By GEORGE NUNNEMACHER | April 26, 2023

The Linn Valley City Council held its bi-monthly meeting at 7 p.m. on Monday, April 24, 2023, with Mayor Cindy Smith presiding and all council members present.   

Upon opening the meeting, Smith and the council retired for a five-minute executive session on a legal matter, then returned with no action taken.

City Clerk Karen Siffring opened three sealed bids for the city’s surplus police vehicle.  The winning bid of $4,080 was received from Ringwood Motors of Ringwood, Ill.   

Bids for the city’s new 250,000-gallon Water Tower were received on April 20 from four qualified bidders. The bids ranged from a low of $1,551,700 to a high of $1,837,055. Based on the recommendation of BG Consultants, the city’s engineer, a Notice of Award is being issued to the low bidder Caldwell Tanks, Inc. of Louisville, Ky. As motioned by Council Member Lew Donelson, the council approved the resume of Jim Mayfield, an employee of BG Consultants, as Resident Inspector for the water project. This will meet the USDA’s requirement to have a qualified inspector on-site for the project.

Smith announced the city has completed the acquisition of a large parcel of land north of City Hall for the wastewater project. The city closed on the transaction with the seller Kiwi Cattle LLC on April 25 for 139.6 acres at a cost of $857,000.   Smith noted that this clears the way for the project which includes the construction of two large non-discharging lagoons on the site. BG Consultants will develop a detailed specification and timeline for the project.

As previously reported, the city is in need of a fire truck and various other updated public safety equipment.  At this point it is unknown whether the previous cost estimate of $200,000 to $250,000 for a fire truck is still accurate. In reviewing the 2023 budget, the council decided at the time to request that city residents approve a sales tax to meet this need. A question for a 2-percent sales tax appeared on the August 2022 ballot but it was defeated by 20 votes.  Feedback from residents indicated disapproval of a sales tax without a sunset date, and some did not care for basing a sales tax on future undefined improvement projects. Based on those concerns, the mayor, city council, and staff reached consensus on the most important needs – a fire truck and up-to-date public safety equipment.  To cover these costs, the council is now proposing a one-percent sales tax which will sunset in 10 years. Council President Robert Suppenbach motioned to approve Resolution No. 121 requesting the Linn County Commissioners to include the one-percent levy on the Nov. 7, 2023, ballot. The motion was approved with the lone nay vote on the measure cast by Council Member Michael Hemphill.

The council approved a motion to allow an increase of $144 in the $15,000 purchase price of ClerkBooks software.  

The council approved a motion by Council Member Lew Donelson to void the current contract with City Attorney James Brun and execute a new contract with a $50,000 annual salary plus personal health benefits.