The council’s primary focus was on the downtown snow removal bids for the 2024-2025 winter season. Public Works Director Jesse Dean presented two bids from Advantage Home Pros and Tom’s Backo. Advantage Home Pros offered a lower cost per additional inch of snowfall for streets and parking lots by $39.61, but Tom’s Backo was $154 cheaper per inch for sidewalks. Despite Advantage Home Pros having no prior experience with this contract, staff verified that they possessed the necessary equipment and could meet the required timeline. Based on the overall lower cost, the council unanimously approved awarding the contract to Advantage Home Pros.

The council then moved to discuss traffic control changes at the intersection of Fifth Avenue Northeast and D Street Northeast. Dean explained that the council had requested an evaluation due to concerns about drivers running stop signs, particularly in the north-south direction. The analysis included visual observations and crash data collection, revealing that the traffic volumes on D Street likely did not meet the threshold for maintaining the stop signs. Staff recommended removing the stop signs on Fifth Avenue at this intersection.

One council member expressed reluctance to remove the stop signs, citing concerns about speeding and potential increased accidents. They viewed the stop sign as a necessary deterrent, even if compliance was not perfect, and suggested that the signs remain in place, especially with an upcoming construction project that might change traffic patterns. Another member raised concerns about pedestrian traffic and the lack of metrics to evaluate it. Dean clarified that pedestrian counts were challenging to obtain and were not typically factored into stop sign decisions, though included in the guidelines. The council ultimately decided to maintain the stop signs at the intersection, opting to reassess the situation after the construction project.

The council also addressed property citation disputes, highlighting cases involving property owners Mike Degan and David Braverman. Community Development Director James Kranck presented details about multiple violations for junk and debris on Degan’s property at 10002 15th Street Southeast and improper parking of a camper on unimproved surfaces. Degan had been in contact with the department while attempting to evict tenants and believed that citations related to junk and debris would be waived if issues were rectified. However, citations for parking were assessed without consideration of the prior agreement. Degan had paid $770 to the county and requested reimbursement.

Council members had mixed opinions on the matter. One member was concerned about the precedent of reimbursing Degan, which might lead to numerous similar appeals. Another member expressed sympathy for Degan’s situation. A motion to reimburse Degan $500 passed after two other proposed amounts failed to secure enough support.

David Braverman, the property owner on Rosewood Street, sought consideration for waiving nuisance assessments against his property. Braverman explained that an order of protection had prevented him from managing the property. Staff verified this and noted that a contractor had been hired at a cost of $2,575 to address issues on the property. Braverman elaborated on his efforts to clean the property, citing his difficulties as a single father. The council discussed the financial implications of waiving the fees and ultimately decided to forgive all citations except for the abatement charges, allowing Braverman to focus on rehabilitating his property without additional financial burden.

Additionally, the council discussed a proposal for bridge inspection services. The city is required to inspect its two bridges in 2024, and a proposal from Bolton & Menk for $22,400 was presented. Bolton & Menk had successfully conducted previous inspections, including recommending rehabilitation for the ongoing work on the Laurel Street Bridge. The proposal was approved without further discussion.

Another topic was handling signs within the public right-of-way. Dean informed the council of increased complaints regarding signs, particularly as the election season approached. He outlined two potential approaches: an active approach involving public notices about the regulations, or a passive complaint-based approach. The council concluded the discussion without a formal motion.