All right, we'll call the meeting to order. Please stand if you could for the pledge of allegiance to the flag of the United States of American. Welcome. Uh Tom, take the roll call, please. Mayor King, present. Council member at large Austin, present.
Council member Postma, present. Heli present. Obala present. Fisher present. Waller present. Baskin. We have a quorum your honor. Thank you Thomas. Item number one is a motion for the adoption of the agenda. So moved. Second.
All in favor? I opposed. Motion carries. Item number two is a motion approving our minutes from our August 4th, 2025 meeting. So moved. Second. All in favor? I opposed. Motion carries. Uh nothing under item number three, awards and recognitions.
is under item number four is a motion for the consent agenda. Motion to approve. Second. All in favor? I opposed. Motion carries. Uh under awarding bid, uh item number five is resolution receiving bids for miscellaneous
sanitary sewer structure project. Stephen. Yep. This is part of our uh plan to improve our collection system, reduce INI wherever possible, and we've identified um some new sanitary and
sanitary sewer manhole replacements to be completed, as well as a sanitary sewer spot repair. This is in junction in conjunction with the lining project that was awarded at the last meeting. Our goal is to come in and do a couple of these spot repairs ahead of the lining projects so that um once the
liners come in, we have a good complete uh system once that is is completed. So, we took bids for this. Uh we sent out, I believe, five proposals to different contractors and received two back. Elconstruction, Inc. was the low bidder
at $124,945. And we would recommend awarding the bid to Elcon. funds will come from our sanitary sewer fund. Thank you, Stephen. Council, any questions? Mr. Lang on this item? Nice job on uh engineering estimate. Much dialed that right in. Looking for
resolution item number five. So move. Second, Tom. Council member Posma. I. Heli. I. Obala. I. Fisher. Hi. Waller. I. Council member at large Austin.
Hi. Resolution passes 6, your honor. Thank you, Tom. On to petitions and requests. Item number six is a motion reviewing reszoning request. Allie, during the July 12th, 2025 meeting of the Austin Planning Commission, the commission reviewed a request to reszone property located at 9005th Avenue
Northeast, the petitioner's requesting to reszone this property from an R1 single family district to a B2 commercial business district and to amend the future land use plan to commercial retail. The petitioner proposes to use a site for a food truck and seating area, but also wishes to
further develop the space in the future. Um, let's see. The I did not receive any objections from the public. Um, the planning commission with six members present recommends approval of the zoning request uh unanimously. Um, they found the following findings
that the use is compatible with the surrounding use of zoning. No significant impacts are anticipated with regard to the existing infrastructure and surrounding environment. Uh this resoning action is taken by ordinance for approval of the request. The vote must be unanimous approval for the first reading of the ordinance. If this fails
to obtain an approval, the second reading of the ordinance shall be by two/3 vote. You have any questions? Very good. Thanks, Holly. Council, any questions? Otherwise, looking for a motion. So moved. Second. All in favor? I opposed. That motion carries. Item
number seven is requesting approval of an ordinance to amend city code chapter 11. Holly or is that more Craig? Is it written this? Um Ali. Oh, this is the uh this is the just the approval of the ordinance for the
reszone. Okay. So looking for a motion frame 7A preparation. So move. Second. All in favor? I opposed. Motion carries and 7B the adoption of the ordinance.
So move. Second. Tom. Council member Posma. I. Heli. I. Obala. I. Fisher. I. Waller. I. Council member at large Austin. I. Ordinance passes 6 as unanimous with all
in attendance. Very good. Thanks, Tom. Uh, and item number eight is a motion approving the Hormel Foundation grant requests rankings. Thomas. So, we added up the rankings from all eight elected officials. Again, council member Hely since she might be involved in using some of those funds abstained.
