City of Sergeant Bluff, IA
SERGEANT BLUFF, IOWA
City Council Minutes
Tuesday, February 24,
2026 Council Chambers
501 4th Street;
Sergeant Bluff, IA
1. MAYOR/MAYOR PRO-TEM TO CALL THE MEETING TO ORDER: 5:30 pm
1.Roll Call
2.Pledge of Allegiance & a Moment of Silence
Attendee Name Title Status
Shari Zenor Kiple Council Member Present
Kirk Moriarty Council Member
Present
Ryan Panowicz Council Member Present
Mark Reinders Council Member Present
Andrea Johnson Council Member Present
Ron Hanson Mayor Present
2. APPROVAL OF THE AGENDA:
Motion by Ryan Panowicz, seconded by Kirk Moriarty to Approve the Agenda. Motion Carried. [Unanimous]
3. APPROVAL OF THE MINUTES:
3.aApprove the minutes of the February 10, 2026 Regular Meeting
3.bApprove the minutes of the February 12, 2026 Budget Meeting
Motion by Kirk Moriarty, seconded by Ryan Panowicz to Approve the minutes of the February 10, 2026 Regular Meeting and the February 12, 2026 Budget Meeting.
Motion Carried. [Unanimous]
4. CITIZEN'S INPUT:
Dan Hunter, 2090 Roundtable Road, discussed a problem in his area regarding feral cats. There are people in the area who are feeding them and housing them, they are very nice people in the neighborhood. The cats are destroying property and defecating all over. Spring is coming, the cats are getting ready to reproduce. People in the neighborhood are very tired of it. He provided pictures of the cats.
There was further discussion which included:
A previous group of residents who attended a council meeting requested that the City assist with the costs of capturing and neutering them.
There is an animal control agreement for dogs, but nothing for cats, rabbits, or mice.
The possibility of adding code to provide municipal infractions for feeding them, it would entail court proceedings.
How cities handle wildlife in general, cats also impact wildlife populations.
5. DEPARTMENT HEADS' REPORTS:
The written reports were provided to the City Council.
6.APPROVAL OF THE CONSENT AGENDA ITEMS:
6.aAppoint Rick Zarkos to the Library Board of Trustee Position #4 (Term end: 6/30/2031)
6.bApproval of new Fire Department & EMS Volunteer: Alexandra Johnson
6.cBills: Check numbers 93087 to 93150 in the amount of $255,518.96
Motion by Kirk Moriarty, seconded by Ryan Panowicz to Approve Consent Agenda Items:
6.a)Appoint Rick Zarko to the Library Board of Trustees Position #4 (Term end: 6/30/2031)
6.b)Approval of new Fire Department & EMS Volunteer Alexandra Johnson
6.c)Bills: Check numbers 93087 to 93150 in the amount of $255,518.96 Motion Carried. [Andrea Johnson abstained from item 6.b.]
Name Description Amount
ALLEN, ADAM FIRE SCHOOL REIMBURSEMENT 271.04
BATTERIES PLUS BACK UP/LED BULBS 105.90
BENTSON PEST MANAGEMENT PEST CONTROL 264.00
BOMGAARS BUILDING SUPP/CLOTHING ALLOW/EQUIP/
FUEL TANK/LIFT STATION/SAFETY 1,842.11
BRIAN ABBOTT TRAINING PROP 1,725.00
CINTAS SUPPLIES 106.06
DAKOTA SUPPLY GROUP WATER DEPT SUPPLIES 59.39
DAY'S DOOR COMPANY DOOR REPAIR 2,281.00
DGR ENGINEERING 23,565.01
ECHO ELECTRIC SUPPLY BASKETBALL COURT/INSPECTIONS/EQUIPMENT 189.45
FAREWAY CLEANING SUPPLIES/KLEENEX 107.16
FELD FIRE CLEANING WIPES/REPAIR/SUPP/GEAR SHIFT/HELMETS 2,011.23
FIRE SERVICE TRAINING BUREAU REG FEES 100.00
FP MAILING SOLUTIONS POSTAGE MACHINE RENTAL 149.85
FRONTLINE WARNING SYSTEMS ANNUAL SIREN MAINTENANCE 1,200.00
HANSEN, ANDREW NOTARY REIMBURSEMENT 30.00
HAWKINS WATER TREATMENT CHEMICALS/CHLORINE CYLINDERS 160.00
