Council seeks financial advisor

Feb. 19--The Centerville City Council Monday night voted to proceed with a plan to find an independent financial advisor for the city.

Proposals will be sent March 1, returned by April 1 and finalists will be selected May 1 for interviews on May 12-16. The council is expected to have a recommendation to consider at their June 2 meeting.

The request for proposals for financial advisory services states the independent financial advisor will be expected to perform four tasks: Financial planning and debt management; capital budget programming; debt issue development and oversight; and investment program/arbitrage-rebate management/continuing disclosure.

Patrick Antonen, city administrator, said the idea to find an independent financial advisor started in August.

"I think it's a good thing for the city to have a financial advisor," Antonen said. "So, hopefully by June, we should have a financial advisor in place."

Antonen said the money the financial advisor saves should be more than enough to pay for their services.

Executive Director Tod Faris presented Appanoose Economic Development Corporation's annual report.

His report touched on AEDC activities since October of 2013.

Faris talked about the recent Iowa Governor's Deer Hunt held in Appanoose CountyJan. 3-5. Faris said 25 hunters, of which nine were site selectors from out of state, several CEOs and Donald Trump Jr. attended the event.

"The event couldn't have gone much better," Faris said. "In fact, Governor Branstad committed to come back to Appanoose County every year as long as he's governor."

Faris talked briefly about a site selector who attended the Governor's Deer Hunt and has since come back to Centerville. Faris said he and Kelly Armstrong, a site consultant with Webster Global Site Selectors, toured Rathbun Regional Water Association, the old Walmart, the Square, the vacated Iowa National Guard armory and the APNC railroad office.

"She was very impressed with our area and the things we are doing," Faris said. "Because she's a site selector, infrastructure is important."

Faris talked about Chariton Valley Regional Housing Trust Fund and the house on South 15th Street that is almost finished. Faris said he expects the house will be listed for sale at between $100,000 and $110,000.

Centerville's Mayor Jan Spurgeon presented to Marsha Mitchell the Jim Senior Memorial Citizen of the Month award for February. Mitchell is very active with a number of organizations in Centerville and has served on the City Council and as mayor.

In other action tonight the council:

n Listened to a request from the Rathbun Lake Area YMCA for $15,000, with $10,000 going to the sustaining campaign and $5,000 going to youth football equipment. According to documents submitted by the YMCA, more than 100 youth participate in the football program. The YMCA needs to purchase at least 30 new helmets and several shoulder pads.

The council did not take a vote on the request, as the upcoming city budget earmarks $10,000 to the YMCA.

n Set the Monday, March 3City Council meeting to hold a public hearing for the proposed fiscal year 2015 budget which starts July 1, 2014 and ends June 30, 2015.

As part of the departmental reports, Antonen said the city's fiscal year 2015 budget is projected to be $33 in the black. He said the last city budget was $135,000 in the red.

n Approved a plan to sell the old generator donated by Centerville Greenhouses to the Volunteer Firefighters Association for $1 at the request of Mike Bogle, Centerville's fire chief. Bogle said the VFA would then donate it to the city of Seymour.

n Appointed Molly Revers to fill a vacancy on the Park Board.

n Approved documentation showing the council's desire for the demolition burn of the house at 902 E. Jackson St. The documentation is part of the application paperwork the city must submit to the Iowa Department of Natural Resources.

n Approved turning over 26 inactive delinquent water/sewer accounts to either the Appanoose County treasurer, Iowa Offset Program or a collection agency totaling $5,019.95 for collection.

Antonen said out of the accounts turned over to the state, 12 have been collected. He said the state keeps back tax refund money to pay delinquent bills.

n Approved resolutions to authorize the abandonment process for the properties at 528 N. Fourth St. and 532 N. Sixth St.

Four items that dealt with the two aforementioned properties were removed from the agenda at the start of the council meeting. Mayor Spurgeon said a public hearing must first be held before they could be considered by the council.

The items removed included resolutions conveying the property at 528 N. Fourth St. and 532 N. Sixth St. and the agreements to sell the properties at 532 N. Sixth St. and 528 N. Fourth St. to Chariton Valley Regional Housing Trust Fund Inc. for $1,000 each.

Documents show the structure at 528 N. Fourth St. is anticipated to be renovated while the structure at 532 N. Sixth St. is scheduled to be demolished.

n Approved an agreement and consent to waive potential conflict of interest for Centerville, Chariton Valley Regional Housing Trust Fund Inc. and Michael Craver, who has agreed to represent both the city and CVRHTF regarding the two properties, 528 N. Fourth St. and 532 N. Sixth St.

n Approved notice to bidders and bid proposal for park and cemetery mowing. The contract calls for mowing and trimming the mini-parks, Morgan Cline City Park, Bella Vista and Oakland Cemetery.

Monday's meeting adjourned at 6:38 p.m. The next Centerville City Council meeting is scheduled for 5:30 p.m. Monday, March 3 at City Hall.

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