But, as you can see, the 13 requests, how they came in with pickle ball courts one, new pool 2 all the way down to uh the 13th item. So, with that being said, we request council approval to submit these to the Hormill Foundation so their contributions committee can then review
them and see what ones they can find. Very good. Thanks, Tom. Council, any questions for Mr. anchored on this item. Otherwise, looking for a motion. So move. Second. All in favor? I opposed. Motion carries. Item number nine is a motion reviewing the fencing
request for Riverland Community College. Holly, uh, this did not go to planning commission. This comes directly to council. Riverland Community College wishes to install a 1,600 approximately feet of 8 foot fence as part of the establishment of Riverland Lab uh which
is an outdoor classroom for local and urban agriculture, community food systems, and entrepreneurship. Uh they've attached uh or they provided some additional documents with more details about the project. Uh our code, our city ordinance requires that fences uh constructed within lot areas uh
complying with setback requirements are only allowed to be uh constructed to a height of 6 ft. Uh but with permission of city council, the fence can be constructed higher than 6 ft. In this instance, again, they're requesting an 8 foot high fence. The proposed fence is
located in the interior of the property versus the boundary will be mostly surrounded by trees and does not appear to create any hazards. The fence is open in design and they were thinking of protecting uh the things that they're growing in that area from uh deer and other wildlife.
Their requested action is to approve or deny the fence limit increase from 6T to 8t for the proposed project. Very good. Sounds reasonable. Council, any questions for Mr. or uh Miss Wallace? Looking for a motion for item number eight uh nine. So move
second with the 8 foot approving the 8 foot. That was the motion. Yep. Uh all in favor I motion carries. On to item number 10 is a motion reviewing a variance for a detached accessory structure request. Holly.
Uh again at the August 12th, 2025 meeting of the Austin Planning Commission, the commission reviewed a request uh for variance from our city code which limits total aggregate of all accessory structures to,200 square ft uh in properties less than 1 acre in a single family residential district. The
petitioner requested a 256 ft variance for a 26x36 addition to their existing 440 square ft garage. Uh with the proposed addition, the total lot coverage with structures would be approximately 30% 40% is the maximum
allowed. After reviewing the planning commission with six members present, unanimously recommended uh to council to approve the variance. The planning commission made the following findings uh regarding the request that the variance is in harmony with the general purposes and intent of the zoning
ordinance. That if granted, it would not alter the essential character of the locality in which the property is situated. there are circumstances unique to the property not created by the land owner that the land owner intends to use the land in a reasonable manner not permitted by the ordinance and uh I did
not get any objections uh on this item either from the public um I did get one phone call thank you Holly council any questions looking for a motion uh on item number 10
so moved second all in favor I opposed. That motion carries. Thank you. Item number 11 is a motion granting the planning and zoning department the power to contract for the removal of junk and/or legally stored vehicles at the
following location. 11A, the address 801 18th Street Southwest, the vote property. Need a motion. So move. Second. All in favor? I motion carries. On to citizens addressing the council. Any citizens in
the audience looking to talk to council about issues that weren't on the agenda? If so, raise your hand forward. Matt, you here for something? Okay. Well, you can we can always do it in two more weeks. If you could, Matt, just state your name
and address for the record, please. You know, I wanted to say that all these dikes along North Main Street and such, I think they're a threat to my neighborhood. Matt Matt, can you name and address? Matt. Matt. Name and address.
Oh, I'm I'm Matthew Simonson, typical 77th Avenue Southeast. All right, Matt. We'll give you a couple minutes. They say, let us know what you're looking to tell us. Anyway, there there's a picture of the
dam, the Mil Pond Dam, and that wall back there. Good. And then the wall back there. Well, that's used to support the Chon uh the the mill for Chanty Leverage in 1854.
And uh anyway, it's still there. But uh then uh here's a picture of uh the 2000 flood. U pretty much a record flood back then. And you can see the ch the steel wall of
of concret wall back there. You see how high the water went. And here I was paddling. I quartered is a dam and I paddled around and I found a Ceda River Dragon. They're endangered, I think. Mhm.
