The Unified Government meeting at 7 p.m. Thursday, Feb. 5, at City Hall will include a public hearing on the mayor’s and Department of Justice Task Force on diversity and public safety recruitment.
The public is invited to make comments on recruitment and hiring of police officers, firefighters, and other public safety employees.
Before the regular meeting, a special session is scheduled at 5:30 p.m. Thursday, Feb. 5, in the fifth conference room of City Hall, 701 N. 7th St., for a final bond and note sale. After that will be a presentation by the Mid-America Regional Council’s Homeless Services Coalition.
Several other topics are on the 7 p.m. meeting agenda.
Among the other topics:
– A Stormwater Quality Education Grant Program, a requirement of the UG’s Stormwater Management Plan and the EPA consent order. The cost of the program would be $30,000 from the stormwater utility fund.
– Approval of the Solid Waste Master Plan.
– A resolution to waive building permit fees and sanitary sewer connection fees for new residential home construction in 2015.
– Changes to the UG’s policies on family and medical leave to comply with federal regulations.
– Acceptance of a grant of $15,000 per year for three years to promote activities and make improvements to new and existing trails. The Latino Health for All Coalition received the grant from the CDC under the Racial and Ethnic Approaches to Community Health program. The trails involved include two new levee trails.
– An ordinance setting the occupation tax for digital billboards. The ordinance listed in the agenda called for a per person annual occupation tax of $2,500 for those working with billboards of less than 300 square feet, and $10,000 for those working with billboards of 300 square feet or more. This amount was changed at the meeting to $680 for less than 300 square feet, and $2,718 for 300 square feet or more.
– A report on travel and community event expenses of the mayor and UG commissioners.
– Resolutions issuing municipal temporary notes at $60.4 million, and at $7.1 million.
– Ordinances and resolutions issuing general obligation improvement bonds of about $29.9 million, $3.8 million, $5.2 million, and $21.9 million.
– A resolution to increase the budget to construct a building for fire maintenance and supply and water pollution control sewer maintenance construction, operations, records, mapping and pump station operations and maintenance. Previously, the UG had authorized $1 million for the fire department building and $3.2 million for relocation of the sewer facilities, but the cost is now estimated to be $6 million, according to agenda documents.