HEIMAN FIRE EQUIPMENT 5 STORZ ELBOW"/CLEANER/EQUIPMENT 3,156.11
HUNDERTMARK INC SOAP 350.00
HURTADO BUENO, ALFREDO DEPOSIT REFUND 114.70
IOWA ONE CALL LOCATES 2.10
JACKS UNIFORMS AND EQUIPMENT CLOTHING ALLOWANCE/UNIFORMS 790.10
JAYMAR LASER CHECKS 824.00
JOHNSON, LAURA DEPOSIT REFUND 100.00
LAKE CITY PUBLIC LIBRARY BOOKS 60.00
LONG LINES LLC TELECOMMUNICATION EXPENSE 42.22
MARCO INC COPIER CONTRACT 94.04
MARCO TECHNOLOGIES LLC COPIER CONTRACT 657.95
MENARDS-SIOUX CITY BUILDING EXPENSES/INSPECTIONS 487.61
METERING & TECHNOLOGY SOLUTIONS EQUIPMENT 402.46
MID COUNTRY MACHINERY INC EQUIPMENT RENTAL 252.00
MIDAMERICAN ENERGY JAN 2026 GAS UTILITY 5,125.21
MID-STATES ORGANIZED CRIME INFO 2026 MEMBERSHIP DUES 100.00
MPIRE HEATING & COOLING LLC REPAIRS 698.62
MUNICIPAL ENERGY AGENCY OF NEB JANUARY 2026 POWER PURCHASED 192,486.61
OGBODO, UCHENNA EMEKA ELECTRIC DEPOSIT REFUND 2.05
PIONEER AUTO 2018 FORD AMBO/2018 FORD F150/2022 CHEVY 725.20
RIVERSIDE TECHNOLOGIES INC FORTIGUARD BUNDLE 469.99
SAM'S CLUB INTEREST/PAPER 45.01
SECRETARY OF STATE NOTARY APPLICATION FEE/ERICKSON 30.00
SEXTON OIL COMPANY BULK FUEL 8,358.30
SIOUXLAND REGIONAL TRANSIT SYSTEM SENIOR CENTER TRANSPORTATION 138.00
STAN HOUSTON EQUIPMENT CO INC EAR PLUGS/PAINT/TAP AND DIE 307.46
UNITYPOINT CLINIC OCCUPATIONAL MEDICINE DOT DRUG SCREEN 50.00
UTILITY EQUIPMENT COMPANY SUPPLIES 36.00
VALDEZ, LAURA DEPOSIT REFUND 100.00
VAN METER INDUSTRIAL INC SUPPLIES 7.56
VERIZON WIRELESS CELL PHONE EXPENSE 1,041.22
VESTIS LINENS/MATS 230.24
WESTERN IOWA TECH COMM COLLEGE PD TRAINING 4,067.00
Total: 255,518.96
7. DISCUSSION/ACTION ITEMS:
7.aAnnual Museum and Community Garden Update presented by Jerry Logemann
Jerry Logemann, Sergeant Bluff Historical Museum Representative, attended to provide an update. They added festive lighting to the building. Displays inside the building change frequently. Donated items come in on a regular basis. They provide free programs on old churches and local ethnic communities. Historical pictures are posted on Facebook. They give a quarterly gift basket via a drawing that is entered when people visit the facility. They organized a field trip with American Legion members to the museums in Onawa. Their biggest event of the year is the Car Show during Pioneer Valley Days. Everything in the museum has been catalogued by software designed for museums. Their archives and genealogical records are visited by local and out-of-town families, they are adding Waterbury Funeral Services records. He has visited other museums to learn their best practices. They struggle to get volunteers.
Shari Zenor Kiple asked how many volunteers they have currently?
Jerry said they have 4 or 5 that are very active, and about 15 that help out with bigger events. Kirk asked how many visitors they get?
Jerry said they get 900-1000 visitors each year.
There was discussion about various ways to gain new volunteers.
Jerry provided an update on the Community Garden. He discussed the various plants in the garden. They disseminate most of the produce to the Community by leaving them at the Post Office, they occasionally provide produce to the library and occasionally used them as trade for labor. Their biggest problem is rabbits; their second problem is weed control. They will do some dirt moving away from the fence and put some wood down. They don't use chemicals on the garden. They're doing well financially. The garden is located next to Embassy Rehab.