That's by the behind the Fairmont theater. And then this is a picture of the 2004 flood at the dam and it's still coming up. And you can see the wall the mill the
mill wall in the background. So, but uh here is a a picture of the flood in 1903, May 1903. And there be leverage's mill is still up at the
walls over there. You can see that the the water isn't quite as high on the wall as it was in 04 in 2000. But uh also I can point out that uh uh like uh around the the band shell that area uh
the water apparently didn't flood there in 1903 and people and then many city streets of of houses were built in that area and then uh we had them had them and they they were then they started filling in the the nature area behind
the hospital which used to be Austin State Park. They started building that in after around 1965. And then uh they built it up at least 9 or 10 ft. And uh anyway, then in 1978 we had a flood, two floods in July about 10
days apart. And the water was running over the parking lot maybe less than a foot deep. But uh for the first time in the Banshel area got all flooded in those lots of houses. And uh anyway, I knew a Fred Augustinine was telling me
about this. He lived over there when was flooded out, but nobody here has heard of Fred Augustine, I suppose to be the gener of the old courthouse of the 1883 courthouse, but he grew inside. Anyway, he got flooded out and uh he
understood that that flood was probably higher because the water had to flow faster because they filled in the swamp and everything. And then it pulls cool pool cools up at the band shell and pulls up at Dresnner's Park and goes higher than it ever had before. And that's the
problem now. All these dikes of 7th Avenue South, 6th Avenue Southeast and 7th Avenue Southeast could be flooded now because it hasn't been tested that these dikes are since the old four flood and the water was coming up over the
brink of the top banks along 6th Avenue in 2004 and also pl coming up onto the street through the storm sewer. And then now we got these dikes uh which uh okay 20 ft of water could have been stored in
there and now it's not possible. So the water's going to speed by there and cool up like at park and and at the Roosevelt Bridge and and the band shell and then where the sewer plant is and there's a
narrows in there acts like a dam when the water is so high. So, we're we're going to be flooded. And then, uh, what we need is maybe we should get little dikes or something like here is a picture of a of a grass dyke about a
foot and a half or 2 ft high that is by the Rosevelt Bridge. Well, we could use that along the top of the backyards of 6th Avenue. That might keep the water out if we get a big flood again like 04. Or we could not grass dikes. Maybe we
could use concrete like this was over by PE Motors a foot and a half or 2 foot high little concrete uh dyke along the top of the high banks of 6th Avenue that would maybe save us. But PE in 04 people
around me were basements were flooding up and I was just lucky my my basement didn't flood. But uh anyway, that that's what I propose uh we should have some dikes along the top of the banks at 6th Avenue
for safety to keep us from flooding out if we have a lot of water in because now since the 04 flood we got big dikes bigger yet that will keep the water from being stored on Main Street. In the
2000, I paddled my kayak up and down North Main Street because I couldn't do that. And in 2004, I could paddle kayak completely around the Roosevelt Bridge cuz it was flooded on both sides. And anyway, the water was still coming up
then, too. Anyway, that's what I wanted to say. We need something that we don't get flooded out next time we have a a big flood. and okay to prepare in advance, but
the big dikes on North Main Street are probably going to be a threat to us. We'll get flooded when the water never used to get that high at shell or residence park or the ball park. Thank you, Matt.
Any questions? No, I appreciate you uh coming to to us with that. I think we all can agree that the city of Austin's put a lot of effort and time into engineering studies for the how we protect ourselves from the next high water event. And I'm really confident that's probably going to be an ongoing issue. But we're doing uh I
think great work uh putting those BMS where they're supposed to be and and dikes as you'd call them or flood walls. So appreciate uh you coming to us with that and I'm sure Mr. Lang is always looking at uh protecting our city from those water events. Thank you.
Thank you. Anyone else here to talk to council of items that were on the agenda? All right. Uh citizens dress done that city administrator. What do you have? Uh yes, mayor members. Uh the artworks
festival is coming up and as you know we have a city art award. We need two designates for that. Uh I think we do that Saturday, Saturday morning and then they I think announce the award maybe early afternoon. But uh is there a couple council members
that would like to serve on that? I think Potzma and Pashusta were our last member. Anybody else want to judge the Obala? Maybe you free to judge a art award. Obala. Yep. There you go. All right. Okay. Where we at? Obala and Laura. Okay. Thank you.
