4 16 20 City Council Proceedings Official_SpecialCITY OF DUBUQUE, IOWA
CITY COUNCIL PROCEEDINGS
SPECIAL SESSION
OFFICIAL
The Dubuque City Council met in special session at 6:30 p.m. on April 16, 2020.
Due to the COVID-19 pandemic and mandates for social distancing, this meeting was
conducted virtually. Public input was received via Facebook Live, and City Clerk’s depart-
mental email, and the Budget Office’s telephone and departmental email.
Present: Mayor Buol; Council Members Cavanagh, Jones, Resnick, Roussell, Shaw,
Sprank; City Manager Van Milligen, City Attorney Brumwell
Mayor Buol read the call and stated this is a special session of the City Council called
for the purpose of conducting an update on the COVID-19 Pandemic and review of certain
Fiscal Year 2021 departmental budgets.
PRESENTATION(S)
1. COVID-19 Update: Public Health Specialist Mary Rose Corrigan provided an update
on COVID-19 community and state impact and response activities.
PUBLIC HEARINGS
Review of FY21 Departmental Budgets
1. Water Department FY21 Budget Presentation: Denise Blakely-Ihrig, Water Depart-
ment Manager.
2. Water & Resource Recovery Center FY21 Budget Presentation : Willie O’Brien,
W&RRC Manager.
3. Public Works Department FY21 Budget Presentation: John Klosterman, Public
Works Director and Anderson Sainci, Resource Management Coordinator. City Manager
provided additional information specific to the Automated Side Loader and City -Wide
Mandatory Cart Use.
4. Engineering Department FY21 Budget Presentation: Gus Psihoyos, City Engineer;
Bob Schiesl, Assistant City Engineer; Deron Muehring, Civil Engineer; Steve Brown, Pro-
ject Manager; Jon Dienst, Civil Engineer; Dave Ness, Traffic Engineer.
Presenters responded to questions from the City Council following their respective
presentations.
Following the Public Works Department presentation, the Council reached consensus
to not reconsider Improvement Package #5 adding a Traffic Signal Technician II position.
Council also reached consensus to reconsider the automated trash collection system
Capital Improvement Project and deferring to the City Manager for what adjustments must
be made to the final budget recommendation caused by the pandemic at the public hear-
ing for adopting the Fiscal Year 2021 Budget on April 23, 2020.
ONLINE PUBLIC INPUT:
Jennifer Tigges, 4927 Wild Flower Drive, asked about the removal of fluoride from
water treatment for expense purposes and health issues. Water Plant Manager Denise
Ihrig state that the plant follows the guidelines set forth by the Environmental Protection
Agency, the Centers for Disease Control, and the Department of Natural Resources. Ms.
Ihrig added that this information is included in the Water Quality Report published annu-
ally by the Water Department.
Phil Granovsky, 2346 Harvest View Drive; Charles Klenske, 1885 Floraview Drive; Luis
Bassler, 3290 Arboretum Drive; and Christopher James, 2494 Pearl Street; expressed
concerns related to the automated trash collection system citing a physical and cost bur-
dens on disabled/elderly citizens, citizens that produce minimal amounts of trash or have
no space to place a large cart.
Richard Kemp, 3195 Kerry Court, expressed opposition to the automated trash collec-
tion and requested that the referendum on the Five Flags Civic Center be postponed.
There being no further business, Mayor Buol declared the meeting adjourned at 12:20
a.m.
/s/Kevin S. Firnstahl, CMC, City Clerk