7.bOpen Public Hearing for the Electric Distribution Improvements 2026 Project
Motion by Ryan Panowicz, seconded by Kirk Moriarty to Open the Public Hearing at 5:58 pm.
Motion Carried. [Unanimous]
7.cPublic Hearing for Electric Distribution Improvements 2026 Project
Aaron Lincoln said late last year we had the award for the materials, this will connect Old Town to the Camelot Circuit and connect Kwik Star. It will provide a balance of load. We have to do some underground work at the Switchgear and down to Warrior Rd from D Street. This will allow the contractors to put in conduit, pull wire, and setup gear.
There was no public comment.
7.dClose Public Hearing for the Electric Distribution Improvements 2026 Project
Motion by Kirk Moriarty, seconded by Ryan Panowicz to Close the Public Hearing at 6:01 pm.
Motion Carried. [Unanimous]
7.eCouncil Adoption of the Plans, Specifications, and Proposed Form of Contract for the Electric Distribution Improvements 2026 Project
Motion by Ryan Panowicz, seconded by Kirk Moriarty to Adopt the Plans, Specifications, and Proposed Form of Contract for the Electric Distribution Improvements 2026 Project. Motion Carried. [Unanimous]
7.fReview of Bids and Council Approval to Award Contract for the Electric Distribution Improvements 2026 Project
Aaron Lincoln said that the engineers estimate was $245,000.00, we had seven bids ranging from approximately $219k to $484k. The lowest bid was under estimate. Our engineer has worked with the lowest bidder previously and recommends we award the project to Builders Electric.
Jason Kvidera said that this is covered by the loan received from the IEDA.
Motion by Shari Zenor Kiple, seconded by Mark Reinders to Award the Contract for the Electric Distribution Improvements Project to Builders Electric.
Motion Carried. [Unanimous]
7.gSet Date for the 2026-27 Property Tax Levy (Rate) Public Hearing
Motion by Mark Reinders, seconded by Shari Zenor Kiple to Set the Date for the 2026-27 Property Tax Levy (Rate) Public Hearing for March 31st at 5:30 pm.
Motion Carried. [Unanimous]
8. RESOLUTION(S):
8.aRES 26-05 Amending Fee Schedules for Rates and Fees
Sarah Kleber, City Attorney, explained that the Administrative & Enforcement Fees under Section 9 of the permits. She explained that there will need to be an ordinance change to enforce the fees. She also recommended a change to the language pertaining to the public requesting a Special City Council Meeting.
There was discussion regarding potential alternative rates for Special City Council Fees and/or waiving fees.
Motion by Ryan Panowicz, seconded by Kirk Moriarty to Approve RES 26-05 Amending Fee Schedules for Rates and Fees with the Amendment suggested by the City Attorney to clarify that Special City Council Meeting fees applied to public requests.
Motion Carried. [Unanimous]
9. ADMINISTRATOR'S REPORT:
Aaron Lincoln thanked the Council and the Department Heads for their work on the budget. He attended the Wastewater Treatment Plant meeting, the construction manager is pushing out qualifications for bidders. Bids are due on March 6th. They are bidding different packages for the plant from the middle of March until the middle of May. The interchange to the south was bid and awarded. We will find out Thursday the time frames for construction of the interchange.
10. COUNCIL MEMBER'S REPORTS & COMMENTS:
Mark Reinders expressed condolences on behalf of Sergeant Bluff to Sioux City Mayor Bob Scott and his family on the death of Bob's wife. He said that K.P. Construction and Sir-Lines-A-Lot have signed their agreements for the property on the north side of Dogwood.
11. MAYOR'S REPORT:
Ron Hanson expressed his condolences to Bob Scott on the loss of his wife.
12. ADJOURNMENT:
Motion by Ryan Panowicz, seconded by Kirk Moriarty to Adjourn at 6:26 pm. Motion Carried. [Unanimous]
Mayor/Mayor Pro-Tem
Attest:
Danny Christoffers, City Clerk
Published in the Sergeant Bluff Advocate weekly newspaper, Thursday, Mar.5, 2026. The SB-Advocate is the Official Newspaper for the City of Sergeant Bluff and is an Official Woodbury County newspaper. (PN#030526-00343A/B)
