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VIENNA -- Vienna City Council has hired a firm for the engineering and design for the Kayak Launch project.
Council also considered adding a park to the Vienna Park System and debated codifying a process on accepting money of over $1,000 at Thursday's meeting.
The first item on the agenda was to authorize Burgess and Niple for the engineering of the Kayak Launch project on 12th Street.
Burgess and Niple provided a cost estimate of $24,900, Mayor Randy Rapp said. The budget for the project is $75,000.
Council unanimously voted to authorize Burgess and Niple for the Kayak Launch. Council member Chris Mancuso recused himself from the vote.
Another ordinance introduced on first reading at the meeting was to include the Pollinator Garden and walking trail at 28th Street and First Avenue into the Vienna Park System.
"I asked that this be put on the agenda this evening," Council member Kim Williams said. "I'm very excited about that piece of property. The walking trail is wonderful. I've seen people using it. I've been down there myself a few times. I can see future development in it, but in order to preserve it, the council should add it into the parks system."
Rapp said he opposed the measure from a management standpoint.
"If you want the Parks Department to be in charge of that Pollinator Garden, fine. But that means that the Parks Department has to take another mowing job on," Rapp said. "They don't have the manpower to maintain all of the areas in the city that we have to maintain."
Mancuso replied, "I've talked with the department heads of the Public Works Department and the Parks Department. They share equipment and share manpower frequently to get the mowing and the maintenance of our properties taken care of. That has never been an issue."
Council member Jim Leach asked Rapp if he had any feedback from the department heads of the Parks and Public Works departments about changing staff.
"If the Parks department has to take over the mowing, Craig (Metz, public works director) will have to transfer one of his employees from Public Works to the Parks Department. We're already three men short in the Public Works department. We can not afford to give up any more employees to the Public Works Department," Rapp said.
Council member Tom Azinger motioned to table the ordinance until the next council meeting on July 13 to allow for information from the department heads. The council voted 6-1 for the motion with member Roger Bibbee opposing.
Another ordinance on first reading was codifying how the city accepts an amount over $1,000. Amounts exceeding $1,000 requires City Council's consent.
Williams said the reason she had the legislation on the agenda is because the council needs to be aware that the grant exists and money is going into the budget.
"What this does is any grants the city receives will require council's approval. The upside of that is the council knows about any gift, grant, loan, what have you over $1,000. The downside is there are instances where that could potentially negatively affect other grants that are given in the future," city attorney Russell Skogstad said.
The council voted 6-1 to table the ordinance until the next meeting, with Jim Leach opposing.
City Recorder Melissa Elam presented an update on the Jackson Park swimming pool project. The city is accepting bids for the renovation project and a pre-bid meeting for interested contractors will be held July 5 with bids due by July 26.
At the end of the meeting, Bibbee said council meetings need to be better advertised. Meetings are live-streamed and are available on YouTube.
Kristen Hainkel can be reached at khainkel@newsandsentinel.com