Muscatine City Council holding three meetings today

Muscatine City Hall

The members of the Muscatine City Council will be spending long hours in front of their computer screens Thursday with not just one but three meetings on the schedule for Thursday, June 11, 2020.

The City Council will meet in virtual session on Thursday with a closed session at 1 p.m., a budget discussion at 4:30 p.m. and their regular in-depth study session at 7 p.m. Details on attending these virtual meeting are listed below.

The closed session at 1 p.m. is per Iowa Code 21.5(i) to evaluate the professional competency of an individual whose appointment, hiring, performance or discharge is being considered when necessary to prevent needless and irreparable injury to that individual’s reputation and that individual requests a closed session. The Council will meet in open session and then vote to go into closed session. No action is anticipated when Council returns to the open session.

The Council will also hear from Department directors during a 4:30 p.m. meeting on the potential impacts to the FY 20 and FY 21 budgets due to lost revenue from the COVID-19 business restrictions.

Following a presentation by Finance Director Nancy Lueck at the June 4 meeting, Council members determined the need for a special meeting on the impacts with the directors from each department to better understand how each department would respond to reduced revenues.

Some of that work has already been completed as each department is required to submit a form that details what impacts there would be if asked to decrease their budgets by one percent, three percent, and five percent. One percent reductions would not affect personnel and services while three and five percent reductions would.

As Lueck pointed out in her previous presentation, the actual impact on revenues for the remainder of FY 20 and for the first half of FY 21 are only estimates at this time but some impact will be felt.

“The staff has done a great job in determining where reductions could be made without affecting services to the citizens of Muscatine,” Lueck said.

Lueck pointed out three expenditure items in her previous presentation that can be deferred until the actual revenue numbers become clearer. Those include deferring the $1 million 2021 Pavement Management Program that is funded through revenue from the Road Use Tax and Local Option Sales Tax.

The other two items are related to new positions created by the Council during the 2021 budget discussions. Deferring the hiring of a Human Resource Generalist would save the City $73,700 while deferring the hiring of three additional fire firefighters would save the City $234,400.

“Both staff and council are on the same page as far as being prepared if reductions in expenditures are needed,” Lueck said. “We only have what we know at this point to use for creating contingency plans, and this information will change, either positively or negatively, as time goes on.”

The final meeting of the day is the regularly scheduled Council In-Depth session at 7 p.m. That virtual session has just two items on the agenda including a request from Bush Construction to amend the development agreement for the Hershey Lofts Project, and a presentation from Erik Reader, president of the Greater Muscatine Chamber of Commerce and Industry on the Convention and Visitor’s Bureau (CVB).

Click AGENDA to download the June 11, 2020, City Council agenda and/or attachments.

How to attend, speak at virtual meeting –

Meetings of the Muscatine City Council have been held by conference call since Iowa Governor Kim Reynolds proclaimed a State of Public Health Disaster Emergency on March 19, 2020. To join the conference call by computer, laptop, tablet, or smartphone click on the following link:

Citizens can also listen to the meeting with their phone by dialing:

  • For the 1:00 p.m. public meeting (224) 501-3412 and use Access Code: 545-133-981;
  • For the 4:30 p.m. public meeting (571) 317-3122 and use Access Code: 634-626-341;
  • For the 7:00 p.m. public meeting (571) 317-3122 and use Access Code: 698-767-941.

Please mute your computer or phone while listening to the proceedings (press *6 when using phone or mute button on computer). A chat window is available when you use your computer, laptop, tablet, or smartphone. Those wishing to speak or to ask a question are asked to use the chat box to post a message that will be seen by the Mayor who will address the questions or call on the speaker in turn. Those using their phones must wait until the Mayor asks for additional comments. The Mayor will recognize you prior to you addressing the Council.

Muscatine City Council Special Meeting – Applicant Review – Public Session
Thu, Jun 11, 2020 1:00 PM – 3:00 PM (CDT)

Please join from your computer, laptop, tablet or smartphone.
https://global.gotomeeting.com/join/545133981
Please mute your device when attending.

You can also dial in using your phone by dialing: +1 (224) 501-3412 and use Access Code: 545-133-981. Please mute your phone by pressing *6 when attending.

Special City Council Meeting – Budget Discussion
Thu, Jun 11, 2020 4:30 PM – 6:00 PM (CDT)

Please join my meeting from your computer, laptop, tablet or smartphone.
https://global.gotomeeting.com/join/634626341
Please mute your device when attending.

You can also dial in using your phone by dialing: +1 (571) 317-3122 and use Access Code: 634-626-341. Please mute your phone by pressing *6 when attending.

Muscatine City Council In-depth Meeting
Thu, Jun 11, 2020 7:00 PM – 9:00 PM (CDT)

Please join my meeting from your computer, laptop, tablet or smartphone.
https://global.gotomeeting.com/join/698767941
Please mute your device when attending.

You can also dial in using your phone by dialing: +1 (571) 317-3122 and use Access Code: 698-767-941. Please mute your phone by pressing *6 when attending.

New to GoToMeeting? Get the app now and be ready when your first meeting starts:
https://global.gotomeeting.com/install/698767941

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