operator. Heidi Wess, Communication Center Director, and Chief Rex Mueller, Police Department, provided information on the item. Motion by Watters, seconded by Schoenherr, to approve the improvement request for a Communications Training Operator position, all voting aye. WCICC - IT 35. Discussion regarding the Improvement Request to upgrade a Senior Systems Analyst to a GIS Manager. John Malloy, Chief Information Officer, provided information on the item. Motion by Scott, seconded by Schoenherr, to approve the improvement request to upgrade one Senior Systems Analyst to a GIS Manager, all voting aye. Additional discussion was had about funding for Saturday in the Park. Operating Technical Changes 36. Incorporating the listing of technical changes in various departments. Economic and Community Development 37. Removing $50,000 in payment to other agencies in Neighborhood Services budget. Human Rights 38. Reducing the Human Rights budget by $18,409. Motion by Scott, seconded by Schoenherr, to delete the Technical Change reducing the Human Rights budget by $18,409, all voting aye. (February 26, 2025 - Budget Review Minutes) Page 5 Library 39. Reducing Library budget by $5,000. Helen Rigdon, Library Director, provided information on the item. Motion by Scott, seconded by Schoenherr, to reduce the Library operating budget by $50,000, Scott and Schoenherr voting aye, Moore, O’Kane, and Watters voting nay. Thus, the motion failed. Motion by Scott, seconded by Moore, to reduce the Library operating budget by $5,000, all voting aye. Transit 40. Increasing Transit grant revenue by $50,000. Other items Moved by Scott, seconded by Moore, to reallocate 80% of the Economic Development Specialist’s salary from TIF funds to Economic Development Sales Tax Fund, all voting aye. Moved by Scott, seconded by Moore, to reduce the gas budget by $0.20 per gallon, all voting aye. Motion by Scott to have Downtown Partners help participate in garbage collection fees in downtown. Motion died for lack of a second. Motion by Scott seconded by Moore, to move Economic Development’s budget for insurance in the amount of $13,835 and computer leases in the amount of $1,191 from the General Fund to Economic Development Sales Tax Fund, all voting aye. Council recessed at 12:10 p.m. and reconvened at 12:15 p.m. Dolly Butts, Sioux City Journal, requested clarification on the total Human Rights operating budget after reduction, the per $100,000 taxpayer cost for the communications training operator position, and the final tax rate after reductions were implemented. MOTIONS 41. Motion by Moore, seconded by O’Kane, directing staff to incorporate all the technical changes into the FY 2026 CIP and FY 2026 Operating Budgets, all voting aye. 42. Motion by Moore, seconded by Schoenherr, directing staff to balance the FY 2026 CIP and FY 2026 Operating Budgets, all voting aye. (February 26, 2025 - Budget Review Minutes) Page 6 43. Adjournment. There being no further business, the meeting was adjourned at 12:20 p.m. on motion by Scott seconded by Moore all voting aye. ATTEST: ____________________________ _____________________________ Heidi Farrens, City Clerk Robert E. Scott, Mayor City Council agendas are available at www.sioux-city.org u:\CityAgenda\Minutes and Agendas\Council Minutes\2025\022625m Budget Wrap Up (February 26, 2025 - Budget Review Minutes) Page 7