“Government is instituted for the common good:  for the protection, safety, prosperity and happiness of the people; and not for the profit, honor, or private interest of any one man, family or class of men”  

John Adams

Mayor Tom Glas called the December 9, 2019, special meeting of the Alcester City Council to order at 5:00 p.m. with Councilwoman Melissa Kay, Councilwoman Darla Reppe, Councilwoman Linda Talbott, Councilman Dan Haeder, and Councilman David Larsen present. Absent were Alcester City Attorney and Alcester City Councilman Lance Johnson. Also attending the special meeting was Gordon Richards from the Alcester Union-Hudsonite and Vickie Larsen.

Mayor Glas called for the approval of the Agenda for the special meeting. With no changes and no discussion the group approved the agenda with a unanimous vote of five (5).

Agenda item #4 was public input. Prior to the meeting I distributed copies of my input on the proposed variance at each council persons seat. I went over the contents of the document which was a rough draft of my opinion on the variance, errors and omissions to the form and content and citations of statute brought forth by attorneys and the infamous variance.

I pointed out to the council, a South Dakota Supreme court decision involving code, covenants and restrictions running with land violation. The high court found in favor of the complainant that the covenants had indeed been violated and went a step further to award the legal costs of enforcing the codes, covenants and restrictions.

I was asked the question when the final draft would becoming, I answered as soon as I had access to Mr. McGill’s opinion. In addition to that opinion, I will certainly take into consideration any argument mounted by the Alcester City Attorney in my answer.

After my presentation, Pat offered up an astounding comment. (00:06:35). Alcester Finance Officer Jurrens argued that Alcester a city of just 800 population did not need a variance form such as the one Union County uses. ‘Cause she knows everybody who comes in for variances and she uses information from Beacon-Schneider site. Uhm folks, the Beacon-Schneider site has a warning notation under the summary specifically a brief tax description. (Note: Not to be used on legal documents) Of course what Pat is passing off as a legal document is nothing more than the equivalent of a page ripped off from a First graders coloring book. Folks would you want the value of your life’s asset/property to be dependent upon the legal and financial judgment of Finance Officer Jurrens? She seems to struggle with those concepts.

So using Finance Officer Jurrens logic if a city of 800 people is too small to bother with legal documents for variances, then we can do an initiated measure, get rid of the Property Maintenance Code and ol’ Geoff Fillingsness. Right?

Agenda item #5– was the Second reading of the 2019-08 Pleasant Hill Cemetery Ordinance. The motion was made and seconded for the second reading of the 2019-08 ordinance. Let’s hope she got this right, who knows what might rise to the surface here.

Agenda item #6 Rumor has it the new police car has hit Iowa. Time to pay for the car. Finance Officer Pat has robbed the CBDG account once again to float her bookkeeping. Mayor Glas repeated the motion only where it the amount was $24, 744.00 to Wegner Auto and $8.00 to Premier Bank Check Fee- Ol’ eagle-eyes lost the dot and read the amount as $800.00 into his regurgitation of the motion.

Agenda item #7 Supplemental Appropriation Ordinance 2019-09- Folks this is the part of Finance Officer duties where the Finance Officer makes a mad scramble to come up with the funds to pay the bills she and Mayor Glas encouraged the council to spend. Normally referred to as Robbing Peter to pay Paul or Pat. Don’t forget that $4880 fee paid out to Pat where no one approved of the OT!

Agenda item #8 Committee meeting date for City vacancies. Committee members, Councilwoman Melissa Kay, Councilwoman Linda Talbott and Councilman David Larsen.  Date was set for December 16, 2019, at 4:30 p.m. Will need job descriptions for librarian, solid waste (dump-ground) and Sextant (this one I will leave alone)

No Executive session

Adjourned the meeting at 5:17 pm