About 9:00 on Saturday. Yes. Okay. 9:00. Um, and then Mr. Lang has a item. Just wanted to update you a little bit on the high water that we're seeing out there today. So, um, it after a rain
event, it usually takes about 18 to 20 hours for us to actually see the high water in Austin. So, the high water we're seeing out there today is from the Sunday morning rains that we received here. We received about an inch of water here in Austin, but north of us up
toward Blooming was 4 to 8 in. So, so the the river elevations that you're seeing right now are from that rain event. We haven't seen the river spikes yet from the rain that occurred this morning when we got another 4 in. So, we're going to be keeping a close eye on
the river gauges elevations tonight. Um they're not showing another a second spike, but I'm a little concerned that we may get another one here, you know, 18 hours after our rain event that occurred this morning, especially since the rivers are already so swollen. Um
from a public works standpoint, we've had crews in since late in the evening on Sunday evening at the treatment plant. Also monitoring our sewer collection system and our our streets. So, we've been blocking off some streets and then reopening them here throughout
the day today. Um, but we'll continue to keep an eye on that, but just wanted to let everyone know. Um, we're keeping an eye out for a possible kind of second peak that may be coming later this evening. So, awesome. Thank you, Stephen. Appreciate your time and attention with that. Uh,
also Jason, you have something? Well, mayor and council, um, different Highwater conversation. I wanted to, um, bring up the High Water music series, music and, uh, movie series. Our last event this year is coming up this
Thursday, um, August 21st, 5:00 pm. We'll have food by Rosenthal Concessions, and we'll have Dip and Dots there as well. And then also at 5:00 PM there will be recreation activities for free. um music with uh Sarah Holden and
then at 6:30 the main event is Incognito. Great band. Looking forward to them coming and then the the movie Thursday night will be in Kanto. So that should be a good time. Um so come on out to band shell and um enjoy evening in the park. Very good. Thank you Jason. Appreciate
it. Um on to council Rebecca. Anything? Nothing your honor. Posty? Nothing. Jeff? Uh yeah, we had library board meeting last week. I just want to report that the summer reading program numbers were strong. Uh Julie and the team will
be meeting to evaluate the programming thanks to the use of surveys to help us align with the the eye plans. One initial observation is that we noticed that people were drawn in for summer program and then took advantage of other opportunities. Uh the board wanted to thank the council for approving the the
use of $17,000 in contingency funds for the RFID update and Julie is continuing to work with the staff to implement their implement their categories of responsibility matrix matrix which is helping to have the right people working on the right things which is helping in
a lot of positive ways and the board is excited for the progress to make. Thank you. Thank you Jeeoff appreciate it. Laura, I wanted to say uh thank you to city staff for the extra budget meetings. Um it's really been helping me in my process to understand things better and
have time to ask questions, but I know it means extra meetings. Um especially for Tom and Bri that have to come to all of them. And I appreciate uh employees and boards uh coming as well. Public works had a a very nice showing uh last
week. It really um says a lot to me uh when employees want to come and engage on their own time. Um also, as Craig mentioned, this weekend is the Austin Artworks Festival. Um please come down and enjoy the arts, the music, the
authors, the people watching. Um and our neighborhood uh uh establishments of beverage and food. They want your your business as you enjoy the arts. Um it is not too late to volunteer. It's a two-hour shift and um it helps keep the
festival free for everyone to attend. Um and then finally, thanks to public works and law enforcement, I know that um floods don't come on a schedule and uh you have to get out of bed or whatever you need to do to keep the public safe. Um I think I saw on Facebook that
sandbags are available. Mhm. Where is that? Uh parking lot. Hacker Arena parking lot. So those are available to the public if you need them for your own property. And that's it. Very good. Thank you, Lauren Obala.
I want to echo what council woman said. Uh thank you to the city um employee and also the police officers for their work especially uh redirecting the you know the highway where people can go. So came this morning. I thought that one was
open but and then I have to go back the other way. So, and um it's good to um also the information you guys put on Facebook is really keeping people calm, you know. Um thank you for that. Thanks, Paul. Paul, your honor, the only
thing I have to add is uh August 27th is the city employees picnic where the piggy blues will be catering and that's always a good time. Um veterans pavilion starts at 11:30, goes till like 1:30 about that. So, encourage all the council folks and all the employees to
get down there. It's always a nice event. Uh with that, looking for a motion to adjourn September two. So moved. Second. All in favor? I opposed. We're adjourned. Thank you.